Eliminating confusion about trim levels is part of Ford’s marketing of the Escape as a “calm space.”
At the rear, a handle on the ’22 model protruded from the lower liftgate for raising it, but the new model hides that button under the lip that extends above the license plate, making for a cleaner, streamlined liftgate design. The taillamps have also been restyled, and the rear spoiler is larger now.
The ST-Line is part of a massive rejiggering of the Escape trim walk. In ’22, Ford offered the Escape in S, SE, SEL, and Titanium trim. Customers complained that “S” monikers were just letters that didn’t convey where they stood on the pricing sheet. All the hard climate-control buttons are digital and have been moved to the base of the new larger display screen.