The crossover market is overflowing with an abundance of models coming from different makers. Some are excellent and some are disappointing. I wasn't sure what to think when we got the Ford Edge Sport. Is it a family SUV? Is it a compact crossover? Well, it's quite a surprise, in every possible area. Let us take a look at how it did:

Style

Usually crossovers tend to have an awkward look to them, where you are not sure what to think, “Is this an oversized car, or a small SUV?” The same can be said about the Edge, but the difference here is the Edge does not look awkward at all. The Edge has a specific look to it that is dominant all over the car. It is very round and curvy; it is kind of funny how it's called an Edge, when in reality it lacks edges everywhere. The Edge Sport is fitted with a body kit which makes it slightly lower than the regular Edge. The most noticeable part of the front end is the black grille, where it is not compatible with the rest of the chrome and shine on the car, but at the same time it stands out and looks good! The Edge Sport comes with enormous 22 inch wheels that have a black and chrome color scheme. The 22 inch wheels make a weird combination with any crossove but with the Edge they look excellent. In terms of options, the Edge has a power lift gate which is automated for opening and closing, a 2-piece panoramic moon-roof, and dual oval chrome exhaust tips. The exterior of the Edge has a very sporty look to it, but at the same time it is a little too round to keep the sporty look to it. The Edge is similar to that chubby guy that was with you in gym class who everyone thought could not do any sports but then surprised everyone!

Interior

Finishing

Open the door and you are greeted with excellent quality power leather seats and soft touch leather wrapped dashboard. The same cannot be said about the upper door panels which have hard plastic and can be very annoying to the elbow. The center console of the Edge is a space age type thing, where everything has a glossy black finish and everything is touch! Even the hazard lights button is touch. Although this looks awesome and makes it easier to clean when you don’t have nooks and crannies for dust to get jammed in, it can be somewhat of an inconvenience because you have to actively look for the button that turns up the AC for example, which can be very distracting. Another issue is the tilted steering wheel. The steering wheel gets tilted up so it somewhat faces the roof, which makes using it somewhat...weird.

Interior Space

When you look at the Edge from outside it does not seem all that big, but when you are inside it is extremely different. The car looks massive from the inside and this can be felt when you try to park it, you feel like you are about to get up on the side walk when in fact there it is at least a meter gap. The Edge is good in terms of room, but that is only for someone of average height. I had somewhat of a space issue while driving the Edge; my knees were constantly touching the steering column and the sides of the foot well. In the entertainment department, the Edge is fitted with 9 speakers that are of top quality; very clear and loud.

Interior Technology and Entertainment

The onboard system that Ford uses is the SYNC system powered by Microsoft. I wish it was not though. In typical Microsoft fashion, the SYNC system froze and crashed and was absolutely useless for the better part of 40 minutes. This was a disappointment because the system was so good. SYNC is best known for the voice command options on it, where you can control anything in the car by using the voice command. The difference between this voice command system and others is that this one actually works, I used the voice control the entire time I had the car and I faced not even one situation where it chose something that I did not ask for. It is by far the best voice control system I have used. Overall the interior of the edge looks very futuristic which is a nice touch (pun intended)!

Safety Features

The Edge boasts multiple safety features such as dual stage airbags, rollover sensors, ventilated disc brakes with ABS as standard, Ford’s SecuriCode which is the keypad on the door, SOS post-crash alert system which will activate the hazard lights and sound the horn after an accident when the airbags have deployed. Other safety features such as blind spot indicators, and perimeter alarm are also available. The Blind Spot system will give you a visual and audio alert when there is a car in the lane that you are trying to merge into. The perimeter alarm alerts the driver about any passing cars from both sides whenever the car is being backed up out of a parking spot. The Edge also has a backup camera and backup sensors, but they are not present in front.

Drive Performance

Suspension

Bigger wheels generally make the car’s ride stiffer and somewhat uncomfortable. This was something I was worried about especially with the Edge Sport because it has a sports tuned suspension. So I was expecting the Edge to ride like a table. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the ride was. It was almost perfect. Of course very rough road surfaces are felt, but the fact that the ride is THIS smooth on a car that has 22 inch wheels and sports tuned suspension is great.

Steering

Steering on this car is stiff with a capital S, which I personally love on larger cars because it gives you more control over the car. To give you an idea of how stiff this steering is, I personally had a model 2000 BMW 7 Series and such an old car has a very stiff steering wheel. After returning the Edge and going back to BMW, the steering of BMW felt like it was liquid, to the extent that I thought it was broken!

Power

The Edge Sport is powered by a 3.7 liter engine managed by a 6 speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. This translates into 305 horse power at 6500 RPM. On road the Edge Sport has the same problem as almost every other crossover that I have driven. You plant your foot down, the engine roars and nothing significant happens, for a while at least.

Fuel consumption

Fuel economy is average on the Edge sport, where the average highway consumption was 12.6 L/100KM and the consumption in urban driving was in the area of 18.7 L/100KM. the Edge has a system called “Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off” which as the name suggests, deactivates the fuel injectors when the car is decelerating and automatically reactivates them whenever the throttle is pushed.

Off-road chops

Crossovers are generally made to be used on the road. I decided to see if the Edge Sport can handle itself off road. I took it to a desert area enroute to al Dhaid. This place is not a hardcore desert but it is a good gravel place to start. The Edge held itself pretty well but it is clear it will struggle to keep going with such wheels. The car can go on minor off road excursions but not for long periods of time.

Verdict

The Edge Sport is one of those crossovers you either love or hate; there is no middle ground for it. I personally could not find a reason to hate the car, because everything that it was lacking, it made up with something else usually in the same category. For example, the annoying touch buttons is made up by the fact that it is easy to clean, the awkwardly upward facing steering wheel is made up by its stiffness which makes handling a dream! Al Tayer currently have the Edge Sport on display for 175,000 AED which can be slimmed down by 15,000 AED. It comes with a complimentary service contract of 5 years or 100,000 Kms. It also comes with a 5 year / 100,000 Kms manufacturer warranty.