In Detroit, we took another look at the upcoming 2013 Ford Escape to share our initial impressions as the upcoming crossover continues to make the rounds on the show circuit.

Ford’s popular Escape SUV is thoroughly redesigned for the 2013 model year, better positioning it to compete with the latest crop of small sport/utes. Along with the sleeker appearance, the new Escape boasts a number of new features and technologies, although it won’t offer a hybrid or V6 variation.

The Escape will come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, but two other fuel-efficient engines are offered--a 2.0-liter or 1.6-liter EcoBoost. Fuel economy on the EcoBoost engines is claimed to be 5 mpg better than the outgoing model.

The Escape will come with a hands-free power liftgate enabled by motion under the center of the rear bumper and the upgraded Sync with MyFord Touch infotainment system is also standard. The SUV will also have park assist, blind-spot sensors, curve control, and torque control. These latter systems will help slow the vehicle when cornering and accelerate through a turn.

The new Escape promises to have more cargo room and more space behind the first and second rows and the rear seats and head restraints fold flat with a touch of a button. The SUV also has a new 4WD system for improved handling on and off-road.

We look forward to buying one next summer one it goes on sale and see how it compares against the latest, small SUVs. For a preview of the new Escape, check out the video below.