2021 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid Review: Fashionably Late

Auto123 reviews the 2021 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid.

Kelowna, BC - When Ford introduced its next-generation Ford Escape in 2019 (as a 2020 model), there was talk of four powertrains: the two gas-powered offerings, the hybrid, and the plug-in hybrid. The first three arrived quickly on the market, but the last one has been a long time coming, so much so in fact that it's the end of October 2021 and Ford of Canada is only now making the new 2021 model year plug-in model available for test drives.

This is even though the model has been on sale across the country since July. Truth is, Ford of Canada had a hard time getting a large enough fleet together to host a driving event. At dealers, the first few units of the model have trickled in - just over 1,000 units have sold since the summer, according to Ford - and the 2022 will soon be here. Though at this point, the model-year doesn't matter, as there will be very little difference between the two editions.

Whatever the year attached, consumers now have one more option in the compact plug-in hybrid segment, so that’s good news for them. The Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid competes with the Toyota RAV4 Prime, but also with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the pioneer of the group. But one potential hiccup for the model involves the drivetrain of this most-fuel-economical of the Escape variants. This plug-in hybrid cannot be mated to an all-wheel drive system like its competitors. Buyers might look at this two-wheel drive configuration and say no thanks.

The specs
At first glance, the Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid looks identical to the other versions of the crossover, except for that hatch on the front fender... for the charging cable of course! But there are a few more distinguishing marks: the vehicle's rims are unique to the model, and there’s a tiny "Plug-In Hybrid" badge on the right side of the trunk.

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