The 2020 Ford Escape marked the beginning of the fourth generation for this popular compact SUV, bringing with it a suite of new features and a redesigned structure. For families and individuals prioritizing safety, understanding how the Ford Escape 2020 performs in rigorous safety evaluations is crucial. This article delves into the comprehensive safety ratings of the Ford Escape 2020, based on evaluations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), providing a detailed look at its crashworthiness and safety technology.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver’s Side
The small overlap front crash test simulates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or a fixed object like a tree or pole. The Ford Escape 2020 performed admirably in the driver-side small overlap front test, earning a Good rating, the highest possible.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G |
| Structure and Safety Cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/Thigh | G |
| Lower Leg/Foot | G |
| Driver Restraints & Kinematics | G |
Action shot during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test of the Ford Escape 2020, highlighting structural integrity.
The structural performance of the Ford Escape 2020 in this challenging test was rated as Good, indicating that the safety cage effectively maintained its integrity. Measures taken from the dummy placed in the driver’s seat showed a low risk of injury across all body regions – head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot. The restraint systems and dummy movement (kinematics) were also rated Good, demonstrating effective occupant protection.
Post-crash dummy position in the Ford Escape 2020 after the driver-side small overlap test, showing excellent maintenance of survival space.
The dummy’s position relative to the vehicle’s interior components after the test confirmed that the driver’s survival space was exceptionally well-maintained. This is a critical factor in preventing serious injuries in real-world accidents.
Frontal and side curtain airbags deployment in the Ford Escape 2020 during the driver-side small overlap test, effectively protecting the head.
The frontal and side curtain airbags worked in concert to ensure the driver’s head was well-protected, minimizing the risk of contact with hard structures or external objects.
Lower leg and feet protection demonstrated by the Ford Escape 2020 in the driver-side small overlap test, indicating low injury risk.
Technical measurements further supported the visual assessments, showing minimal intrusion into the occupant compartment and low injury measures for the driver. Specifically, the maximum intrusion at the lower hinge pillar was only 2 cm.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side
The passenger-side small overlap test is equally important as it assesses the protection offered to the front passenger. Like the driver-side test, the Ford Escape 2020 received a Good overall rating for the passenger side.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G |
| Structure and Safety Cage | A |
| Passenger Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/Thigh | G |
| Lower Leg/Foot | G |
| Passenger Restraints & Kinematics | G |
While the overall rating is Good, the structure and safety cage received an Acceptable rating in the passenger-side test. However, passenger injury measures and restraint performance were all rated Good, indicating a good level of protection for the front passenger.
Technical measurements showed more intrusion on the passenger side compared to the driver side, with a maximum lower hinge pillar intrusion of 7 cm. Despite this, injury measures for the passenger dummy remained low across all body regions. Interestingly, driver injury measures are also reported in this test and were all rated Good, suggesting consistent protection for both front occupants.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Original Test
In the moderate overlap front test, a significant portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts a deformable barrier. The Ford Escape 2020 again earned a Good rating in this test.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G |
| Structure and Safety Cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Leg/Foot, Left | G |
| Leg/Foot, Right | G |
| Driver Restraints & Kinematics | G |
The structure and safety cage held up well, earning a Good rating. All driver injury measures – head/neck, chest, and leg/foot (both left and right) – were also rated Good. Restraints and dummy kinematics performed as expected, contributing to the high safety rating.
Measurements of occupant compartment intrusion were minimal, with footwell intrusion ranging from 3 to 7 cm and rearward movement of the instrument panel and steering column actually measured in negative centimeters, indicating forward movement which is beneficial in a crash.
Side Impact Crash Test: Original and Updated Tests
The side impact test evaluates how well a vehicle protects occupants in a side collision. The Ford Escape 2020 underwent both the original IIHS side test and an updated, more stringent version.
Original Side Test
In the original side test, the Ford Escape 2020 achieved a Good rating.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G |
| Structure and Safety Cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/Leg | G |
| Driver Head Protection | G |
| Rear Passenger Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/Leg | G |
| Rear Passenger Head Protection | G |
Both driver and rear passenger injury measures were rated Good across all categories (head/neck, torso, pelvis/leg). Driver and rear passenger head protection were also rated Good, indicating effective side airbag deployment and structural design to mitigate side impact forces.
Updated Side Test
The updated side test is designed to be more challenging, using a heavier barrier and higher impact speed to better represent severe side-impact scenarios. In this updated test, the Ford Escape 2020 received a Marginal overall rating.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | M |
| Structure and Safety Cage | A |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | M |
| Pelvis | M |
| Driver Head Protection | M |
| Rear Passenger Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | A |
| Pelvis | A |
| Rear Passenger Head Protection | G |
Ford Escape 2020 after the updated side crash test, showing the impact zone and structural deformation.
Side airbags deployment and occupant compartment damage in the Ford Escape 2020 after the updated side crash test.
While the structure and safety cage received an Acceptable rating, driver injury measures for torso, pelvis, and driver head protection were rated Marginal. The driver dummy’s head moved past the side curtain airbag and struck the window sill, indicating inadequate head protection in this more severe side impact scenario.
