ArcaMax

Hybrid pick-ups and SUVs are still pretty rare; "full" hybrids that can actually be driven on pure battery power alone -- vs. "mild" hybrids that just shut off the gas engine when the vehicle isn't moving -- rarer still.

The Ford Escape hybrid is one of them.

It's also substantially revised for the '08 model run.

The front end has been completely redone; it's now very Expedition-like (and much less Freestyle-like) with a larger (and chrome-plated) grille/bumper section replacing the body-colored (and smaller-grilled) molded plastic treatment used previously. The bumper's center section extends down and underneath the front end -- giving the appearance of an integrated skid plate -- while just above the bumper, the hood's lip rises almost vertically for an inch or so, then cuts back at an almost 90-degree angle. Larger headlamp assemblies with integrated turn and parking signals, projector-style fog lamps cut into the lower bumper -- and a black-out treatment for the B-pillar -- complete the manly makeover on the outside.

Inside, there's a new dash layout that's similarly squared-off (vs. the softer, rounded shapes used previously) with a more substantial looking center stack off to the right that houses an information center/LCD screen on top and audio/ optional GPS screen down below that.

Between the seats, there's a much more useful "deep well," multi-tiered center console with removable storage trays and combo cupholders.

All gauges and controls get "ice blue" LED-style backlighting -- a nice touch -- while the interior fabrics are made from recycled "post-industrial materials" that Ford says helps to conserve 600,000 gallons of water and seven million kilowatts of electricity that would otherwise have been used to produce seat covers from "virgin" materials.

These cosmetic changes run across the board; both standard Escapes and hybrid models get the exterior and interior facelift.

But hybrid versions of the '08 Escape get some notable functional tweaks, too -- including revised software governing the operation of the gas-electric powertrain that's designed to make the transitions between all-electric operation and tandem gas-electric operation more imperceptible and "transparent" than before. The previous Escape hybrid was not terrible in this respect by any means; but the '08 model's noticeably better -- because you hardly notice the hybrid powertrain at all.

When driving on the batteries -- which you can do up to about 25 mph or so -- your main clue about the absence of internal combustion is the tach needle, which dips into the green zone to the left of the scale until either your speed or driving conditions tell the computer to start up the 2.3 liter gas engine for additional power. The gas engine will also sometimes "cycle on" when you're not moving -- to run the AC, for example. Or to to keep the battery pack at optimal charge. But again, your main indication that any of this is happening is the tach readout. There's virtually no lag time -- even when you floor it from a standstill and the system has to quickly switch the gas engine on to meet your urgent need for speed. Similarly, the gas engine goes "dark" so discretely you'll often not even realize it's turned itself off -- and find yourself creeping along on just the batteries, marveling at the great job Ford did with the exhaust tuning.

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