Ford has released a snippet of the 2017 Escape, and boy, this compact crossover is loaded with a bevy of updated exterior and interior styling as well as some noteworthy technology upgrades. It’s slated for a spring 2016 release, so you don’t have to wait much longer if this is a vehicle within your radar of consideration.

The 2017 Escape will mark the first Ford car to be equipped with Sync Connect, which is an extension of the brand’s entertainment system, Sync 3. Basically, the Sync Connect is an app that enables you to use your smartphone as a makeshift remote control for the vehicle. In other words, with a tap on the screen, you can start the vehicle, shut off the engine, lock/unlock the doors, and even remotely keep tabs of the car’s location. With the purchase of the Escape, a 5-year activation of the Sync Connect is included as a perk.

Sync Connect aside, a few safety features have also been added, including a driver alert, lane-keeping, parking assistance, and collision warning system.

Buyers will have three trim levels: S, SE, and Titanium. A Sport add-on package is also available for the latter two choices.

A 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine will be the standard engine for the SE and Titanium trim, though consumers will have the option to upgrade to a 2.0-liter variant. If you opt for the base S model, then the engine is a 2.5-liter i-VCT.

Also to make its debut with the new Escape is the Auto Start-Stop function. This fuel-saving system automatically switches off the engine when the vehicle is idling and restarts it when you take your foot off the brake pedal.

You can check out the 2016 Ford Escape while awaiting the 2017 model, which is just a few months away. Get in touch with our Ford dealers near El Dorado Hills to learn why this crossover is so highly anticipated.