2026 Ford EcoSport Interior, Pictures, Engine – Considering the level of popularity crossovers have reached in recent years, the rather limited number of hybrid models on the market remains something of a surprise. Looking at the compact category, there are only two conventional versions to choose from. Yet the 2020 Ford EcoSport manages to stand out for its effective blend of efficiency, versatility, and value. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
2026 Ford EcoSport Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
The leather-upholstered seats are supportive and provide 10-way power adjustability for the driver and six-way movement for the passenger. Both front seats are also heated, though they can’t be had with ventilation – a disappointment given the feature comes in its Toyota rival’s top trim. Ditto heated rear seats, which don’t come in the Escape. However, the dual-zone automatic climate control system is quick to cool – or heat – the cabin, with vents on the back of the centre console to keep additional occupants comfortable. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
The rigid and clunky ride quality noted in the 2.0L turbo-powered Escape is nowhere to be found here, with excellent suspension damping at all four corners. Even when driven with some gusto this Ford remains cool and collected, with little body roll and almost car-like handling. Only large cracks and deep manhole covers manage to upset what’s an otherwise composed crossover. That poise is complemented by how quiet the cabin is, with little road noise interrupting the drive.
2026 Ford EcoSport Specs
Ford has managed to make the most of the space inside the Escape, with enough room for a family of four to fit comfortably. Even second-row occupants will find adequate head-, shoulder-, and legroom, while the entire back bench can be slid fore and aft for more cargo capacity – an under-utilized feature in the segment. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
Outright cargo volume comes up short of the RAV4 Hybrid, but only barely. There’s 869 L behind the back seat, though that number grows to 974 L with it slid forward. Once folded, the total cargo area expands to 1,722 L, with a wide opening all the way to the front seatbacks. The cargo area isn’t quite as wide as the RAV4’s, but there’s plenty of space for most jobs (it swallowed an average-sized desk and chair during testing with ease).
Engine and Performance
Like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, this Escape employs a 2.5L gas engine that runs on the highly thermal-efficient Atkinson cycle. Fancy though it may seem, the principle essentially means prioritizing efficiency over power density. This is achieved through unique valve timing that simulates the use of an expansion stroke that’s longer than the compression one – a key tenet of the technology that dates back nearly 140 years. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
By keeping the intake valve open during the compression stroke, the effective compression ratio is reduced and the engine doesn’t have to work as hard to move the piston. The downside is that power density isn’t as high as a conventional four-stroke engine – particularly lower in the rev range. But the trade-off is that it’s incredibly efficient since it requires less energy to operate.
On its own, the four-cylinder generates 165 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque – low by today’s standards, with the exception of the base four-cylinder in the Mitsubishi Outlander. Yikes. Making up for the lack of low-end torque is an 88-kW electric motor, the pair producing a combined system output of 200 hp and working in unison with a 1.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that’s nestled beneath the back seat.
2026 Ford EcoSport Fuel Economy
Given how little the gas engine is heard, it should come as no surprise that this Escape is one efficient little crossover. Official numbers from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) peg the all-wheel-drive version tested at 5.5 L/100 km in the city, 6.4 on the highway, and 5.9 combined. Despite the vast majority of the mileage being accumulated on the highway during testing, the final tally came in at 5.6 L/100 km over 770 km. Better still, according to the trip computer, a little more than 40 per cent of those were completed under pure electric propulsion – this despite the lack of dedicated electric driving range like the plug-in hybrid model. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
2026 Ford EcoSport Safety Features
It is, however, decked out with just about every advanced safety feature Ford offers, up to and including a self-parking system. There’s blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, front automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beams. There’s also a government-mandated back-up camera that works with some parking sensors front and rear to keep tabs on what’s happening around the vehicle.
Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go traffic functionality is also along for the ride, and it works well to progressively slow down and speed up without causing panic. The rest of the advanced safety stuff works well, too, with the exception of the lane-centring function that fights to keep the Escape in the middle of lane markings (as the name would suggest). While that’s perfectly fine most of the time, its propensity to push back against what the driver wants to do – say, move closer to the outside line to give an approaching big rig more room – can be cause for some unnerving moments. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
2026 Ford EcoSport Price and Release Date
One of the EcoSport’s finest features might well be its selling price. While the cheapest version is front-wheel drive, it’s only $1,500 to add all-wheel traction, pushing the asking price to $38,149 before freight, fees, and taxes. That’s $2,000 less than the gas-only Titanium trim, making the hybrid a compelling case in value. 2026 Ford EcoSport Interior
While the RAV4 Hybrid is offered four different ways and starts at $32,350 before the same extras are applied, it’s the loaded Limited version that’s the closest competitor to the Escape Titanium Hybrid. For its $42,750 asking price the Toyota’s top trim includes ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a 360-degree camera system, but lacks the Escape’s self-parking system and Wi-Fi hotspot.
While opting for the upgrade package that adds the panoramic roof is certainly no slam-dunk decision at $2,300, doing so still undercuts the Toyota by more than $2,000 – and that’s before any available incentives are applied. The model tested here rings in at $42,299 before tax. That’s not especially cheap for a compact crossover, but considering how it compares to gas-only models – including its fellow Escape Titanium that runs on gas alone – it’s at least competitive.