DRIVE TIME: FORD FOCUS SES SUV LIVES UP TO STANDARDS FOR GETAWAY 2008 MAKEOVER GIVES ESCAPE A GENEROUS CABIN.

Byline: GREGORY J. WILCOX

Staff Writer

Ford Motor Co.'s Escape sport utility vehicle is aptly named.

One of the first thoughts that came to mind after settling into the generous cabin was setting out on a road trip. (Our photographer posed the car to suggest the Escape wanted to flee the city.)

Turns out that's by design.

For the 2008 model, Ford ordered a makeover inside and out. The company says it's a more rugged exterior that bears a stronger resemblance to the bigger Explorer and Expedition models.

Looks like they're right. One of my friends did wonder if I was driving a new Explorer.

Like the crossover Edge, it's an attractive package.

Exterior updates include:

A high beltline (the horizontal boundary dividing the upper and lower parts of a vehicle's body) that gives nice proportion of sheet metal to glass.

Integrated running boards.

Front headlamps that sweep up toward the front corners of the vehicle to short side marker lamps.

A grille in three designs depending on the trim package.

Tail lamps featuring a clear band that wraps around the edge of the vehicle, a design touch that visually connects the profile to the rear.

A step pad on the rear bumper so owners have a place to stand with stowing stuff on the roof rack.

But the inside is what really impresses.

The model was introduced in 2001, and since then more that 1million have been sold, an indication of its popularity. That's more than any other small utility vehicle or crossover of any size, Ford said.

But the interior had remained the same. Until now.

The 2008 version might be the first domestic model that uses 100percent recycled fabric for the seats. It's supplied by Interface Fabrics Inc., and Ford said it is made from 100percent post-industrial waste, which is anything intended for retail use that never makes it to the consumer -- anything from plastic for bottles to undyed polyester fibers.

A display on the dash at eye level provides the ambient temperature, radio functions and climate-control readouts. And they are easy to monitor while driving.

The dash features a touch-screen display and houses audio and climate controls, a standard MP3/iPod jack and controls for available heated seats and in-dash navigation system.

Ford's ice-blue interior lighting is also used on the instrument panel, the center console and controls on the steering wheel and door locks. The center console also has lots of storage space and can hold a laptop computer.

Two removable bins can be hung from dovetail mounting points on the front passenger side and rear of the console for additional storage.

In keeping with Ford's more refined theme, the new version of the Escape is also quieter.

This was achieved, in part, by putting a new acoustic laminate between two glass panels in the windshield, installing an acoustic headliner and thicker carpet and increasing the side glass thickness from 3.8mm to 4.7mm.

The test model was equipped with a 3.0-liter Duratec 30 V6 engine rated at 200 horsepower. You won't be escaping the city at warp speed, but the suspension and four-wheel-drive systems get you on your way in comfort.

And it's probably best to keep the Escape on pavement, noted the Web site Edmunds.com.

"Due to its light-duty four-wheel-drive system, fully independent suspension and unibody construction, it's more suited for on-road driving than off-roading," the site said.

greg.wilcox(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

Ford Escape Limited

ENGINE: 3.0 liter DOHC Duratec V-6

TRANSMISSION: Automatic

BRAKES: 4-wheel anti-lock

MPG: 17 city/22 highway

PRICE: $25,330 base/$30,910

as tested

THE MANUAL SAYS: (Review copy not ready)

THE WIFE SAYS: "Let's pack some bags and hit the road."

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) The Ford Motor Co. offers drivers a way to escape the city with its 2008 Escape SUV. A redesigned interior uses 100percent recycled fabric for the seats. Controls on the steering wheel, right, are easy to use. And, in keeping with the "escape" theme, this model has a quiet ride.

(3 -- 4 -- color) The dash display provides the ambient temperature, radio functions and climate control with a touch-screen display. Below, the grille comes in three designs, depending on the trim package.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Box:

Ford Escape Limited (see text)