2026 Ford Escape Platinum: Luxury and Performance Redesigned! – The Ford Escape, including the Platinum trim, will stay in production for the 2026 model year. The 2026 Ford Escape Platinum will most likely include luxury amenities like as standard all-wheel drive, chrome accents, remote start, a 12.3-inch digital display, a heated steering wheel, and the SYNC 4 infotainment system with a 13.2-inch touchscreen. Furthermore, the 2026 Escape Platinum will most likely be available with either a 2.0L EcoBoost or a 2.5L hybrid engine.
Ford Escape Overview
The mechanically related Bronco Sport handles light-off-roader duty, allowing the 2026 Ford Escape to focus on the more humdrum everyday driving activities that most people do in their compact SUVs. To that aim, it provides two economical engines, a spacious interior, and user-friendly entertainment systems, nailing the fundamentals. The details, however, are where things fall short of the best in this broad and popular class.
The base three-cylinder engine is acceptable but needs to go to finishing school, and the interior materials on entry-level models appear cheap. The Escape isn’t especially appealing from behind the wheel, which may be great for some buyers—but not for us. And its unnecessarily harsh suspension is a blunder for something designed to transport families in quiet.
There’s stiff competition in this segment: the Honda CR-V and Mazda’s CX-5 and CX-50 are far more enjoyable to drive and have more sophisticated inside finishes. If you’re looking for a tiny SUV that uses electricity to conserve fuel, Ford offers hybrid and plug-in variants of the Escape, which we review separately.
2026 Ford Escape Redesign
The 2026 Ford Escape features a dramatic new design that immediately draws attention, beginning with its sleek, revised headlamps with strong LED highlights, giving it a modern, aggressive appearance. The body features sleek, sculpted lines that produce a sporty yet sophisticated appearance, emphasizing both aerodynamics and fashion.
From the front, the Escape grabs attention with a larger grille enclosed by stunning chrome elements, giving it a confident and premium appearance on the road.
Ford introduces a new pallet of colorful and sophisticated hues for 2026, spanning from deep metallic blues to exquisite pearl whites, allowing customers to personalize their Escape with style. Overall, the first look at the 2026 Escape offers a great balance of rugged capabilities and urban sophistication, setting it apart in the compact SUV sector.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The 2026 Ford Escape cabin is attractively designed and large for both front and back seat passengers. However, low-cost plastic paneling in lower-end trims give the cabin a shoddy vibe. While the Escape’s ST-Line and Platinum variants appear and feel higher-quality, their interior treatments fall short of the finest in the segment, which are the Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-50, Kia Sportage, and Honda CR-V.
Textured cloth seat material is standard, but the Platinum variant includes convincing faux-leather seating surfaces. The Escape, like its crosstown competition, the Chevrolet Equinox, has a spacious cargo area below the rear seat that can accommodate up to eight carry-on baggage. We could fit 21 cases in the Escape’s rear seats when they were folded, but the Equinox could hold two more.
2026 Ford Escape Infotainment and Connectivity
The Active and ST-Line models have an 8.0-inch infotainment system and may be upgraded to the bigger 13.2-inch touchscreen display that is standard on the Platinum. Both screens use Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment interface, which includes Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay support.
The system accepts over-the-air upgrades, and Ford claims that the 2026 Ford Escape will automatically update itself, eliminating the risk of utilizing an out-of-date version of the software. Optional features include a B&O Play music system with ten speakers, in-dash navigation, a pop-up head-up display, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge display.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Ford includes a package of driver-assistance systems called Co-Pilot360 as standard on all Escape models. For additional information on the Escape’s crash test results, go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. The key safety elements are:
- Standard forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
2026 Ford Escape Engine Performance
The non-hybrid Escape has two powertrain options, beginning with a 181-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine available with front- or all-wheel drive. The standard turbo-three gas engine, while grumbly and unrefined, offers decent acceleration.
The 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is the more appealing option, as it comes standard with all-wheel drive. Both gasoline engines come equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
An AWD 2026 Ford Escape with the base three-cylinder reached 60 mph in 7.7 seconds, demonstrating strong performance in this class. A turbo-four Escape completed the same 60-mph test in 5.8 seconds, making it one of the fastest small SUVs.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA rates the turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder model with front-wheel drive as the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid Escape model. It is rated for 27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined; with all-wheel drive, the values drop to 26 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined. We tested an all-wheel-drive variant with a turbo three-cylinder and averaged 35 mpg on our 75-mph highway fuel economy route.
The larger turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with all-wheel drive is rated for 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined, but in our testing, we got 32 mpg highway. Visit the EPA website for additional information on the 2026 Ford Escape fuel economy.
2026 Ford Escape Pricing: Which One to Buy?
The 2026 Ford Escape starts at $30,645 and ranges up to $39,005, depending on trim and extras.
- Active: $30,645
- ST-Line: $31,490
- ST-Line Select: $35,685
- Platinum: $36,510
- ST-Line Elite: $39,005
We’d recommend the ST-Line model because it’s the cheapest way to get the more powerful 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which is a zippy powerhouse. To do so, you must have the Select package, which includes all-wheel drive. The ST-Line features distinct 18- or 19-inch wheels, body-colored lower cladding, a mesh grille, and a rear spoiler.
The interior is all black, with red contrast stitching and a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel. To expand the Escape ST-Line’s digital footprint, select the Premium Technology package, which includes a 13.2-inch infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital gauge display instead of the usual 8.0-inch units on the 2026 Ford Escape.
