Before you ask--this is what's NOT coming to our shores early next year.  By the time you read this, we would have driven the revised Escape with its next-generation powertrains.  However, American publications would have also driven the puppy you see in these pages.  So, what makes the new Escape "new"?

For starters, the exterior's been toughened up.  If the old one looked like a cross between a metro-sexual and a downright geek, the new one has been sent to the guy.  Toughed up surmises the new Escape thanks to its new "tough truck" styling cues. The sheet metal is all new even if it's riding on the same platform as the current one.  Aside from the obvious changes (front facia, shiny grille and squared-off bumpers), the new Escape has a higher beltline.  Because of this, designers also had to redesign the hood--now incorporating a "reverse crease" design.  It's not Bangle, but it's very close (especially from three-quarters front) to the Dodge Durango.

The B-pillar has also been blacked out (the current one has a body matching scheme) while the molded facias and cladding have been taken out.  17-inch alloys are also optional putting it at par with the latest offerings from both Honda and Toyota.

Inside, Ford has transformed the Escape's cabin from hard rock to soft jazz.  The once garish and cheapo materials have been replaced by a much more driver oriented cabin complete with new controls and switchgear.  The highlight is the "top of dash" display that's been clearly taken from the Mazda drawing books.  On a nifty little display on top of the A/C vents, the "top of dash" display shows radio functions, climate control and even the outside temperature.  Neat.

Also getting the pick slip is the slab faced audio interface and it has been replaced with more tactile "poke through" design.  The ventilation controls, although fully automatic with dual-zone function is accessible via large dials.  An MP3 capable audio system with Apple i-Pod integration is standard as well.  The gauge lighting has been revamped as well, featuring Ford's "Ice Blue" lighting.  It replaces the cheapo green on the instrumentation and even on the steering wheel controls, window/door switch illumination and so forth.

Being an SUV, the Escape isn't complete without being able to swallow truly useless objects into a singular nook or cranny.  In this case, a laptop computer can fit into the center console.  And there are three levels of storage space there too.  The center console also features two removable bins with dovetail mounting points allowing the bins to be hung from the front passenger side and rear of the console for extra storage.

NVH reduction is key in the 2008 Escape and as such it employs new recessed channels on the vehicle's roof panel, horizontal ribs on the roof itself, acoustic laminates between the glass panel of the windshield and a revised headliner all for the sake of a quieter ride.  Even the interior carpeting has been thickened 50 percent to improve isolation from road and tire noise.  According to Ford, the new Escape is roughly 12 percent quieter on the highway and 20 percent quieter during crosswinds.

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