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The 2015 Ford Edge certainly looks new. The mid-sized crossover seems to have hit the gym and returned to the market with a new design that is less slab sided and more muscular. The front end is more angular with a sharply styled three-bar grill and angrier looking headlamps.
It also boasts a new EcoBoost V-6 engine option and significant revisions to the EcoBoost four-cylinder. There's new safety tech like automatic parking, new convenience tech like a hands-free power liftgate, and more. However, one peek at the dashboard let me know that the all new 2015 Ford Edge isn't exactly "all-new." At least, not just yet.
Two EcoBoost engine options
Most of the Edge lineup (SE, SEL, and Titanium trim levels) come standard with an adequate and quiet 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. The 2-liter's new twin-scroll turbo reduces lag while the engine develops 245 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. I found that the four-banger is no slouch. On the road in a fully loaded Titanium model, there was certainly enough power to motivate the mid-sized crossover with smooth, subdued acceleration. The engine is quiet when cruising, doesn't draw much attention to itself, and delivered fuel economy in the low 20mpg range during my testing.
One of the new Edge's most interesting options is only available on Sport trim level: the new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. Delivering 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque thanks to a pair of turbochargers, this is one sweet little power plant that supplied excellent acceleration during my day of testing. The difference in power and torque is immediately apparent and the Sport pulls away from traffic lights and negotiates passes with considerable ease. The Sport V-6 also has a satisfyingly throaty induction sound when pushed that had me grinning, this is a sweet engine.
The Sport trimmed Edge also rolls on a re-tuned suspension that is firmer than the standard setup. Though Ford tells me that the Sport suspension has the same static ride height as, say, the Titanium, The Sport looks about an inch or so lower than its sibling. I suppose that's an optical illusion created by the styling upgrades to complete the sporty image, including black grill and headlamp housings, a unique front bumper design, larger 20-inch wheels and wider tires, and more.
Shod in optional summer tires, the Edge Sport did seem to offer better grip over twisty bits of two-lane highway and was marginally stiffer over bumps and cracked pavement than the standard setup that I was able to test on the Platinum. However, when the road smoothed out the Sport was still a fairly quiet highway cruiser, which is good.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET
The non-Sport Edge models are also available with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine option, but I was unable to test this setup. All Edge models are available in either front or all-wheel drive (2015 marks the first time that the four-cylinder can be so equipped) and all feature the same six-speed automatic transmission with sport and manual shift modes. This transmission was, well, fine. I liked that it would automatically downshift as I braked for a curve and even apply a bit of engine braking on descents. Mostly it just shifted smoothly, didn't draw attention to itself, and stayed out of its own way, which is exactly what I want from an automatic transmission.
Not exactly "all-new" tech
Upon settling behind the wheel, the first thing that I noticed is that the old Edge's wonky capacitive center stack buttons have been replaced with conventional physical buttons. Apparently, drivers wanted a more tactile feel and Ford listened. Ah, the simple joys of buttons and knobs.
Looking up from this bank of buttons, I was disappointed to learn that the "all-new" 2015 Ford Edge still uses the old second generation MyFord Touch infotainment system. We've spent enough time over the years complaining about this system, so I won't get into bashing it here. Suffice it to say that while MyFord Touch gets the job done and checks a lot of the right boxes with its feature set, it's not the most elegantly designed or easy to use infotainment interfaces in the biz.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET
There is hope on the horizon. Ford tells me that the third generation of its dashboard tech suite, Ford Sync 3.0, is coming to the Edge for the 2016 model year, so maybe tech savvy drivers interested in the Edge should probably wait for next year's model. I asked if the 2015 model would be available for a dealer update when Sync 3.0 hits and was informed that, due to a hardware difference between the generations, that would likely not be the case.
Lane-keep assist, automatic parking
Finally, the new Edge gains a few new safety and convenience options.
The most tactile new safety option is the new lane departure alert and prevention system. Like similar setups that we've seen in Acura and Mercedes-Benz, this system uses a forward looking camera to monitor the lane markers and can vibrate the steering wheel to alert the driver when the Edge is drifting out of its lane. There are 3 intensity settings available to this sort of "virtual rumble strip" from a light buzz to a surprisingly vigorous jolt. At the touch of a button, the driver can activate the lane prevention element of the system, which gives the computer influence over the electric power steering to help keep the Edge between the lane markers. With my hands on the wheel, I was able to feel the Edge pulling its own steering to and fro, but the electronic intervention is gentle and easily overcome by the driver's steering inputs. If I actually wanted to cross the lane lines, I could. Of course, using a turn signal to indicate that I wanted to change lanes totally overrides both the alert and intervention systems.
The safety feature that will elicit the most oohs and aahs is the semi automatic parallel and perpendicular parking. We've seen this system before on smaller Ford vehicles such as the Focus, but it is particularly useful on the larger Edge which many drivers may be uncomfortable squeezing into tight spots. Operation is simple: the driver simply taps the Park Assist button near the shifter to toggle between parallel and perpendicular parking, activates the turn signal, and cruises along while the Edge's sonar sensors scan for available spaces long enough for the Edge. When one is found, the driver shifts into reverse and controls the brakes while the car steers itself into the space. Onscreen prompts will tell you when it's time to shift back into drive to complete the maneuver. The system even features a Park Out assist that helps drivers to get out of tight parallel spots without bumper checking the vehicles around.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET
The Edge's standard front and rear parking proximity sensors are joined by new side sensors at the corners that add proximity detection to the entire flank of vehicle. The standard rear camera is joined by an optional front 180-degree camera that even features its own washer that activates with the windscreen sprayer to keep the lens clean. My examples also featured blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, but none of the pre-production vehicles were available with adaptive cruise control or forward-collision alert.
The 2015 Ford Edge SE starts at $28,100, which makes it competitive with the
new Nissan Murano
. Loading up the creature comforts and choosing a Titanium model bumps the price up to $35,600 and getting the more powerful EcoBoost V-6 and sport tuned suspension starts at $38,100 for the Edge Sport. All-wheel driver, available on all models, adds $1,495 to the bottom line. Tech and driver-assist features push the price of a fully loaded 2015 Edge Sport to a ceiling of about $47,280.
2015 Ford Edge: New look, new engine, old MyFord Touch tech
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