Ford Edge Sets Bold New Direction In Design And Quality

[Edge Guide]

Ford Edge Sets Bold New Direction In Design And Quality

 

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Ford Edge Forum - When the new Ford Edge crossover utility vehicle hits reaches dealership showrooms dealers in December, customers will see first-hand Ford Motor Company's new direction in vehicle design and quality. Sporty, versatile and undeniably American, Edge is the result of 26 months of design innovation.

 

"The Ford Edge is the second vehicle to be launched under Ford Motor Company's new Innovative Design directive," said Peter Horbury, Ford 's executive director of design . in North America. "From the get-go, we set our sights on building a CUV that would offer customers the highest all-round quality, value and at a reasonable cost."

 

The Edge design team set out in 2003 to create a vehicle that, in a its own way, brought a bit of Mustang to a CUV.

 

"We had a young design team, and they all liked the Mustang, but we had very few cars on the market that they were interested in driving,” said Darrel Behmer, Edge and Lincoln MKX chief designer early in the of Edge and Lincoln MKX program. “We had the cute-ute Escape and the Explorer, but it is more utilitarian. And of course we have the larger Expedition and Navigator."

 

Behmer continued: “What we didn't have was a really sporty CUV. We were thinking if we can create something that has a more performance-oriented look to it, with really good proportions, we'd hit a sweetspot in the market."

 

The team saw the future coming. Today, the CUV—defined as smaller, car-based utility vehicles—is the fastest-growing vehicle segment in the United States, surpassing SUVs. Baby boomers, as well as young urbanites, are fueling this growth, seeking flexible, all-wheel drive vehicles, but ones smaller, sportier and more fuel-efficient than larger SUVs.

 

"The modern-looking CUV is going to become more and more competitive as vehicles move into that segment, out of the refrigerator, functional-only segments," said Darrel Edwards, CEO and founder of Strategic Visions. "These more aspirationally designed vehicles are becoming more dominant and have clear competitive advantages."

 

Ford did extensive customer research when designing the Edge. In the initial design stages, the team showed off the Edge concept to survey groups around North America. Later in the program, they the Edge team worked with Blue Book, the vehicle price ratings agency, letting them drive the Edge, in an effort to provide insure better residual value for customers. The team also consulted the dealership network and worked with JD Powers to gather customer feedback on test models.

 

“We designed, engineered and built Edge to our target customer's specifications, which is in line with our Way Forward initiative," said Elaine Bannon, chief nameplate engineer for Edge. "We’ve made a lot of these decisions—and a lot of late changes in the program—all in a way that's absolutely customer focused."

 

While designers envisioned Edge as a leader in this fast-growing segment, they faced some challenges. Edge was a new vehicle built on a relatively new platform (Mazda 3), and a whole new vehicle had to be created from the wheels up.

 

"The biggest challenge for us always in design is getting the best proportions we can get on a vehicle," said Doyle Leston, who was chief current chief designer of Edge early in the program. "Vehicles today have higher beltlines and less glass, so you maybe have a 70/30 proportion, versus 50/50 as they were years ago. We wanted to achieve a very chunky feel to the body, relative to the glass area, giving it a more substantial, powerful look."

 

This wasn't as easy as it sounds. Getting the proportions right involves a lot of give and take. There are safety and crash regulations, as well as interior considerations, he said.

 

Behmer agreed: "Trying to do an athletic CUV that was not geared toward the utility end of the segment was a challenge. It meant getting the vehicle stance right, getting the wheels sitting out on the corners, getting the overhangs to be as short as possible, those are the formulas for a more modern look."

 

Engineers had to reconfigure the engine layout to accommodate a shorter front overhang. Getting the wheels planted at the edge of the corners, rather than tucked more under further beneath the chassis, involved some in-fighting with engineers leery of regulations.

 

"And there is a constant trade-off between roominess and comfort on the interior, while trying to get the right stance and proportions on the exterior," said Letson. "You ask yourself, 'How high should the roof be, how high should the belt be, what feels comfortable on the interior,' but at the same time making sure the exterior stays in line with where you want to go."

 

Edge's visual promise of dynamic prowess begins with its bold front end with its distinctive three-bar chromed grille. Designers aggressively raked the windshield and sloped the back window with a high-mounted rear spoiler to accentuate the feeling of motion. Quad-beam headlamps and a "powerdome" hood accentuate the purposeful front-end look. The raised belt line emphasizes strong, sculpted shoulders formed around sharp wheel arches. Matte black lower front and rear fascias and side rocker panels emphasize its sporty character.

 

But the Edge doesn't just look good. It's well-built. From the beginning, while the team wanted to bring out Edge in a short amount of time, they were not going to compromise on quality.

 

“The challenge for us was not necessarily bringing Edge to market quickly, but bringing it to market and making it best in class, making it world-class quality," said Bannon. "And Edge does raise the bar for execution—execution in fit and finish, the actual design of the vehicle, ride and handling, quietness, execution in having it be a very lovable vehicle over time.”

 

The work has paid off. Compared with the 2006 Nissan Murano, its major competitor, Edge exceeds Murano on interior quietness, steering wheel vibration, idling vibration, acceleration—in every category.

 

Equipped with an all-new 265-horsepower, V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, Edge delivers performance and fuel efficiency, expected to achieve fuel economy in the mid 20s (mpg) in highway driving.

 

In the end, the Ford Edge will roll off the assembly line in December not just looking great but being great.

 

"Knowing the kinds of products I see coming down the pipeline right now, upper management is definitely making design the most important aspect of anything that we do," said Letson. "And we definitely want to be leaders in design, we definitely want our products to be those products that are desired by every purchaser that's out there. We want them in the showroom, we want them comparing us to everyone else and picking us."