By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 7, 2014) The all-new 2015 Ford Edge is the first that owes nothing to the Mazda6. From its launch in 2006, the Edge has been one of Ford’s best selling sport utilities and its leading crossover. Though nominally a Ford Fusion underneath, that car shared its underpinnings with Mazda’s then-new midsize sedan, which was a Japanese (i.e., less expensive) interpretation of Ford of Europe’s Mondeo midsize sedan.

This platform was scheduled to be stretched to create the Ford Flex, but that project was replaced by one that used a shared Ford/Volvo platform, (Ford Five Hundred/Taurus and Volvo S80/XC90). Undeterred, Mazda created the Mazda CX9 out of the ashes.

This time around, the Edge is built on Ford’s global midsize platform that underpins the latest Fusion, 2015 Mondeo and Lincoln MKZ. It also will be used under the newest S-Max MPV in Europe. Though the S-Max will not be sold in the U.S., the Edge will be sold in Europe alongside the S-Max. That means there’s a MacPherson strut front and multi-link independent rear suspension with 23-mm anti-roll bar and coil springs, a 26% increase in bending stiffness, a 16% increase in torsional stiffness, and much lower NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels.

It will be the first Ford to use the company’s new adaptive steering system. By adding an electric motor and gearset between the steering wheel and steering shaft, the unit adds or subtracts input based on driver input and vehicle speed, much like variable-assist power steering did, but without the overboosted feel at low speeds. It dials in more lock when you are parking, and alters response to inputs as speed increases.

And while the 3.5-liter V6 continues to be offered as an option, the Edge adds a standard twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0-liter with 245 hp/270 lb-ft of torque and a 2.7-liter V6 whose power rating, Ford says, will be “over 300 horsepower.”

This is the same engine added to the F-150s lineup for 2015, and it features a compacted graphite cylinder block, die-cast aluminum ladder frame, and composite oil pan. And while this engine has the power of a mid-size V8, its real purpose is to power the Edge Sport and provide the performance expected in the luxury CUV class when the next MKX launches. Just don’t look for an increase in the number of gears offered in the transmission.

All Edges will have six speeds in their automatic gearboxes, and paddle shifters mounted on the backside of the steering wheel. Available in both front- and all-wheel drive models, the latter is a full-time, on-demand system that can shift 100% of the torque to either the front or rear wheels.

Inside, the seats are thinner yet, Ford claims, more supportive, and interior space has increased. Front and rear legroom are 1.9 and 1.0 inches, respectively, helped by a 1.0-in increase in the wheelbase. Headroom is up 1.0 inches front and back, and cargo capacity increases. The eight-inch LCD touch screen that is used when you order Sync with MyFord Touch is now available on even more models.

The 2015 Edge comes in SE, SEL, Sport and Titanium trim levels, and will be built at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex in Oakville Ontario, Canada. Prices will be set closer to the vehicle’s launch.

The Virtual Driver