Cars & Autos | Tuesday 20 September, 2016 1:01 pm |

 with a New Sophisticated Design, More Technologies and Greatly Improved Driving Dynamics

• All-new from wheels to roof, Edge has been redesigned to meet higher expectations for quality, and reengineered with additional features and technologies for a more rewarding driving experience
• Customers can now choose from two new engine options - standard 2.0-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder and the advanced 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 on Sport models
• The all-new Edge is the first Ford product to feature the company’s adaptive steering technology; technologies offered for the first time include enhanced active park assist, side parking sensors and a front camera with washer

 

 

The full range of the all-new 2016 Ford Edge is now available at Al Tayer Motors, Ford’s importer-dealer in the UAE and at Premier Motors, the official dealer in Abu Dhabi. The Ford Edge demonstrates what happens when a proven leader gets even better. The original crossover utility vehicle from Ford is loaded with more technology, higher levels of craftsmanship and greatly improved vehicle dynamics.

 

When launched in late 2006, Edge helped to define the crossover sport utility vehicle segment. With a car-based design, Edge delivered better on-road comfort, fuel efficiency and overall driving dynamics than any truck-based SUV. It was proof a utility vehicle could meet the demanding needs of an everyday commuter.

 

The Edge is all-new from wheels to roof, designed to reset the standard in the two-row utility vehicle market. Based on Ford’s successful, global midsize vehicle platform, Edge has been reimagined with a stronger, more athletic shape. It has been retooled to meet higher expectations for quality, and reengineered to add more features and technologies for a more rewarding driving experience.

 

Martin Penny, Senior Vice-President Ford at Al Tayer Motors said: “We are excited to present the entire range of the all-new Edge to our customers in the UAE. The sophistication that the new model brings inside out, together with the impressive lineup of powertrains and class-leading technologies, promise to impress the driver at first sight and test drive.”

 

“The original Edge was our first entry into the world of crossover utilities – a technologically advanced vehicle that was the perfect blend of sedan comfort and efficiency with SUV functionality,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam, Marketing, Sales and Services Vice President, Ford Middle East and Africa.

 

“With the all-new model joining our popular SUV lineup, we are building on that success and on the emotional appeal of the vehicle by offering more of the technology our customers want in a package that meets the highest expectations for quality and craftsmanship. We are confident the design, sophistication and technologies of the new model will reinforce its leadership in this segment,” Sivagnanam added.

 

With the new Edge, Ford is also building on its utility vehicle leadership around the world. Last year, the company sold a record 1.2 million utility vehicles in markets across the globe – up 38 percent from 2012.

 

Dynamic all-new body and suspension

The Edge delivers the confident, smooth driving experience customers expect from Ford.

 

Central to the improved driving dynamics is an entirely new body structure and redesigned suspension – front and rear – developed specifically to better isolate road imperfection and absorb noise without compromising handling.

 

The front-wheel-drive Edge retains a MacPherson-type front suspension, but features an entirely new, sophisticated integral-link independent rear with coil springs and a 23-millimeter antiroll bar. The advanced new system has been tuned to deliver a more dynamic, engaging ride customers will feel immediately.

 

The solid body structure of the all-new Edge provides a far better platform for the new suspension to work thanks in part to the use of more high-strength steels. Compared to the 2014 Edge, the new model shows a 26 percent increase in stiffness when reacting to bending forces and a 16 percent increase in stiffness when reacting to twisting forces.

 

This means less noise, vibration and harshness characteristics, giving Edge customers a quieter, more substantial ride. As a result, Edge is well suited for an everyday commute, but ready to attack when the road opens up.

 

A choice of three engines

The all-new Edge features three engine options, two of which are new powerplants – a standard twin-scroll 2.0-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder and the advanced 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 on Sport models. A normally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine will also be offered. All are equipped with dual exhaust and a six-speed automatic transmission.

 

Edge represents the first Ford vehicle to feature standard EcoBoost power. The twin-scroll 2.0-liter EcoBoost, offering 253 PS and 378 Nm of torque, is significantly improved over the previous 2.0-liter EcoBoost.

 

Among a host of changes to the 2.0-liter EcoBoost is a twin-scroll design enabling optimized camshaft timing for improved engine performance and reduced turbo lag. A new, lighter engine block casting along with new aluminum balance shaft assembly shaves six pounds from the engine’s gravitational weight. Other changes include lighter pistons; a newly designed, integrated exhaust manifold; and a new, high-pressure direct-injection fuel system for finer fuel atomization.

