Ford Australia will axe the Kuga name in favour of Escape, as it lowers the cost of entry to its mid-sized SUV.

The Kuga name will disappear from Ford showrooms in January when the 2017 Ford Escape arrives, though, despite the new name, Ford’s ‘new’ midsize SUV is a facelift rather than an all-new model.

Changes compared to the Ford Kuga aren’t wholesale – the most notable are new front and rear plastics, a reprofiled bonnet, revised tailgate, new headlamps and tail lamp designs, a new set of 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs and a slightly remodelled interior with higher-quality materials.

2017-Ford -Escape -front

Meanwhile, infotainment fit-out gets a boost from Ford’s latest Sync 3 system, which replaces the current Sync 2 software and features intuitive voice commands, an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen, integrated sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring on all Escape variants.

2017-Ford -Escape -side -parked

Auto-equipped models gain a set of steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and engine start-stop will become standard.

2017-Ford -Escape -rear -side

With most Kuga shoppers gravitating toward the Trend, the addition of a more affordable 2WD variant in the Escape line-up is expected to garner more customers for Ford.

2017-Ford -Escape -interior

“We’re revitalising our SUV line-up, leveraging our global heritage and expertise, to bring the Escape into the family,” said Ford Australia spokesman Damion Smy.

“The Kuga name has been criticised in the media, but it wasn’t a substantial hindrance to the success of Kuga – which was increasing in sales in 2016 until we announced this new model back in August.”

2017-Ford -Escape -interior -dashboard

That segment continues to grow as SUV sales snare greater and greater chunks of the new car market, with medium SUV sales so far this year registering nearly 19 percent growth against 2015’s figures.

2017-Ford -Escape -front -side

The Territory will be replaced by the slightly smaller Edge in early 2018, though those looking for a seven-seat Ford SUV will need to aim for the Ranger-based Everest instead – a seven-seat option exists for the Chinese market, but Ford Australia has confirmed Australia-bound cars won’t be sourced from that country.

2017-Ford -Escape -rear

Pricing

Escape Ambiente 2WD 1.5 manual – $28,490 Escape Ambiente 2WD 1.5 auto – $29,990 Escape Ambiente AWD 1.5 auto – $32,990

Escape Trend 2WD 1.5 auto – $32,990 Escape Trend AWD 2.0 auto – $35,990 Escape Trend AWD 2.0 diesel auto – $38,490

Escape Titanium AWD 2.0 auto – $44,990 Escape Titanium AWD 2.0 diesel auto – $47,490