Other improvements include a new 4WD system; a quieter interior; improved ride and better braking.

The substantially refitted interior comes with a standard flow-through console and a floor shifter. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

Also, the substantially refitted interior comes with a standard flow-through console and a floor shifter.

In terms of safety features, the 2005 Escape earned the second-highest rating, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That is significant because in 2001, when the institute last tested the Escape, crash tests indicated the driver would suffer a serious head injury. Obviously Ford engineers took that to heart when they redesigned the new model.

For 2005, the Escape is available in three trims: base XLS, mid XLT and top-of-the-line Limited. A new 4WD system improves traction and stability in the 4x4 models, though the front-wheel-drive configuration still gets the job done on the blacktop just fine.

A new four-cylinder engine, a Duratec 2.3-litre, now produces 153 horsepower. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

Brakes are also upgraded in the 2005 Escape, with standard ABS now on all models, and V6 4X4 trims coming with new large disc brakes that Ford claims have a life expectancy five times as long as previous discs.

As mentioned, a new four-cylinder engine -- a Duratec 2.3-litre -- is now available and produces 153 horsepower, a vast improvement over the 127 ponies the anemic 2.0-litre four-banger in the 2004 model put out. The most important aspect of the additional power, to some at least, is that the new engine increases its towing capacity from 454 kg (1,000 lbs) to 680 kg (1,500 lbs).