The Ford Edge is a family-sized SUV with an impressively practical interior lurking within its sizable dimensions. It’s comfortable, easy to drive and comes with a good collection of safety aids. Ford is hoping to make a step upmarket with this car, however, and the dull handling and unintuitive infotainment system might hold the Edge back when it’s compared to rivals in its price bracket. There’s no 7-seat option either.
While the Edge’s exterior design will be familiar to US buyers, over in Europe it looks unlike anything in Ford’s current range. It’s certainly a more imposing car than the smaller Kuga, while the wedgy front-end and clamshell bonnet give it real presence.
Around the back, the one-piece tail light bar is certainly striking, and the steeply raked rear window and high shoulderline show that this is more of a premium SUV. Even base models get 19-inch alloys as standard, with Titanium models getting more stylish twin-spoke items.
Sport models look even more outlandish, particularly in the bold ‘Electric Spice’ orange paint, throwing in items such as a gloss black grille and black 20-inch alloys, and sportier bumpers front and rear. We take issue with the fake exhaust tips, however, as Ford hasn’t gone to much trouble to hide the rear items underneath. You also have to pay extra for LED headlights even on top-spec cars; the standard ones are plain halogen items, and at that price we’d expect the LED units to be standard.
Inside, the dash layout will be familiar to anyone who’d driven an S-MAX. It’s almost identical, with the same curved centre console built from rather cheap-feeling plastic. The design is a bit plain when compared to the classy Mercedes GLC, but at least there’s plenty of soft-touch trim on the doors and dash top. The digital instruments are smart and clear, too, although there’s an overload of information and settings that can prove confusing.
Safety tech such as Lane Keep Assist, Active City Stop and Traffic Sign Recognition is also standard, which is stuff that you’ll often pay extra for on German rivals. Titanium models build on Zetec spec bring kit like sat-nav, acoustic side glass, chrome roof rails and an electric bootlid, plus heated front seats. However, leather is part of a pricey £2,000 option pack that brings electric memory adjustment, heating and cooling functions, and a panoramic glass roof. On top of that, you also have to spec the Sony sound system if you want it.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Buyers of the Edge get three choices of infotainment systems: Base Zetec models get the SYNC 2 eight-inch touchscreen, which is the same as you’ll find in the Mondeo and S-Max. The graphics are bright and clear and its feature-packed, but the menu system is fiddly and the screen isn’t the most responsive.
Titanium models add Ford’s sat-nav system, while Sport models get the Sony navigation and sound system as standard, which brings an increase to 12 speakers (up from 9).
Ford makes it clear that the Edge is targeted at premium buyers, and the driving experience reflects that. It goes about its business in a relaxed and refined manner, but there’s little of the involvement you would find in a BMW X3.
The Edge is one of the largest mainstream SUVs on the market, and you really feel that on tight country lanes or in town. With a width of nearly 2.2-metres it’s difficult to thread through traffic, and visibility isn’t great either.
Zetec and Titanium models get a more comfort-biased suspension setup than Sport models, which receive firmer springs, bigger wheels and an adaptive steering system. The ride on the former is impressively smooth and soft around town, absorbing potholes and ruts with ease.
Sport brings a noticeably firmer ‘edge’ to the ride around town as the 20-inch alloys pick up bigger imperfections, but its no worse than an S-Line Audi Q5. Once up to motorway speeds, all models are composed and smooth. The Edge is also competent enough off-road thanks to the four-wheel drive system and decent ground clearance.
The downside to the Edge’s comfort bias is found in the bends. Models without sports suspension can pitch and wallow when you up the pace, and the remote, elastic feel to the steering means you never really get the impression you’re part of the driving experience. A number of rivals are better in this regard.
Sport models get a variable ratio steering system that reduces the amount of steering input needed at slow speeds and when parking, but then is supposed to make the Ford Edge more stable at high speeds. It does aid low speed manoeuvres to an extent, but even in the weightier Sport mode it feels much the same as the standard rack at higher speed. It’s an option on lesser models, and not one we’d bother with. Body control is improved a bit thanks to the stiffer springs, but it’s a long way from offering the sharpness of a Mazda CX-5 or BMW X3.
Ford has added its Active Noise Control system from the Mondeo Vignale to the Edge. It uses sound waves to cancel out the frequency of road noise and diesel clatter, and seems to work well. It’s standard across the range, too.
Engines
The Edge has been on sale in the US for over a year now, and over there you can choose from a range of four and six-cylinder petrol engines. Ford has decided that none of those engines are appropriate to launch in Europe with, however.
For now the brand’s familiar 2.0-litre diesel engine is all we have – although expect the 2.0-litre turbo petrol ‘Ecoboost’ unit to launch in 2017. The diesels are the same that you’ll find in the Mondeo and the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers.
The entry-level 2.0, single-turbo diesel in the Edge gets 178bhp and 400Nm of torque. Ordinarily that should be plenty, but the Edge is a big, heavy car (all versions are over 1.9 tonnes) so it needs to be.
Performance is more adequate than urgent. 0-62mph is dispatched in 9.9 seconds, which is nearly a second slower than a Kia Sorento. It takes a while to build up speed, and overtaking means dropping down a few gears on the rather long-throw manual gearbox. For cruising and family use it’s reasonable, but keen drivers should look elsewhere.
