2007 Ford Edge: Modern urban living inspires interior design

[Edge Guide]

2007 Ford Edge: Modern urban living inspires interior design

 

Ford Motor Company designers drew inspiration for the interior of the all-new 2007 Edge crossover vehicle from the modern décor and expansive windows of the popular urban loft condo.

 

“Some home owners are starting to say, ‘I’d much rather have a smaller interior but with cleverly designed, usable space and a very rich environment,’ ” says Patrick Schiavone, design director responsible for Ford and Lincoln Mercury trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers. “In a lot of ways, this trend echoes the whole sensibility of the Edge because it’s smarter, more fuel efficient, more flexible, better handling and quieter. It’s more of a modern take on living, very much like a loft is.”

 

 

Launching in November, the Ford Edge is set to enter the fast-growing crossover utility vehicle segment and is anticipated to be a hit in the company’s product-led turnaround.

 

Ford designers created an image board that included pictures of lofts, architectural wonders such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and expressive furniture from the annual Milan Furniture Fair in Italy.

 

“It comes back to the ideals of modern furniture and loft living,” says Schiavone. “We were definitely trying to go down that road with the Edge.”

 

Inside, the Edge combines clean lines with a spacious feel and flexibility of the space. All the components, including the instrument cluster, center console and air vents, flow together in a seamless way reminiscent of the modern loft.

 

“You can see the loft inspiration in some of the line work in the interior,” says Earl Lucas, interior design manager for the Edge. “If you look at the integration of the air bag console, where the air vents are located, you see this really structured, well-organized interior space. Modern architecture has those same types of intersections of shapes and forms.”

 

Designers swept the windshield forward, as well as the center console, in order to open up the space.

 

“We kept the instrument panel low and pushed away to maximize spaciousness,” says Ed Golden, design director for the Edge and the Lincoln MKX. “A loft often has large open rooms, so we were looking for that feel in this vehicle.”

 

Polished aluminum accents on the instrument cluster, air vents, center console and wrapped around the gear selector juxtapose rich leather with contrast stitching.

 

“These combinations of leather grains and aluminum are elements that you might find in modern chairs or tables,” says Golden.

 

The most striking aspect of the Edge interior is its class-leading panoramic Vista Roof™, which stretches front to back.

 

“In the same way that you’d expect lots of light in a loft, the Vista Roof also allows a lot of light to come through,” says Golden.

 

The Edge’s interior storage capability and comfort features also draw comparisons to the versatility of the loft. Available EasyFold ™ electromechanical rear seats convert five-passenger seating into a cargo bay capable of holding items up to 8 feet long. The center console includes a customizable insert that can store everything from CDs to a laptop computer. An optional 12-volt power point in the console powers cell phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants), and an audio input provides MP3 connectivity to the stereo system. Six cup/bottle holders throughout allow for convenient refreshment.

 

Interiors have become more important to consumers in recent years, and automakers are responding. In 2003, Ford began tripling its investment in interior design in response to research that indicated the average commute time for drivers had increased to about an hour a day.

 

“The interior is becoming the competitive battleground, primarily because there is so much in the interior,” says Darrel Edwards, CEO of Strategic Vision, a San Diego company that studies how and why consumers buy products. “The consumer has to deal with it every single day that he or she is with the vehicle.”

 

Edwards says consumers are looking for a comprehensive interior package that is tailored to their needs, thoughtfully designed and harmonious.

 

“It’s not so much that interiors are suddenly more important, but as automakers have gotten the exteriors more and more right, everything now needs to harmoniously match both inside and outside, even in less expensive vehicles,” he says.

 

Design-focused stores, including IKEA and Target, have helped shape customers’ expectations, Schiavone adds.

 

“A modern sort of luxury is going to be a long-term trend,” he says. “You'll have the traditional luxury and traditional luxury vehicles but also in a more modern furniture kind of way for some of the mid-priced vehicles, much like the Edge.”

 

Ford has set the benchmark on pickup truck interior refinement with its F-150 and specialty interiors such as the Harley-Davidson and King Ranch versions. Now designers hope the Edge sets a benchmark for the modern crossover utility vehicle segment.

 

“We changed the face of truck interiors,” says Schiavone. “And now we are really moving on car interiors, and we are in a good place to build on that.”