Some quick background on the Edge: Ford launched the first generation in 2006, slotting in between the Escape and Explorer to take the fight to the established medium-large five-seat SUV brigade. It was never particularly edgy. Yes, it was distinctively styled, but in every other respect, it was a fairly standard offering for its segment.
The Edge has been a solid market success, though, racking up more than 100,000 sales in the United States almost every year since its inception. It’s evident from the number of Edges you see on the UAE roads that it has been well-received here, too.
Given that the first-gen model (bolstered by a substantial nip-tuck in 2010) has been around for a decade, the time was ripe for a revamped successor. Hence this arrival – somewhat belatedly, because it has been on sale in the US for the past two years – of the revamped Edge, underpinned by an all-new platform (the previous iteration borrowed its core architecture from the original Mazda6 that debuted in 2002).
My test model, an Edge Sport, is the halo model in the blue oval’s all-new crossover line-up, and it barges in at Dh190,000, a hefty premium over the Edge’s traditional competitors, putting it within sniffing distance of the German premium SUV ranks.
But what you get for this outlay is a comprehensively kitted-out crossover, with just about every bell and whistle. Its pièce de résistance is a 340hp twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine that outmuscles every Japanese/American/Korean competitor by a margin.
The Sport variant also takes the Edge into uncharted territory by virtue of its performance, scooting from 0 to 100kph in 6 seconds. It also has bags of mid-range grunt that makes easy work of overtaking. There are flappy shift paddles for the six-speed auto, but this isn’t the sort of chariot in which you feel inclined to use these too often.
American vehicles typically come with soft, floaty suspension, and even in Sport guise, the Edge conforms to the stereotype. That said, it exhibits decent handling if you hustle it through corners, resisting body roll and momentum-sapping understeer better than expected. This is partly down to wide, low-profile, 21-inch Pirellis, which are great on tarmac, but not off-road-friendly in the slightest.
The Sport’s cabin is hospitable, with nicely sculpted seats and an attractive layout, although there’s a bit more hard plastic than you want to see in a vehicle costing almost Dh200,00.
The Sport’s standard kit list is expansive, with highlights that include a panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Sony sound system, voice-controlled infotainment system, eight airbags, adaptive cruise control with collision warning, hill-start assist, lane-departure warning and “lane-keep” assist.
Lane-keep assist – which applies steering correction if you cross lanes without indicating – is sound, but I find it unnerving whenever any system takes over steering control. You can disengage the feature, but you need to consult the owner’s manual to find out how to do it.
As an overall package, the Sport has much going for it – most notably its brawny performance, chiselled silhouette and comprehensive feature quota. The price tag might seem steep, but the deal is sweetened by complimentary servicing (including consumables – even brake pads) up to three years/60,000km, plus free insurance for one year. There are cheaper alternatives, but none this rapid.
motoring@thenational.ae
