The Mustang of Crossovers 2.0 _
On the mountainous, desert roads outside of Scottsdale (in and around the Tonto National Forest in particular) the Sport model demonstrated that you can have a sporty, dynamic handling crossover vehicle without having to shell out the big bucks for a German steed.
When Ford entered the market with the Edge in 2006, the crossover utility segment was just starting to take shape. The automaker has gone on to sell 123,500 units in Canada since, and today, all utility segments account for roughly 33 percent of all new vehicle sales; with the outgoing Edge accounting for roughly 1,500 units a month.
With V6 power and a FWD drivetrain only, the outgoing generation was a great option for suburbanites and city dwellers looking to stay away from large truck-based utility vehicles. With two rows of seating and plenty of driver-focused tech, the Edge has been well-received and well-liked by the masses from the get-go. However, Edge owners wanted more. More power, better driving dynamics, additional technology and uncompromising style to boot. Ford was listening, and has delivered the goods in all of those areas.
The Edge family is now four strong and includes the SE, SEL, Titanium (replaces Limited) and Sport. All but the latter are being offered with a choice of front- and all-wheel-drive, and four- or six-cylinder engines. And all are being built at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex for global export to more than 100 countries.
This new version has been totally redesigned from stem to stern, and the whole vehicle has been improved with emphasis in three key areas: style, performance and technology.
Three engines are available on the 2015 models, which start at $31,999. In Canada, the 2015 Edge Sport comes exclusively with a 315-horsepower 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 and all-wheel-drive for $13,200 more to start. All other trims offer a choice between FWD or AWD, and an all-new twin-scroll two-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder with direct injection making 245 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque, or?a 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 that carries over from the previous generation with 280 horsepower and 250 lb-ft.
The Sport will come to market as advertised – sporty – and the Edge’s full-time, on-demand AWD system is a big reason for it. It has the ability to continually assess road conditions and driver inputs, and can transfer 100 percent of the available torque from the front to the rear. Beefed-up brakes are used to control torque delivery from side-to-side. Combined with an all-new body structure that is more resistant to bending and twisting, the results are very noticeable.
On the mountainous, desert roads outside of Scottsdale (in and around the Tonto National Forest in particular) the Sport model demonstrates that you can have a sporty, dynamic handling crossover vehicle without having to shell out the big bucks for a German steed. The $41,999 base MSRP is nothing to sneeze at, but it is a good value.
Continue reading my first drive review of the 2015 Ford Edge Sport on the IGNITION LUXURY & PERFORMANCE website!