Wapcar Automotive News – The new generation Ford Edge has been completely redesigned inside and out. When it debuted in the US in 2007, it was Ford’s first midsize crossover, positioned between the Escape and the Explorer. Mechanically, based on the Fusion sedan, the Edge has relatively mediocre design features, but succeeds as a family transporter. However, 2023 was the Edge’s final year of production in North America as Ford shifted its focus to the heavy SUV line.
While Americans may miss Edge, it will exist in China, which looks very different from before. The Chinese version of Edge will look quite different from its predecessors in North America and Europe. In line with Ford’s “China 2.0 plan,” Edge will use the company’s “Progressive Energy in Strength” design philosophy.
The first example of the project is the Ford Evos shown at last year’s Shanghai Auto Show, Ford Authority reported. In creating a competitive aesthetic in the tech-savvy Chinese market, Ford declares their embodiment principles of “state”, “agility” and “quick response”. Edge will have a sportier exterior style. Flat door handles, full-width light signature and accelerated hood lines help give the car a clean appearance. The new Ford Edge is similar to the Ford Mondeo 2023 in terms of styling but will have the same cabin as the Evos in appearance and comfort. Without a doubt, the heart of the redesign is the door-to-door infotainment display.
At a whopping 3.6 feet wide, the display puts the driver in control of a dashboard that Lieutenant Sulu would envy. Full-width landscape monitor with 12.3-inch digital cluster and 27-inch 4K touchscreen powered by SYNC+ 2.0. Ford Authority says the crossover is the first Ford vehicle to feature a “virtual personal assistant,” providing a “personalized human-machine interface experience.” Along with facial recognition, gesture controls, and tons of built-in entertainment apps, Edge will have the security of the future. Ford’s Level 2 BlueCruise system, formerly Active Driving Assist, uses blue illumination on the digital instrument cluster to indicate the hands-free zone. The technology is based on the company’s intelligent adaptive cruise control system with Stop-and-Go, lane centering and speed sign recognition.
Ford says this allows for truly hands-free driving on pre-qualified sections of a divided highway while being monitored by a driver-facing camera. The Edge will also feature Ford’s new C-V2X (vehicle for everything) technology for enhanced driver safety. Ford Authority says the technology enables wireless transmissions between 5G-enabled vehicles and objects to “talk” and “listen” to each other. Ford is looking at C-V2X technology that communicates with brake lights, driver feedback monitors and other infrastructure to warn drivers of what they might encounter.
Alternatively, the system could activate an in-car system that could give the driver more context in navigation. Ford Edge will only be sold in China? Leaked images of the new Ford Edge on the website of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology were reported in August. However, their spies may also have spotted one being tested. later in Europe. Therefore, the new and improved Edge could also come to European markets. For the North American market, Ford currently offers eight SUV and crossover models.
However, that number will drop to seven when Ford drops the Edge next year. There are currently no plans to sell the new Edge in the already saturated Western market. Either way, Ford customers will likely see updated technology in many of the company’s offerings.