The 207bhp twin-turbo 2.0-litre unit isn’t much quicker on paper, managing the 0-62mph sprint in 9.4 seconds. It feels a bit more punchy in gear, but progress is hampered by the slightly lethargic six-speed automatic gearbox. BMW or Audi’s dual-clutch systems are much more responsive, and it all adds up to performance that never really matches the ‘Sport’ tag. Still, the payoff is a decent level of refinement and smooth changes when you’re not in the mood.
Ford sells some of the most popular cars in the UK but even that can’t stop Ford’s rather poor showing when it comes to the Driver Power survey. In 2016’s results, Ford finished a disappointing 27th out of 32 manufacturers, which is two positions down in its placing in 2015.
Customers had gripes with Ford’s in-car tech and as the Edge uses the same system as you’ll find in the Focus and Mondeo, we can expect similar complaints here. Buyers have also raised concerns with poor reliability and build quality, too.
As the Edge is an all-new model, the car itself hasn’t yet made it into the Driver Power survey. However, the Ford Kuga – the Edge’s smaller brother – did rank as the 45th best car to own out of 150 in the 2016 survey.
The Edge does come laden with safety tech, such as road sign recognition, adaptive lighting, adaptive cruise control, Intelligent speed assist and cross traffic alert.
Warranty
As with every new Ford, the Edge comes with a three-year warranty. The first year is with unlimited mileage while the second and third years will covers owners up to 60,000 miles. Customers also have the option to extend the warranty for an additional 12 or 24 months.
Servicing
Ford has a huge amount of servicing centres across the UK, but to spread the costs of servicing Ford does offer fixed priced servicing plans which can be paid for monthly.
The big benefit of the Edge’s substantial exterior size can be found inside. As well as plenty of space for those up front, rear legroom is substantial and enough to ensure five adults can sit in comfort. It’s even better than already spacious cars like the Honda CR-V, and beats the BMW X3 for rear seat accommodation.
Combine that with one of the biggest boots in the midsize SUV class and you’ve got a useful large family car for the school run. It’s a shame, then, that Ford has elected not to offer a seven-seat version here for now, claiming the S-MAX and Galaxy cater for that market. At least storage in the cabin is good, with a sizeable glovebox, central cupholders and chunky door bins, plus a cubbyhole on top of the dashboard.
Size
The Edge is a sizeable SUV, which is unsurprising given that it is designed to cater for American needs. Whereas a Nissan Qashqai is 4.4m long, and a Honda CR-V is around 4.6m long, the Edge is a full 4.8m long. That makes it bigger than the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC and BMW X3, and it's even fractionally bigger than a VW Touraeg. It’s also nearly 2.2m wide, which is an issue around crowded city streets.
Legroom, headroom and passenger space
Given its exterior dimensions, the Ford Edge delivers about what you’d expect in terms of accommodation. The front seats are comfortable and highly adjustable, while in the back there’s plenty of legroom and good head and shoulder room for three adults sitting side by side. However if you opt for a model with the panoramic sunroof, it eats into headroom considerably. It’s not a deal breaker, but it cuts down on the spacious feel.
Given how much legroom there is in the second row, we can’t help but feel that Ford could easily offer a seven-seat variant here. Chinese buyers get the choice, but we don’t.
Boot
One of the biggest selling points of the Ford Edge is its large boot. At 602-litres with the seats up, its bigger than anything BMW, Audi or Mercedes can manage, while even the Honda CR-V is smaller at 589 litres. Fold the seats down (which you can do electrically via buttons in the boot) and you get a full 1847-litres of space. There’s a space-saver spare wheel, too, although underfloor storage compartments are small.
Ford will tell you that the Edge aims to appeal to a more affluent customer than something like a Renault Kadjar, and the price mirrors that ambition. So do the running costs, however.
In six-speed manual form with the lower-powered diesel engine, the most efficient Edge manages a reasonable but not exceptional 48.7mpg. Fortunately, the more powerful diesel (even with an automatic gearbox) only reduces that to 47.9mpg. Neither figure will be worrying the Germans, though.
Something else that won’t concern established mid-size SUV rivals is the Edge’s CO2 emissions figure. The base diesel engine emits 149g/km, while the auto-only Biturbo diesel emits 152g/km. It means even the cheapest to run model will still costs £225 a year to tax. Thank the lack of a front-wheel drive option for the unimpressive efficiency.
Insurance Groups
The cheapest Edge sits in insurance group 25, while top models rise to group 30. That’s a reasonable rating, which is only slightly more than mainstream SUVs like the Honda CR-V, and on a par with most premium rivals like the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC.
Depreciation
Traditionally, larger, more expensive SUVs with mainstream badges struggle to hold onto their value in the used market. Yet the Ford Edge appears initially to be bucking that trend. Ford claims it will retain up to 52 per cent of its value after three years and 30,000 miles, which is bettered by the Land Rover Discovery Sport but is still one of the best in its sector.
Artikel terkait :
New Peugeot 208 sets 141mpg long distance economy record- Vauxhall Astra GSi set to rival Focus ST before full-on Astra VXR arrives
- Long-term test review: Renault Twingo
- New Vauxhall Astra 2015 prototype review
- Cars you can drive at 16
- New Mercedes G-Class updates include 4.0-litre biturbo V8
- Mouth-watering classic cars to go under the hammer at Villa Erba 2015
- Mazda 2 Sport review
- Kahn Vengeance sports car teaser pic released
- Ford S-MAX review