Ford is very proud of its recent successes. Namely, it's the ground its gained on Toyota and Honda with stuff like the Focus, Fusion and Escape. But going coastal isn't enough. Now it wants to go global with all of its cars. If the Edge Concept is an accurate indication of the production version due next year, things are looking good.
I was prepared to dismiss the Edge as completely forgettable like the current one. It is, after all, another crossover utility vehicle and even Ford says the "utility" segment represents a full third of the new car market these days. But it's quite handsome, actually.
For a kickoff, it doesn't have an Aston Martin grille. That's a good thing, I think. Don't overdo it, Ford. And thank you for putting the big chrome front of the current Edge to rest.
The back of the Edge Concept, though, is a good-looking thing. This big guy has a handsome rear. Hope that full-width LED strip makes it to production.
While the Lincoln MKC is getting a ton of notice for its VW Group-ness, it looks like Ford is spreading the German influences around to its other crossovers. There's a little Q5 here, a little X3 and Tiguan there. It's not derivative, though.
The tech on the Edge Concept is big news. It can un-park itself because self-parking is so last year. Ford says they've made an adaptive steering system that actually works. And now that they've embraced knobs and buttons again, MyFord Touch might not be the worst thing in the world now. Maybe.
Even if you can't adjust the fan speed without screaming, though, the Edge Concept looks like it's going to put the Edge on an edgier path, if you will. And who knows? Maybe the Europeans will buy it, too.