Following rumors that GM rival Ford would discontinue its most affordable crossover, it turns out that the 2026 Ford Escape will survive at least one more model year. Our friends at Ford Authority report that sources familiar with the matter confirm a 2026 model year for the Escape, but its future beyond that is still uncertain.
One of the main sources for the rumor that the Escape was going away was the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. In November 2023, Ford’s latest master contract agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) stated that the Escape and Lincoln Corsair would only be built through the “planned product lifecycle” of each, after which an “all new EV product will be added.”
The Escape is produced at Ford’s Louisville assembly plant in Kentucky. Ford CEO Jim Farley has made comments echoing the UAW, stating that the Louisville plant would be retooled to produce a new model starting in December of 2025 or sooner. Ford officially confirmed that a new model was committed to the plant but hasn’t been any more specific than that.
The Ford Escape is a direct competitor to the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain. The Equinox currently has both ICE and EV variants. Although the ICE-powered Chevy Blazer is being discontinued, the ICE versions of the Equinox and Terrain just entered a new generation and there are no signs of them being axed any time soon. Meanwhile, Ford’s only electric crossover is the Mustang Mach-E, which was introduced in 2021.
It seems natural that Ford would have a smaller and more affordable electric crossover slotted below the Mach-E, but no such model has been officially announced by the Blue Oval. However, Ford Authority reported last August that “the first affordable vehicle off this new platform will be a mid-sized electric pickup launching in 2027 that is expected to cater to customers who want more for their money – more range, more utility, more usability,” according to Ford.
The new midsize electric pickup could be the new model produced at the Louisville plant, but it could also be a small crossover based on the same platform. Whatever the case may be, the 2026 Ford Escape will live another model year to compete with the more recently updated Equinox and Terrain.
Comments
I have a 2022 SEL Stealth with 250hp and 280 torque, much more power than the laughable offerings in the Equinox. Doh!
I think Ford made a dumb move axing the Fusion sedan. Getting rid of the volume selling Escape would be even more foolish.