In the well-rehearsed assurance it commands and the pleasing sense of polished civility it possesses on the road, the Edge’s performance better demonstrates that Ford knew what it would take to successfully break into the European luxury SUV ranks.
Our 9.7sec recorded sprint to 60mph is far from outstanding, hindered as it was by a gentle initial step-off from the dual-clutch transmission even at full throttle.
But such a quirk matters little in a large, comfort-orientated car, and you may even consider it desirable. On 30-70mph through-the-gears pace, the Edge is more competitive, and in gear it feels torquey and motivates its mass easily on the road while also keeping its occupants well insulated from both wind and engine noise.
Much is made by Ford of the audio system’s active noise cancelling technology, which works via three onboard microphones to detect noise and broadcast inaudible cancelling noise at perfectly judged frequencies.
But it’s obvious, too, that the company did a first-rate job of isolating the 2.0-litre diesel engine and transmission and preventing either from intruding.
That engine doesn’t exactly feel potent in this two-tonne car, but it pulls keenly enough at lower revs to make overtaking possible in the higher gears, and it can keep up a swift pace without working hard.
