New 2023 Ford Escape Spy Shots Reveal Crossover's Redesigned Face

Fresh spy shots have captured the updated Ford Escape completely uncovered. We first saw the revamped crossover late last year, but Ford hid the styling changes under a camouflage wrap that is now gone in these new images. This is our first clear look at the updated styling, and there are significant changes at the front.

 The lack of camouflage reveals that the Escape will feature a light bar across the front that connects the crossover's redesigned headlights, similar to the element on the F-150 Lightning. Ford reshaped the trapezoidal grille that will sit on the crossover's restyled face. The grille looks to sit higher than before, which sits just below a new hood.

The new styling forced Ford to reposition the Blue Oval to the grille. The new photos also reveal the crossover sporting new fog light surrounds and a restyled lower bumper grille. Changes at the rear are subtler, but the updated Escape will arrive with revamped taillight internals.

We haven't seen inside the new Escape just yet, but we don't expect any significant changes with this mid-cycle refresh. The current Escape was all-new for the 2020 model year, and we doubt Ford will make any sizable changes to the interior layout. However, Ford might expand the available technology to include its BlueCruise driver-assist system.

While the new Escape sports a Lightning-like lighting element, we don't expect the crossover to arrive with a battery-electric powertrain. Instead, we expect the model's current crop of engines to carry over virtually unchanged. That means the new Escape will continue to offer a gasoline, a hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

 We don't know when Ford will reveal the updated Escape, but we expect it to happen before the year's end. Our spy photographers believe Ford will unveil the new Escape before the end of September, with production kicking off for the 2023 model sometime in November. The Escape shares its underpinnings with the new Bronco Sport, and a redesign will help differentiate the soft crossover from its enthusiast-focused sibling.