In North America, the place of origin for the Ford Edge, people are accustomed to big cars for a heck of a long time now. In the Old Continent, however, folks have been driving around in compacts, subcompacts, and city cars even before the Volkswagen Beetle started production in the latter part of the ‘30s. Think Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, and Volkswagen Golf, that kind of passenger vehicles.
Incidentally, Europe’s road infrastructure and urban landscape evolved around appropriately-sized cars. Something along the way changed, though. According to JATO Dynamics, the calendar year 2015 saw crossovers and SUVs surpass the traditional European car segments for the first time ever, clinching 22.49% of the overall market compared to 21.99% for subcompacts.
It’s rather obvious, then, that the Old Continent found its love for jacked-up rides formerly associated only with the North American folk. Now every automaker is trying to come up with something different in this segment as a sure shot solution to selling more cars. In the case of the Ford Edge Sport, the Blue Oval is trying to extend its foothold in this segment even further.
Given the circumstances presented above, the first thing you notice when driving this gentle giant is that it feels wide. Properly wide. Measuring 1,928 millimeters (75.9 inches) from side mirror to side mirror, the Edge Sport is almost as wide as a Rolls-Royce Ghost. Despite that, I found it easy to navigate the Ford Edge in the urban jungle, in congested parking lots, and on the open road. The key to this maneuverability is the somewhat numb-feeling Adaptive Steering System that comes as standard on the Sport trim level.
On the move, it’s uncannily serene to drive or be driven in the Edge. That’s because the windshield, driver and front passenger windows, as well as the panoramic roof use acoustic laminated glass. Aerodynamic tweaks are continued by an underbody shield, specially designed door mirrors, as well as a lot of sound deadening material throughout the cabin. Mind you, this particular Ford's wheel-arch liners could use a little more sound deadening.
Photo: Florin Profir
Besides the fact Ford worked hard on NVH for the European version of the Edge, the mid-size crossover SUV has another trick up its sleeve. Looking closely at the headliner, you’ll notice two microphones located just above the driver’s and front passenger’s heads, and a third microphone located above the center rear seat. As part of the Active Noise Control system, the microphones are there to capture the unwanted noises produced by the engine, wind, and tires, after which the audio system pumps opposing sound waves through the car's speakers to cancel out those unwanted noises.
Speaking of which, the 2.0 TDCi twin-turbo diesel under the hood of our test car doesn’t sound as bad as one would expect from an oil-burning engine. At times, I got the impression that ANC tries to make the engine sound more vigorous, a feat that’s also replicated by the Mustang EcoBoost and the Focus RS. Life behind the wheel is further enhanced by the SYNC 2 infotainment system. It may not be as easy to use or as responsive as SYNC 3, but SYNC 2 sure knows how to navigate you to the nearest drive-thru restaurant.
Once you arrive there and order a jumbo-sized Coke, you’ll also be surprised that Ford makes some of, if not the best cupholders in the automotive industry. Be it a drink from McDonald’s, a thermal mug, a plastic bottle, or an aluminum can, the cupholders in the Edge won’t let your drink spill on the nice-feeling seats. And oh, the seats! Because I have a shoddy back, I have to pay the Edge Sport my respects for being equipped with one of the most comforting driver’s seat I came across in a non-premium car.
Another area where the Sport Edge excels at in terms of everyday living is driving aids. Although it doesn’t have sequential turn signals like its platform brother the Mondeo, the optional adaptive LED headlights sure help when driving in low-light conditions. The system that recognizes traffic signs then displays them on the instrument cluster’s screen also comes in handy.
Photo: Florin Profir
An optional extra that’s definitely worth ticking from the list in this era of semi-autonomous driving is what Ford calls Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection. And as much as I don’t stand people buying big crossovers with AWD because some leaves fell on their driveways, the AWD system that comes as standard on the high-output 2.0 TDCi works its magic.
I found the Edge’s AWD system especially resourceful in off-camber corners. In this situation, the vehicle gives you the impression that its rear tires claw into the asphalt as the corner tightens. And compared to other types of AWD systems, the one on the Edge doesn’t come with a rotary knob for mud or sand or whatever driving modes you can imagine. Ford Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive just does its thing, regardless of surface. However, don’t get the impression that this is a proper off-road vehicle, especially not with those 20-inch wheels. For greenlaning, however, AWD and road tires are good enough.
With lots of interior space wrapped in a package as good-looking as this, the Edge Sport does have its work cut out for it. Thanks to the generously-sized seat bottom, the third rear passenger won’t be uncomfortable in the European-spec Edge. But if Ford were to offer a third row of seats as an optional extra, the potential customer pool for the Edge would grow by a considerable margin. In the case you can’t do without seven seats, the S-Max will have to do. Look on the bright side, though: the family-oriented S-Max rides on the same platform as the Edge and gets the same cabin design.
Sure, it’s not as versatile as station wagon, nor as roomy as the S-Max, but the Edge has significant appeal in a segment saturated with European and Asian offerings. While far from being a class leader, the Edge sure is fun.
Servicing costs shouldn’t be too bad either, chiefly because this crossover SUV wears the Blue Oval logo and it can’t be motivated by anything more sophisticated than a 2.0-liter four-banger diesel. Comfy, bold, and surprisingly satisfying to drive, the European-spec Ford Edge is totally fine by us.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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