Grease paint on the window sill of the Ford Escape 2020 after the updated side crash test, indicating driver dummy head contact.
Rear passenger protection fared better, with head/neck and rear passenger head protection rated Good, and torso and pelvis rated Acceptable. This suggests that while front occupant side protection is a point of concern in more severe crashes, rear passenger side protection is still reasonably good.
Grease paint on the side airbag of the Ford Escape 2020, showing rear passenger head protection during the updated side crash test.
Roof Strength Test
The roof strength test measures a vehicle’s ability to withstand forces in a rollover crash. The Ford Escape 2020 earned a Good rating in roof strength.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G |
| Curb Weight | 3,480 lbs |
| Peak Force | 19,700 lbs |
| Strength-to-Weight Ratio | 5.66 |
With a strength-to-weight ratio of 5.66, the roof of the Ford Escape 2020 demonstrated good resistance to crush forces, contributing to occupant protection in rollover scenarios.
Head Restraints and Seats
Evaluations of head restraints and seats are crucial for preventing whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions. The Ford Escape 2020 with power cloth seats received a Good overall rating.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G |
| Dynamic Rating | G |
| Seat/Head Restraint Geometry | G |
Both the dynamic performance and the geometry of the seat and head restraint were rated Good, indicating effective whiplash protection for front occupants in rear impacts.
Headlights
Headlight performance is a critical aspect of nighttime driving safety. The IIHS rates headlights as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor. The Ford Escape 2020 has two different headlight variations.
Titanium Trim Headlights (LED Reflector)
The Titanium trim headlights, which are LED reflectors, received an Acceptable rating.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | A |
| Low-Beam Headlight Type | LED Reflector |
| High-Beam Headlight Type | LED Reflector |
| Curve-Adaptive? | No |
| High-Beam Assist? | Yes |
These LED reflector headlights provide good visibility on straight roads and fair visibility on curves. They do produce some glare, but the high-beam assist feature compensates for some limitations, especially on curves.
S, SE, SE Sport Hybrid, SEL Trim Headlights (Halogen Projector/Reflector)
The headlights on the S, SE, SE Sport Hybrid, and SEL trims, which are Halogen projector low beams and Halogen reflector high beams, received a Marginal rating.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | M |
| Low-Beam Headlight Type | Halogen Projector |
| High-Beam Headlight Type | Halogen Reflector |
| Curve-Adaptive? | No |
| High-Beam Assist? | Yes |
These halogen headlights provide inadequate visibility on straightaways and curves with low beams. High beams offer better visibility, but the overall rating is limited by the low-beam performance. High-beam assist helps compensate for low beam limitations on straightaways and curves.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are designed to mitigate or avoid frontal collisions. The Ford Escape 2020 offers two variations of its Pre-Collision Assist system.
Standard Pre-Collision Assist
The standard system earned a Superior rating.
| Overall Evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | Superior |
This system meets forward collision warning requirements and successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph vehicle-to-vehicle tests.
Optional Pre-Collision Assist
The optional system, available with Ford Co-Pilot360™ Assist, also earned a Superior rating.
| Overall Evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | Superior |
Like the standard system, the optional system meets forward collision warning criteria and avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests.
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day)
Pedestrian front crash prevention systems are evaluated for their ability to detect and react to pedestrians. The Ford Escape 2020 has two different pedestrian detection systems.
Standard System
The standard pedestrian front crash prevention system received a Superior rating.
| Overall Evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | Superior |
This system demonstrated excellent performance in avoiding collisions with a crossing child and crossing adult at 12 mph and 25 mph. It also significantly reduced impact speed in parallel adult scenarios at higher speeds.
Optional System
The optional pedestrian front crash prevention system earned an Advanced rating.
| Overall Evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | Advanced |
While still effective, the optional system showed slightly reduced performance compared to the standard system, achieving an Advanced rating. It avoided collisions in most scenarios but had a slightly lower speed reduction in some pedestrian crossing tests.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
Child seat anchors (LATCH) are evaluated for their ease of use. The Ford Escape 2020 received a Good+ rating for LATCH system ease of use.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Evaluation | G + Extra LATCH |
| Vehicle Trim | SE |
| Seat Type | Cloth |
The Ford Escape 2020 has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position where lower anchors can be borrowed. The LATCH system was found to be easy to use, contributing to the Good+ rating.
Conclusion
The 2020 Ford Escape demonstrates strong performance in most IIHS crash tests, earning Good ratings in small overlap front (driver and passenger side), moderate overlap front, roof strength, head restraints & seats, and original side crash tests. Its front crash prevention systems also achieved Superior and Advanced ratings. The Marginal rating in the updated side crash test and Marginal/Acceptable headlight ratings are areas for potential improvement.
Overall, the Ford Escape 2020 is a safe vehicle choice, particularly excelling in front and side crash protection (original test), roof strength, and front crash prevention. Prospective buyers should consider the headlight options and be aware of the updated side crash test results when making their purchase decision.
