The new Ford Edge is the third chapter in Ford's sport utility vehicle expansion plan for Europe and it debuted this week in European specification at the Frankfurt Motor show. It lines up alongside the enhanced Kuga and EcoSport.
Ford promises the Edge will deliver optimised fuel efficiency and sub-150g/km CO2 emissions when it goes into production for this region later this year.
The carmaker claims the high-tech, upscale Edge, which offers premium technology and refinement, will join the Ford Kuga medium-sized SUV and EcoSport compact SUV to meet the demands of growing numbers of SUV customers in Europe. Ford expects to sell 200,000 SUVs in Europe in 2016 - a 200 per cent increase compared to 2013.
“The new Ford Edge delivers strong fuel efficiency and low CO2, supported by our most advanced diesel engines with auto-start-stop technology,” says Roelant de Waard, Ford Europe's vice president of marketing, sales and service. “Consumer appetites for SUV and all-wheel drive equipped vehicles like our new Edge are so strong that we plan to introduce five new vehicles in the next three years that will compete in the SUV and crossover space.”
The popular Ford Kuga also is now available to order with new equipment, including SYNC 2 connectivity with an 8-inch touchscreen, interior upgrades, and new exterior colours. The Ford EcoSport is enhanced with sophisticated styling upgrades, improved driving dynamics and new equipment for more comfort and convenience.
The Ford Kuga medium-sized SUV has been enhanced with revised interior, including 8-inch colour touchscreen, SYNC 2 voice-controlled connectivity, and new exterior colours.
In addition, the compact Ford EcoSport SUV is available without rear-mounted spare wheel, while delivering improved driving dynamics and new equipment for more comfort and convenience.
New upscale Ford Edge
Ford says the stylish and sophisticated large Ford Edge will be offered in Europe with a choice of 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine with six-speed manual transmission, or 210PS bi-turbo 2.0-litre TDCi diesel with six-speed powershift automatic transmission. Both powertrains will deliver 5.8 l/100km (for 49mpg ) fuel efficiency and 149g/km CO2 supported by auto-start-stop technology.
The Edge also will feature Ford’s intelligent all-wheel drive technology as standard, delivering a seamless transition between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive performance to provide a more secure footing on the road especially in slippery conditions.
Measuring how the car’s wheels are gripping the road surface every 16 milliseconds – 20 times quicker than it takes to blink – the system can send up to 100 per cent of engine torque to the front or rear wheels. By only delivering torque where and when it is needed, Intelligent AWD has minimal impact on fuel-efficiency and CO2 emissions compared with permanent four-wheel drive (4WD ) systems.
The Edge will offer new Ford technologies, including adaptive steering, which automatically optimises the steering response according to vehicle speed, making it easy to manoeuvre at low speeds, while remaining precise and intuitive at higher speeds; and front split view camera, which makes restricted visibility junctions or parking spaces easier to negotiate.
Edge will introduce segment-first pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection; a camera and radar-based system that operates at speeds from 8 km/h to 180 km/h to detect vehicles and people in the road ahead. The system can automatically apply the brakes if a potential collision is detected and the driver does not respond to warnings. Ford anticipates a five-star safety rating from independent crash test authority Euro NCAP.
Outstanding refinement is achieved with acoustic windscreen glass and laminated glass for the driver and front passenger door windows, which help minimise noise in the cabin. Underbody panels and wheel well liners further minimise road and wind noise. All Edge models also are equipped with Ford’s active noise control technology that detects unwanted engine noise in the cabin and cancels it out with opposing sound waves that are fed through the car’s sound system.
The Edge interior has been designed to deliver a luxurious occupant experience with high-quality materials throughout, including soft-touch trims on the dashboard and centre console, high-gloss piano black surrounds on the switch bezels, and a satin silver metal finish for the door handles, air vent bezels, glovebox trim and steering wheel detailing. The spacious Edge also is offered with heated and cooled front seats, and heated rear seats.
“The new Edge will deliver more room for passengers than large competitor SUVs that cost considerably more. The styling and suite of comfort, convenience and safety technologies in Edge rival the premium offerings in Europe,” de Waard says.
Interestingly, Ford now offers AWD or 4WD on almost 50 per cent of its passenger and commercial vehicle line-up, from Focus RS performance car to Ranger pickup and Transit van.
