Our cars

FIRST REPORT Ford’s big SUV joins our fleet to see if it can match up to existing 4x4 players

Ford Edge joins our fleet and Mazda MX-5 departs

FORD will be the first to admit it’s coming late to the SUV party. While many brands have showrooms full of them, Ford has only three, the Edge being the latest.

So can the Edge start to position Ford as a major player in the lucrative SUV sector? We’ve added one to our fleet to find out.

The Edge is a product of the ‘One Ford’ global strategy, so it’s no surprise there’s a distinct North American look and feel to it. From a quality point of view, though, you’d struggle not to think the car was European.

However, catch a glimpse of the Edge in a shop window as you pass by and it’s a large car, dominated by a very American chrome grille. Still, it’s not unique; with my mind elsewhere, I recently approached a Hyundai Santa Fe thinking it was the Edge – they’re quite similar!

Our car is the Titanium model – one up from Zetec with a similarly-priced Sport model alongside it and the Vignale luxury special at the top of the range. At £35,845 and with plenty of luxury and safety kit on board, it’s not bad value, while some choice options like the £2,000 Lux Pack give you exactly that; a touch of luxury.

With the addition of adaptive LED lights (£1,075), adaptive cruise control (£500), that lovely Ruby Red metallic paint (£675) and a few other added extras, the price tops £41,000. Making a comparison spec for spec with the posher Vignale model, a difference of less than £2,000 is a bit too close for comfort; we’d be tempted to look longingly at the Vignale and haggle.

We collected our car from the impressive Trust Ford showroom on the Edgware Road in North London – the largest Ford dealership in Europe.

New car sales business manager Daniel Neal introduced me to our Edge and took time to talk me through everything from Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment to the powered tailgate, which can be operated by waving your foot under the rear bumper. It’s already proven its worth when carrying my Under-16s football team’s gear to matches; of course, my two sons never help with this.

They are happy in the back, though, because the width of the car means plenty of space. But while the inflatable rear seatbelts (£175) are a great safety feature, their hefty buckles are difficult to clip into place.

As well as ferrying my family around, the Edge has been used by my colleague James Burnay for his annual skiing holiday, where its space and comfort came to the fore. The car excels on longer trips; it’s quiet (helped by Active Noise Control to cancel unwanted noise) and will cruise comfortably.

Away from the motorway, there’s no disguising the Ford’s size. It’s a big old beast to manoeuvre around town, while the ride feels a little bit lumpy, too. The steering isn’t especially responsive, but take it easy and the automatic box slips through gears easily and the diesel engine is reasonably hushed.

The Edge may be easy to live with, but its biggest problem is the choice in the SUV sector – including some hugely talented rivals. So let’s see if it can worm its way into our affections in the coming months.

“Take it easy and the auto slips through gears easily and the diesel is hushed”