When we first met the current-generation Ford Edge just prior to it’s official introduction back in early 2015, we had to draw one particular note: when equipped with the 2.7L V6, it had horsepower figures that would challenge recent-memory musclecars. The Edge Sport that I got to bomb around canyon roads in Arizona with straight-up booked and it would corner just as well, and I remember well wondering if the formula could be improved upon…315 horsepower in an all-wheel-drive people mover isn’t bad, but is there room for improvement?
Ford thought so, and has gone to work on the Edge ST. The ST trim is more than just the sporting face, however…the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 has been kicked up to 335 horsepower and 380 ft/lbs of torque, and it’s hooked to an eight-speed automatic. An available brake upgrade should help rein in the two-ton rig, and if you’re really feeling nutty when you aren’t hauling the family around, you can put the Edge ST into Sport Mode. According to Ford, Sport Mode tunes the throttle response and shifting patterns to kill, allows engine braking to step in harder, and lets the exhaust bark a bit harder. The 2.7 EcoBoost is now only for the ST, with the 2.oL turbo four taking care of the other models.
Now, being a modern SUV, it’s bristling with technology…tons of it. This year, in addition to the mile-long list the Edge already had, it gains Post-Collision Braking, Evasive Steering Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go and Lane Centering. “Edge drivers expect a sophisticated, modern driving experience,” said Cristina Aquino, Edge marketing manager. “Bringing a host of new technologies as standard and introducing these segment-first features helps ensure customers feel more confident behind the wheel.” Ok, that brings up a question: is the Edge ST supposed to be a driver’s SUV, or is it supposed to just look sporty and do the driving instead?
We wouldn’t mind some seat time to find out for ourselves. And we certainly wouldn’t mind if an RS variation with the nannies removed would appear, either.
Yeah, you had me until all the nanie state driver assist crap. If you could order (remember when you used to do that? Actually order you car the way YOU wanted it? Good times; good times, indeed!) I wouldn\’t want any of that garbage on a car, and truth be told, it ought to not be legal to have it in a car. People need to be engaged and competent to drive an automobile. This crap just dumbs down the masses even further, seemingly as impossible as that might sound…