Ford expects crossover SUVs — Nissan Muranos, Chevy Equinoxes andthe like — to outsell all other vehicle segments by 2010. The Detroitautomaker hopes to grab a slice of the pie with its five-passengerEdge, which goes on sale this November for around $26,000. At a mediagathering yesterday near Chicago, I had a chance to see the Edge upclose.
In terms of styling, it’s clear Ford has finally hit its stride. TheEdge’s razorblade grille looks like a Gillette scaled 500 to 1, andit’s sure to set the car apart from other crossovers circling the mallparking lot. From most angles, the car looks bullish and hunkered down— so much so that the Toyota RAV4 I drove home seemed spindly incomparison.
Inside, the Edge packs comfortable front seats and large dashboardcontrols. Gauges are enormous and so flashy they’re almost absurd. Afuturistic gear shifter took up my entire hand, and a two-panelmoonroof spans both rows of seats.
The backseat folds down manually or with optional power releasebuttons in the cargo bay. If it’s folded along with the fold-flat frontpassenger seat, there’s enough space inside to pack an entire dormroom. And since the roofline doesn’t taper off until just before theliftgate, there's plenty of headroom for rear passengers and a smallerblind spot for drivers. Even so, that Toyota RAV4 somehow has moreinterior cargo room.
The function aspect of the Edge seems to override form almostcompletely when you sit in the driver’s seat. The dashboard is a mix ofill-fitted panels, while the climate controls come from Ford’s partsbin. We see them in everything from the Fusion sedan to the LincolnNavigator SUV, and they’re not the most attractive bunch. Headrests forall five seats feel flimsy and unsubstantial, and the center reararmrest is awfully thin.
Luckily for Ford, the Edge is not meant to be a luxury vehicle. Thatball falls in Lincoln’s court, with the Edge-based MKX. Edge shoppers,meanwhile, are looking more for on-road utility in a maneuverablepackage — as opposed to the towing and offroad capabilities in Ford’sExplorer and Expedition, Edge marketing manager Jeri Ward said.
Unlike GM’s plans to scale back the Chevy TrailBlazer and itssiblings in favor of crossovers, Ward said Ford is committed tosustaining the Explorer and other truck-based SUVs because it wants togive customers as many choices as possible.
That’s fine, as long as the Edge goes front and center. After myface time with the Edge, I think it’s likely to be a strong contenderin this ever-expanding segment.
Related: Ford Prices New Edge Crossover Under $26,000
More Photos
Cargo room (above) is plentiful and the rear seats are easy to flip down with the optional power button (below).
Ford's new 3.5-liter V-6 engine is a marked improvement over past powerplants. You can't tell by looking at this rather dull engine bay though. Most cars today feature sharp looking engine covers. Even if engine covers are just for show, where's the show Ford Edge?
The two-panel moonroof (above) shows-off the architecture of the room the Edge was sitting in. The roof-mounted buttons (below) are easy enough to understand.
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