The Ford Escape was the world’s first mass-market hybrid crossover SUV when it debuted in 2005. Fast forward to its 2020 redesign, and the Escape welcomed another fuel-sipping variant—the Escape Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV). Availability of both the Escape Hybrid and the PHEV expanded for the 2021 model. Thus, the Louisville, Kentucky-born compact crossover sees little in the way of updates for 2022. In fact, the only change with the 2022 Ford Escape is color choices: All metallic shades of blue, the new paint options are Atlas Blue, Flight Blue, and Iced Blue.

The 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid are available on all but the entry-level Escape S. Escape SE, SEL, and Titanium trims can all be had as either a hybrid or plug-in hybrid. Both hybrids are equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and 96-kWh electric motor pairing, but performance varies slightly.

Alone, the inline-four produces 165 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. Combined with the electronic motors in the Escape Hybrid, the powertrain puts out 200 hp, while the Escape Plug-In Hybrid has a smidge more at 221 hp. Both vehicles feature an electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT).

It’s no surprise that the OG of hybrid crossovers boasts high fuel-efficiency numbers. The front-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid has an EPA-estimated rating of 44 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 41 mpg combined—and that combined number is best-in-class. When optioned with all-wheel drive, the highway mpg is unchanged at 37, while city and combined mpg each drop by 1 mile per gallon.

Separately, the Escape PHEV, which is front-wheel-drive only, is also rated best-in-class. Its 100 MPGe (miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent) combined tops all other competitors. When strictly using gasoline as a power source, the PHEV achieves a hybrid-similar 41 mpg combined. On the opposite end, if running on purely electric power, the Escape Plug-In Hybrid has a listed range of 37 miles.

As always, your mileage may vary. But the Escape PHEV does offer four modes to get the most bang for your watt. Standard is Auto EV, which lets the vehicle decide which power source, gas or battery, is best utilized. The EV Now mode switches the system to solely battery-electric power. In EV Later, the vehicle goes into gasoline-hybrid driving in order to pocket electric range for later use. Lastly, there’s EV Charge, which allows for battery charging while the vehicle is being driven.

Speaking of charging, the Escape Plug-In Hybrid is equipped with both a Level 1 and a Level 2 AC charging port. When using a standard 110-volt outlet (Level 1), the battery will take an estimated 10 to 11 hours to fully charge. When plugged into a 240-volt charger (Level 2), the charging time drops to just 3.5 hours.

While the non-hybrid Escape S is outfitted with a 4.2-inch instrument cluster and basic SYNC infotainment system, Escape hybrid models start at the SE trim. This means a 6.5-inch instrument panel and an 8-inch touchscreen with SYNC 3. It also includes keyless entry, push-button start, and reduced black plastic exterior molding. But go for the top-of-the-line Titanium model and you’ll get top-of-the-line details like a 12.3-inch digital driver display, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, ambient lighting, a hands-free liftgate, and more.

You won’t have to pay a high price for standard safety, though. Ford Co-Pilot360 safety features are standard on all Escape models. Co-Pilot360 technologies include automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera, hill start assist, post-collision braking, pre-collision assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and a lane-keep assist system. The optional Co-Pilot360 Assist+ adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane centering, evasive steering, front and rear parking aids, and speed limit recognition. A head-up display is available as part of a separate package and is limited to the Titanium trim.

On sale now, the 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid carries over plenty of features, but (and best of all) also its previous price. The Escape SE Hybrid still starts at $28,030 MSRP for either FWD or AWD models. The PHEV version comes in at $33,075—the same as last year. Destination charges also hold steady at $1,245. Escape SEL Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid pricing are also unchanged. However, the Titanium models actually saw an MSRP decrease: both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants shave $560 off their respective starting price. The Escape Titanium Hybrid now starts at $33,040 while the PHEV starts at $38,325.