 

These upgrades pave the way for an increased compression ratio of 9.7:1, up from 9.3:1, for improved overall fuel efficiency.

 

On the other side of the engine spectrum is Edge Sport, with an exclusive, all-new 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine that provides an exceptional combination of power and efficiency. Setting a new standard in world-class powertrain engineering, this twin-turbocharged V6 is one of the world’s most advanced engines. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost uses the same compacted graphite iron in its cylinder block as is used in the 6.7-liter Power Stroke. This advanced cylinder block allows for a remarkably stiff and compact design that returns exceptionally refined noise, vibration and harshness control. The compacted graphite iron core is mated with a die-cast aluminum engine-block ladder frame and composite oil pan, saving weight by applying advanced materials where they are needed most.

 

The strength of the compacted graphite iron cylinder block allows the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine to produce impressive power and torque for its size. Compact and efficient, the all-new engine can produce the power and torque of a mid-range V8.

 

Delivering 340 PS and 542 Nm of torque, this 2.7-liter EcoBoost ensures Edge Sport is the highest-performance Edge ever.

 

The suspension in Edge Sport has front and rear antiroll bars that are 15 percent stiffer than the base model, and unique rear monotube dampers that are larger in diameter. The coil springs are 10 percent stiffer. Overall, with improved damping and control, Edge Sport offers improved road-holding capability, giving the driver more control, sharper steering and greater confidence.

 

Paddle-activated SelectShift puts driver in control

All three engines are mated to Ford’s SelectShift® six-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shift activation. Drivers will have the ability to manually select gears via race-inspired paddles on the steering wheel. The paddle-shift system is standard on all models.

 

The SelectShift transmission features two modes of operation – drive and sport. Sport mode offers a more aggressive shift pattern, allowing the engine to rev higher during acceleration, and hold lower gears longer to support spirited, fast-paced sessions.

 

Unlike many paddle-shift systems, the Edge six-speed automatic is always ‘live in drive’, so the driver won’t have to select sport mode to enable operation.

 

The available all-wheel-drive system for the new Edge is full-time, on-demand and seamless – there are no knobs or switches to activate. An electronically controlled clutch, which can engage faster than a human can blink, transfers power between the front and rear axles, sending up to 100 percent of the power front or back.

 

New level of technology for better driving

The all-new Edge is a technology leader for Ford, with a suite of standard and available technologies designed to improve the driving experience and the level of occupant comfort. Technologies being offered for the first time include enhanced active park assist, side parking sensors and a front camera with washer.

 

“The new Edge is a rolling showcase of Ford’s commitment to developing and offering the latest, most advanced technology in the business,” added Penny. “We know our customers have embraced technology – from smartphones to wearable devices that track their health. Technology is part of their lives. We want to make it part of their driving experience as well.”

 

Key technology features include:

• Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support: Uses radar to detect moving vehicles directly ahead and change the cruising speed if necessary
• Air curtain: Creates a curtain of air alongside the vehicle using smart duct work, improving aerodynamics at high speed
• Blind Spot Information System: BLIS® uses radar to trigger a warning when another motorist is in the driver’s blind spot
• Cameras: New 180-degree front camera with washer featured for first time on a Ford vehicle; standard rear camera
• Cross-traffic alert: Uses radar to help alert drivers to oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking space
• Enhanced active park assist: Builds on Ford parallel parking technology and includes a system to guide the vehicle into a perpendicular parking space. The system can also steer the vehicle into and out of a parallel parking space
• Forward and reverse sensing systems: The systems provide audible alerts designed to help drivers avoid obstacles when parking
• Hands-free liftgate: Allows customer to move leg below center of the rear bumper to unlock and raise liftgate
• Lane-keeping system: Steers vehicle back into its lane if driver allows it to drift
• Side parking sensors: System uses sensors and algorithms that measure speed and steering wheel angle to warn drivers of obstacles on either side of the vehicle during parking or low-speed maneuvers
• SYNC® with MyFord Touch®: Becoming available for more trim levels; standard on Edge Sport and Titanium series

 

Safety technologies available on the new Edge include:

