It’s a big day for Ford, with the automaker announcing a new electric platform that will first spawn a $30,000 electric crew cab midsized pickup truck. Arriving in 2027, this new truck will be American-made, built in Louisville, Kentucky. Hang on, isn’t that the same plant where the Ford Escape is built? Why, yes, and you can probably guess where this is going.
That’s right, because the plant has to tool up for electric truck production, Ford has stated that Escape and Lincoln Corsair production will exit production later this year. Per a Ford representative in a call with media this morning, “Production will stop for Escape and Corsair later this year when we start retooling the plant. We’re going to have enough inventory to sell Escape and Corsair well into 2026.” That gives context as to why certain Escape trims won’t be available in some states for 2026. If a model is ending production soon, why spend money re-homologating it? Still, this marks the end of 24 years and four generations of what can be considered America’s first real compact crossover, and that quietly feels like a big deal.
Ford has sold more than five million Escapes in America alone, and it’s easy to see why. The compact crossover is now officially the default form factor of cars, and the blue oval got in on the ground floor. In an era when the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V still featured rear-mounted spare tires, the first Escape burst onto the scene with a liftgate, the right sort of footprint for families’ needs, plus available V6 power. Since then, the formula has evolved slightly to include optional electrification and standard turbocharging, but the Escape’s been remarkably consistent over its run.
It’s also been a world car for the past two generations, sold around the globe under both the Escape and Kuga nameplates. It works just as well in Bloomingdale as it does in Bath or Berlin, and although the fourth-generation model did have some teething issues with assembly quality when it came out, those seemed to be largely sorted out a few years into the production run, right before production is set to end. Still, it’s not like Ford will be without a compact crossover after Escape supply runs out. After all, it does offer the Bronco Sport.
Right as the crossover market moved to favor squared-off silhouettes and a bit of ruggedization, Ford made a clever bet by using the Escape’s platform and some blocky design cues to leverage the brand equity of the Bronco nameplate. Guess what? It worked. Over the first half of 2025, Ford sold 72,438 Bronco Sports. That’s still not as many as the 82,589 Escapes sold during the same timeframe, but in today’s market, the two vehicles represent different propositions. The Escape is a fleet favorite of municipalities and companies that employ traveling sales reps, and its most expensive combustion-powered trim tops out at $38,400.
Meanwhile, the Bronco Sport tops out at $42,110 for its most expensive Badlands trim and isn’t nearly as discounted, as it’s more of a lifestyle vehicle targeted at consumers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bronco Sport commanded higher margins than the Escape, which could justify simplification of compact crossover offerings. Plus, Escape sales are down by more than 50 percent since the peak in 2017, and that can be directly linked to the existence of the Bronco Sport.
At the same time, the Escape does have a certain appeal on its own, given that Ford offers it as a regular hybrid or a plug-in hybrid in addition to regular combustion models. For drivers looking to save at the pumps, a little electrification goes a long way. Still, if it catches your eye and you’re looking for something you can get a deal on, you might want to at least look at an Escape before the opportunity, well, escapes.
Top graphic image: Ford
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I think it’s a mistake for Ford to cancel the Escape/Corsair. I’m guessing Ford could have repurposed an unused/underused plant, expanded an existing plant or built a new plant for their electric truck.
I’ve managed to not get an Escape as a rental so far; my experience with them is limited to one that was owned by a couple of Mom’s older relatives. When my dad passed away in 2005, these relatives stepped in to help us with estate-related stuff, including paring down Dad’s small fleet of vehicles. They were absolutely appalled that Mom wanted to keep the 1997 Grand Cherokee…as people who insisted on buying a new car every 5 years, they thought it needed to go immediately. At one point they really started hyping their new Escape, showing off all the fancy features and talking about how ‘peppy’ it was.
Peppy.
Of course Mom kept the ZJ; it’s registered to me now.
Not gonna ditch on Escape, they’re pretty perfect for a large segment of older drivers that Bronco Sport is never going to reach. Seems that Ford is intent on killing passenger-type vehicles so more trucks can live.
I continue to say this exact thing and the opponents all say the same thing: “People want trucks!”
I just don’t believe this and I get tired of hearing it. People are getting trucks because that is what’s for sale! The fact that Ford is dropping the Escape is direct evidence of this. Really, as soon as they created the Bronco Sport, that put a target on the Escape. They made an investment on the Escape platform, turned it into something with a higher profit margin, and there we are. Displace the less expensive one with the more expensive one. Previously, it was the case where an Escape displaced the Focus, now it’s one SUV displacing another. It’s not about truck/not truck, it’s about the profit.
I think what I grow most tired of is being sold the notion that everyone needs some sort of rugged off-roader. It’s just so silly. If someone wants to go off-roading, that’s cool, have a great time. But when every suburban goober buys Jeeps and such to satisfy the fantasy that they might be called into action for emergency offroading or towing is just pathetic. No Brad, nobody is going to ask you to drive your Crosstrek across the soccer field to rescue anyone.
Where is the honesty of being ok with the fact that most of us just drive to fairly normal places on fully paved roads?
my mother in law, her sister in law and like 10 other 60+ people I know own a bronco sport. I have no clue what you are talking about. The people in escapes are probably 80 and will never buy a car again. Ford don’t need em’.
My only complaint about this is that the Bronco Sport isn’t as long.
It would be nice to have a Bronco Sport with a bit more length and the sliding rear seat that is in the Escape.
Couldn’t agree more. Honestly, I think perfection would be if the next gen Bronco Sport was just a Maverick SUV.