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SAN FRANCISCO, California -- In the being-cool business, it never hurts to be fashionably late. So Ford's new crossover, the Edge, can be excused for coming a little late to the party.
This also afforded Ford a little time to assess the competition. Ford saw a chance to be the iconic crossover, reasoning that no current CUV had yet to take that mantle, both in styling and with content. (Iconic is a weighty word -- throw it around and you're liable to get a hernia, and some wary looks.)
On the styling front, you can see that Edge faces the world with its own version of Ford's newly-minted, corporate three-bar grille. (Very shiny, especially when the sun hits it.) Other than that, the most noticeable design aspect is its clean shape -- thankfully, as it should be (the alternative being a nondescript box with tacked-on crap).
Its closest rival, the Nissan Murano, might be prettier, but I reckon the Edge has a more recognizable and distinct profile. (If that's what Ford means by iconic, then they've done the job, but last I heard "iconic" and "distinct" are not synonymous.)
Facilitating that distinct profile is very flush head- and taillights. Accentuating the look is the cool little rear spoiler, the aerodynamically raked windshield, the purposeful wheel arches, the chrome exhaust tips, and the very cool 18-inch chrome wheels (optional -- get them at all cost, they really set off the vehicle).
As is standard practice these days, the Edge is built up from a platform that underpins many vehicles. This particular one, developed jointly by Ford and Mazda and known internally as CD3, debuted on the current Mazda6. It has since migrated (suitably modified) to the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan (U.S. only), Lincoln MKZ, Mazda CX-9, and now to the Ford Edge and its assembly-line CUV buddy, the Lincoln MKX.
At this press launch, Stephen Kozak, Ford's safety chief engineer, said that pretty much everything vertical of the horizontal platform is specific to Edge and was engineered totally by Ford. Fusion launched with a less-than-stellar side-impact rating; side airbags have since been made standard, and it scored acceptable (and not too dissimilar to the Mazda6). Edge will make no such safety misstep. It comes out of the gate smelling like a rose, with a full suite of standard safety systems, and not one single safety feature on the option list.
The main items on the standard list are a reinforced cabin with lots of side-impact protection, those side airbags, curtain airbags with rollover sensors, and Ford's highest-level stability control system (AdvanceTrac with RSC). The latter is purported to be the industry's only such system to use two gyroscopic sensors, so that it is particularly effective in preventing roll-overs.
Edge features one of Ford's newest engines -- the Duratec 35. This all-aluminum 3.5-litre V6 was launched from the Duratec 30 DAMB, currently in use in Mazda and Jaguar products. DAMB refers to the engine's valve activation system (Direct Acting Mechanical Buckets with shims), which it does not share with the Duratec 30 engines of Ford's North American models, like Fusion and Five Hundred (those engines have valve activation systems that use roller finger followers with hydraulic lash adjusters).
Like the Duratec 30 DAMB, the 35 features variable valve timing on the intake side. But, it wears new heads that re-shape the combustion chambers, to achieve a lofty 10.3:1 combustion ratio, and a relocating of all the accessory drives to the front of the engine with a flush chain drive.
With 265 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque on tap, the new engine is the measure of anything in its class, and does so on regular gasoline (many import players require premium). It also meets ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV II) standards. To top it off, it was recently named to Ward's "10 Best Engines" list for 2007.
The automatic transmission is Ford's newest as well -- a six-speed unit that features a very wide 6.04:1 gear ratio. Short first and second gears aid the acceleration cause, while the tall overdrive facilitates fuel economy, and contributes to greater highway relaxation for both man and machine. Note the absence of a CVT, which found its way onto Ford's earlier crossover experiment, the Freestyle. Ford of Canada president, Bill Osbourne, said consumer feedback on that CVT prompted Ford to go with the traditional tranny, which tends to give vehicles a livelier feel and better powertrain audibles.
As is normal practice in crossovers, the available AWD system is a reactive one, where an electronic coupler is programmed to send torque to the rear wheels as needed, even before wheel slip; otherwise, the Edge motors down the road in front-wheel drive.
And it motors quite well. At least on our first blush with it, at the press launch in San Francisco. The engine and tranny are wonderfully matched; the vehicle seemed always in the right gear and always flush with torque.
