Ford unveils its fastest SUV yet

Ford has debuted the new Edge SUV and announced its ST counterpart at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Edge will be the first of the firm’s SUVs to be tuned by Ford Performance and be gifted the ST nameplate. It’s treated to a 2.7-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, capable of producing 350bhp and 515Nm of torque.

The V6 powertrain is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It’s equipped as standard with four-wheel drive but is available with an optional performance brakes package and ST sports suspension.

Unfortunately, the UK market won’t get this full-fat version. Instead, an ST-Line edition will be added to the Edge range with some performance elements. What this will include is yet to be announced.

While those on this side of the Atlantic might be disappointed to be missing out, the anticipation of the updated version of the Edge reaching our shores should be more than enough to keep Brits excited.

It’s been given a fresh look with clean, sleek lines, but more important is a selection of driver assistance firsts for Ford. These include post-collision braking, evasive steering and adaptive steering with stop-and-go lane centring.

Ford announced that every model will also include forward collision warnings, dynamic braking support, pre-collision assistance with pedestrian detection, cross-traffic alerts, and lane-keeping technology. All of these driver aids make the Edge a particularly appealing offer for families.

Again, we won’t get the version seen today as the petrol V6 engine isn’t one we get over here. Currently in the UK the Ford Edge is available with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, with a power output of either 177bhp or 207bhp.

There are no dates for when this will be unveiled for the European market. However, with the new Ford EcoSport announced at the end of last year and about to be launched in the UK, we predict it will follow in the next few months.

By Becca Chaplin