2023 Ford Escape Exterior and Dimensions

The familiar jellybean shape has been with us for four years, but the Ford Escape's exterior is a little sharper this year thanks to a facelift that gives it an angrier front visage and injects some sportiness, especially the ST-Line trims that come with accouterments like a large rear spoiler, a dark rear skid-plate-like bumper insert, a black mesh grille, and 18- and 19-inch alloys. The base trims run on 17-inch wheels - steel with plastic covers for the Base and alloy for the Active - while the Platinum also gets 19s and the hybrids 18-inch wheels. The Base's grille and window surrounds are plain black, and those on the Active's gain chrome trim. The Platinum and ST-Line Elite get the new "coast to coast" LED lightbar between the headlights. More color coding is added to higher trims, but dual chrome exhaust tips and LED headlights are standard for all. From ST-Line Select and up, LED foglights are fitted, and from ST-Line and up, black roof rails that the two base trims lack.

Common dimensions for every Ford Escape include a length of 180.1 inches, a wheelbase of 106.7 inches, and a width of 74.1 inches without the mirrors, 78.8 inches with them folded in, and 85.6 inches with them in their normal extended position. This makes it slightly smaller in size than a CR-V or CX-50. Height varies from 66 to 66.1 inches, depending on the trim. All trims have a ground clearance of 7.5 inches, a reasonable figure for a road-biased crossover.

In terms of curb weight, three-cylinder 1.5-liter cars weigh 3,283 pounds with front-wheel drive and 3,419 lbs with all-wheel drive, while the AWD-only 2.0-liters are the heaviest of the gas Escapes at 3,543 lbs. The hybrids are even heavier at 3,519/3,686 lbs for the FWD/AWD hybrid and 3,904 lbs for the FWD-only PHEV with its 11.2-kWh battery pack.