Under the Edge you'll find the ingredients of a fully modern car. To wit, front MacPherson struts, a four-link independent rear suspension, and rear shocks that are mounted as far outboard as possible. I found the steering, ride and handling to be spot-on for such a vehicle. There was expected understeer, but otherwise steering felt linear and not overly-assisted. And while the ride was comfortable, the Edge never seemed to suffer from being too-softly sprung.
Ford is really touting Edge's fun-to-drive attributes. It is entertaining, but mostly because it's so stable and predictable in so many situations -- so the driver relaxes and really enjoys the experience. For sure, there are more visceral driving experiences to be had in the CUV genre, especially if one is willing to pay some bucks (Infiniti FX, BMW X3, etc.). Of CUVs in Edge's price class, I would pick the Mazda CX-7 as the one that seems the most hard-wired to the road.
Edge's base model, SE, lists for $32,999, and offers up the usual stuff, plus heated cloth seats, Sirius satellite radio with a six-month subscription, a six-way power driver's seat, and 60/40 folding rear seats. Also standard is a very well thought out front-seat console; very this century, with a removable divider to organize the space to fit a laptop and an MP3 players, lots of power points, and an auxiliary audio jack.
The $3,000 upgrade to SEL gets you more stereo, reverse sensing, 18-inch chrome wheels, heated leather seats, heated mirrors, electro-mechanical releases in the cargo area for the remotely folding the rear seats, a fold flat front seat, and a six-way power seat for the passenger. (Most of this stuff can be added to the SE, as optional equipment).
AWD on either model, will set you back $2,000.
Infotainment options include Ford's next-generation DVD-based navigation system, and a rear-seat DVD system with a drop-down eight-inch screen and two pairs of wireless headphones.
There is also an optional towing package, comprised of a 68-amp battery, hitch and wiring harness, engine oil cooler, upgraded cooling fans, and a larger radiator. The unibody Edge is not meant to pull a horse trailer, but is should work fine for dirt bikes, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc.
The largest option, both literally and figuratively, is Ford's Vista Roof. In some Ford circles it's known as BAMeR, for Big Ass Moon Roof. It features two panels and over nine sq-ft of glass! The forward panel offers tilt and slide opening; the rear panel is fixed. Twin power-operated cloth shades can be closed simultaneously to block glare.
Ford said it really wanted families to pick up this option, so priced it at "only" $1,700, when many competitors' are asking $2,250 to $2,700 for smaller ones.
There's generous rear-seat room with lots of recline. The cargo area is also very generous -- a benefit of the absent third-row seat. (Ford is busy preparing an eight-passenger CUV, called Fairlane, which will also be built in Oakville, Ont.) Ford says that with both the rear seats, and the front-passenger seat folded, you could close the tailgate on something over 8-ft. long. The aforementioned electro-mechanical device for remotely folding the rear seats, works surprisingly well -- and fast. So make sure you clear the rear seat cushions of things you don't want crushed -- like birthday cakes, eggs and poodles -- because the seats fold down with good force.
Lots of ladies worked on the Edge program, and that has to be good. Not to stereotype, but they do seem to listen better.
The chief vehicle engineer for Edge was Elaine Bannon, whose previous assignments were with Ford's Heavy Truck operations.
The chief marketing executive for Edge is Jeri Ward, who is also an engineer. After working at Ford for nine years as a validation engineer, she returned to school to get a marketing degree, and then returned to the company to become, what she called, "the voice of the customer to the product development process." Now in the hot seat with Edge, she's responsible for getting the word out on what analysts say is the most important launch Ford will have this year. She decided to spend a good chunk of the advertising budget on "alternative media" (also known as the Internet). She says it is the biggest "digital launch" Ford has every produced.
She noted the core customer: the ubiquitous "active lifestyle" family who want to announce that to the world with their vehicle choice. One Ford rep narrowed it down to families that have "kids with legs," meaning those than can climb in and out of the vehicles on their own power. He added that these kids are also old enough to appreciate that the Edge is "cool" and "not a minivan."
Not only is the Edge extremely important to Ford's survival, it's also shouldering the hopes of those with a vested interest in Ford's Canadian production facilities. The big plant in Oakville, Ont., was recently refurbished, to the tune of several billion dollars, to be one of Ford's first flexible plants -- and the Edge is the pioneer of that new flexible era.
There seems to be a lot at stake, but Ford of Canada president, Bill Osbourne, is confident.
"If you buy a CUV, you should except to get the equipment that is in this vehicle," he said. "There are a lot of competitors in this segment, all trying to find the right value equation. We think we nailed it." |