• Active glove box knee airbag: Advanced new design uses glove box front to cushion front seat passenger in a crash. A pliable, injection-molded plastic bladder is sandwiched between the inner and outer glove box door panels. On impact, a small inflator fills the bladder, extending the glove box outer door panel toward the passenger’s legs
• AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™: Uses sensors to measure the roll rate of the vehicle and predict its roll angle. Based on this information and measurements from other vehicle dynamics sensors, the system can adjust engine torque and brake pressure at all four wheels to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle
• Curve Control: Uses the same sensors as Roll Stability Control to detect and measure roll rate, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, wheel speed and steering wheel angle to help drivers follow their intended path by slowing the vehicle more efficiently while maneuvering a curve
• Inflatable rear safety belts: An advanced restraint system that combines attributes of safety belt and airbag technologies. It is designed to reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers in frontal crashes by distributing crash force energy across five times more of an occupant’s torso than a traditional safety belt. Inflatable belts are available for second-row outboard seating positions

 

Higher standards for quality and craftsmanship

The all-new Edge is available in four trim levels. These include SE, SEL, Sport and – for the first time – a top-of-the-line Titanium series to meet market demand for more premium offerings.

 

Overall, the Edge represents a significant move forward in both material and visual quality. Throughout the vehicle, seams are tighter and more consistent, and the design has been executed in a way that reduces visual cutlines. The team worked out the smallest of details, such as rethinking how the front doors meet the instrument panel, simplifying merging points and reducing potential alignment issues.

 

The dashboard and center console have also been carefully designed and shaped to look like one thin, streamlined piece. A central 8-inch LCD touch screen supporting SYNC with MyFord Touch is now available on even more models.

 

Storage areas have been improved throughout the cabin, with a covered media bin on top of the center stack; an open, pass-through-type storage area beneath the climate controls; an open storage area on the instrument panel, below and to the left of the steering wheel; and large pockets on each door.

 

Thanks in part to smart design work and next-generation seats that are thinner and more supportive, the interior of the new Edge is larger and more spacious. Adding further to the feeling of openness, Edge will continue to offer one of the largest sunroofs in the business – Ford’s Panoramic Vista Roof, measuring 47.7 inches’ front to back.

 

Legroom in the first and second row of the new Edge has increased by 1.9 inches and 1.0 inch, respectively. Headroom increases by 1.0 inch throughout. Cargo capacity increases, with 39.2 cubic feet of space behind the second row of seats – 7.0 cubic feet more than the previous model. With the second row folded, space has increased by 4.5 cubic feet, to 73.4 cubic feet. The new Edge is slightly longer and taller than its predecessor, and the wheelbase increases by 1.0 inch, to 112.2 inches.

 

Quieter than ever

The all-new Edge is not only more luxurious and comfortable, but also quieter.

 

In wind tunnel tests, Edge proved to be more than 1 sone quieter than its predecessor (a sone is a unit used to measure how loud a sound is perceived). This enhanced quietness is due to better sealing of the body, sound insulation improvements, and powertrains that are better isolated from the cabin and operate in a quieter manner. Acoustic windshield glass is standard on every model. Select Titanium models are even quieter, incorporating acoustic glass on driver and passenger side doors.

 

The twin-scroll 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, for example, has reduced vibration levels when idling compared to the previous version, and is 2 decibels quieter. In moments of heavy acceleration, the revamped engine emits a quieter, more refined sound. This is due to multiple changes including an acoustic wrap to the intake manifold, upgraded heat shield that provides additional sound management and modified oil pump.

 

Edge Sport is equipped with Active Noise Cancellation technology from Ford to manage and enhance the sound of its powerful 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine. Using three microphones strategically placed throughout the cabin, the system is able to generate opposing sound waves directed through the audio system, enhancing overall cabin ambience.

 

Even the tires have been selected to deliver a better on-road experience. The 20-inch tires available on Sport and Titanium trim levels are a full 2 decibels quieter – reducing unpleasant road noises often associated with larger wheels.

 

 

About Al Tayer Motors

Al Tayer Motors was established in 1982 and represents major American and European automobile manufacturers Ford, Ford Trucks, Lincoln, Maserati, Ferrari, Jaguar and Land Rover across the UAE.

With a growing network of sales, service and parts centres across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the dedicated team of more than 3,000 professionals is committed to taking customer satisfaction to higher levels.

In Abu Dhabi, Ford, Ford Trucks, Lincoln, Maserati, Ferrari, Jaguar and Land Rover are represented by Al Tayer Motors through Premier Motors.