View Photos of the 2021 Ford Escape Titanium Plug-In Hybrid

Andi HedrickCar and Driver

The Ford Escape now offers a plug-in-hybrid powertrain, which joins the regular hybrid and two nonhybrid turbocharged gasoline engines: a three-cylinder and a four-cylinder.

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Like its more conventionally powered siblings, the plug-in-hybrid Escape is offered in SE, SEL, and Titanium trim levels. It skips the base S.

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Our test car was the Titanium trim, which includes 18-inch machine-faced wheels, black roof rails, body-color mirror caps, and chrome exterior accents.

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The Titanium Plug-In Hybrid is the most expensive Escape model and for 2022 carries a starting price of $41,930 (before the federal tax credit).

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The plug-in-hybrid powertrain features an Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and total system output is 221 horsepower.

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According to the EPA, the Escape plug-in with a fully charged battery should be able to deliver 37 miles of EV range.

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Unlike the regular Escape Hybrid, the Plug-In Hybrid cannot be had with all-wheel drive. It’s front-drive only.

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In our testing, the Escape Plug-In Hybrid hit 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and stopped from 70 mph in 164 feet.

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An 8.0-inch touchscreen uses the SYNC 3 operating system and also features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality.

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Embossed door panels and molded plastic on the center console are cheap feeling, but the controls and switches are easy to operate.

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Cargo space is slightly reduced compared to the nonhybrid Escape. There’s 34 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats and 61 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded.

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