Looking Over the Edge

At first glance it looks more like an import than a domestic product, with a sloping roof line, jeweled front and rear headlights, and a lot of chrome in the grille. The Edge sits on standard 17-inch tires for the base model and 18-inch wheels for the upgraded SEL edition. An intentional departure from the traditional square box approach seen in SUVs, it can draw a few second looks. While on display at San Francisco’s Embarcadero, members of the public got a chance to get close-up and personal with it and, for the most part, they liked what they saw.

Designed to compete against the Nissan Murano, Toyota Highlander and even its corporate relation, the Mazda CX-7, the Edge tries to bring something different to the party. Taking the approach that more standard features are better, it comes with three 12-volt outlets, a built-in audio jack for an MP3 player and rear seats that fold down at the touch of a button. Under the hood is a new 3.5 liter 265 horsepower V6 engine with 250 pound-feet of torque. The power plant is set up with a 10.3:1 compression ratio to get the best performance while operating on 87 octane unleaded fuel.

The Edge has one basic 6-speed automatic transmission with a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive trains. The AWD system might be one of the most desirable options, since it delivers comparable fuel economy to the front-wheel drive configuration. Ford is also including AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control to prevent wheel slip as part of the AWD setup.

Interior space is comparable to larger SUVs, with attention to extra foot space in the second row, something that a lot of manufacturers miss. In a day of driving in rural and urban settings, the Edge was quieter than expected considering there is 38 cubic feet of space in the passenger cabin. It would be nice if the rear door opened an inch more to make installing a child seat a little easier but that is a minor complaint. On the upside, it is set up so that it is not necessary to install running boards to climb up into the Edge.

The company hopes the basic looks matched with options such as a panoramic glass Vista Roof®, Navigation and DVD entertainment system will appeal to buyers who want more than bland transportation. What it doesn’t offer is aluminum alloy wheels, which can do a lot to attract buyers. Maybe that will come in the next model years.

While technically able to go off road, the Edge is not being presented as a rough and tumble vehicle. Instead, Ford hopes it will attract a wide cross section of buyers who like its size and functionality, while searching for the next trend in the American auto market. Considering that 1.8 million crossover vehicles were sold in this country last year, Ford hopes they are catching the right side of a potential trend wave in automobiles.