2017 Ford Escape vs 2018

What's the difference?

Escape. Evocative, isn't it? It also seems like a bit of a metaphor for Ford's mid-sized SUV, the artist formerly known as the Kuga. The Escape's first iteration gave way to the poorly-spelt replacement a few years back, with a weird looking bonce to go with the silly name.

The changes for 2017 are minor, but as we discovered at the top of the range with the Escape Titanium, they come together to improve a car that has struggled to break through into the consciousness of Australian buyers.

The Ambiente kicks off the range with an ambitious spec level and a roomy cabin, taking the fight to Hyundai's Tucson Active and Mazda's all-conquering CX-5.

More: Check out our 2017 Ford Escape range review here

If you haven’t realised that small, medium and large SUVs have taken over the world then you’ve been living under a rock – a rock that someone in a purpose-built dual-range 4WD would have driven over with disdain.

But while popular city-focused SUVs have not been designed, built or indeed marketed for serious off-roading, they can at least cope with dirt tracks and gravel roads. And it is those types of road surfaces which will likely form the outer limits of expected usage in these wagons anyway.

Some mid-sized models achieve a near-perfect marriage of on-road manners and light-duty off-road capability – and Ford’s Escape is having a decent crack at getting that combination just right. But does it succeed? To find out, read on.