Ford knows looks are the number one consideration when people shop for SUVs, so it’s offering something right along those lines: an XLT Sport Appearance Package. The Blue Oval starts with a regular XLT, which comes equipped with such features as a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine, push-button start, a 10-way power driver’s seat, SYNC® 3, and LED fog lamps. Its XLT Sport Appearance Package adds the following:
-20-inch Magnetic Gray wheels
-Magnetic Gray grille, mirror caps, and rear appliqué
-Ebony Black side cladding
-Black roof rack
-Explorer hood badge and floor mats with the Explorer logo
-Dark Earth Gray leather front seats with outer bolsters by premium leather maker Salerno
-Seat back uppers and inserts in Dark Earth Gray Miko® suede
-Umber contrast stitching
The 2017 Escape will be getting a fresh set of cosmetic touches of its own. SE and Titanium models can be ordered with a Sport Appearance Package that includes 19-inch Ebony Black wheels, a high-gloss upper grille, black beltline trim and front fenders, and sport seats with contrast stitching. Look for those models in the spring and the Explorer XLT Sport Appearance Package this summer.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
