The next Ford Edge is coming to Europe – but before continental engineers get their hands on it, the Mondeo-based SUV is undergoing testing in its US home market. These spy shots show a heavily disguised Edge mule in development ahead of its 2015 launch – though thanks to a leaked corporate image, we already know what the Europe-bound SUV will look like.
I’ve never even heard of the Ford Edge!
That’s not unusual: the first-gen car, so far on sale since 2006, has only ever been made available to North American markets; 400,000 have found homes there so far. That’ll change for the second-gen Edge, thanks to the ‘One Ford’ policy. The Americans get largely Euro-spec Fiestas, Focuses and C-Maxes, and we’ll be sent Mustangs and crossovers in return. Seems like a fair trade to us.
If you do recognise the Edge name, it might be because of its cameo appearance in 007 flick Quantum of Solace, where Daniel Craig briefly drove one of the supposedly fuel-cell powered Edges belonging to baddie Mathieu Amalric. Beats a Mondeo hire car…
So what exactly is a Ford Edge?
It’s an SUV that’s even bigger than the current Kuga. Despite its larger footprint, the Edge is still a five- rather than seven-seater, and doesn’t gun for supreme off-road ability: it’s front-wheel drive as standard, with active all-wheel drive an option.
So, what’s it going to look like?
Slightly sleeker than the current model: there’s shorter overhangs, and a reinterpretation of the new Ford grille design, implementing plenty of chrome to suit Stateside tastes. A Ford presentation earlier in 2013 accidentally revealed a thumbnail image of the new Ford Edge’s undisguised front – the prominent three-bar grille can be made out easily through this test car’s heavy camouflage.
What’s under the skin of this European-bound Yank tank?
It’s more advanced than that – the new Edge is set to share a platform with the new Ford Mondeo (already on sale in the US as a Ford Fusion), S-Max and Galaxy MPV. While the underpinnings are of course tooled for right-hand drive, Ford hasn’t yet revealed if the Europe-bound Edge will get a right-hooker conversion. Do we really need an SUV bigger than the already inflated second-gen Kuga?
>> Click here to read CAR’s family SUV Giant Test: Ford Kuga vs Toyota, Honda and Land RoverWhat about engines?
In line with ‘One Ford’ strategy, all engines will be downsized turbocharged four-cylinders (grouped under the ‘Ecoboost’ banner), in place of the outgoing US model’s thirstier V6. We expect 1.5- and 2.0-litre mills to be on offer, though it’s possible the Edge could use the same uprated 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder that will be used in the 2015 Mustang.
>>Click here for CAR’s full scoop on the new Ford Mustang