Ford Edge review: Enjoy super-sized splendour

We test out the 2.0-litre diesel Ford Edge

If you’re looking at this and thinking ‘that car looks quite American’ then you won’t be surprised to learn that the Ford Edge has been sold in the US for a few years now.

Making the leap across the Atlantic, the Edge has arrived at TC Harrison with a few changes made to appeal to British tastes, not least the replacing of a thirsty petrol V6 engine with a more wallet friendly 2.0-litre diesel.

That means we get up to 207bhp and performance figures that are just the right side of sufficient. There’s a choice of a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox, and that’s about it mechanically.

There’s also a bundle of new technology making its way on to the car, including LED headlights and Ford’s new Adaptive Steering.

It's like travelling in a set of Bose headphones

The latter adjusts how much steering effort you need to make. Zipping around a car park sees the car dive to the side with just a touch of the wheel, but at motorway speeds the same input leads to just a gentle change of direction. It’s a system that hides the sheer bulk of the car, especially in an urban environment, but can be slightly disconcerting somewhere between slow and fast when you’re not entirely certain how much steering you’ll actually get.

Masking its size is handy, as the Edge is actually wider than a Land Rover Discovery.

Loaded with fuel and passengers, it weighs north of two tonnes, which makes the official fuel economy figure of 47.9mpg pretty impressive. CO2 emissions of 152g/km mean that private buyers face a car tax bill of a reasonable £185, but company drivers face a Benefit in Kind rate of 31 per cent.

Being as large as it is, Edge really isn’t a sports car, despite this being the Sport model. However, what you lose in ultimate roadholding you gain in comfort and refinement - this is in many ways a luxury car masquerading as a family SUV. There’s plenty of space in the front and rear for adults of all sizes, and the boot is as big as you get this side of a van.

It’s also comfortable, thanks to large (optional) leather seats and, impressively, some active noise cancellation that makes the drone from the engine magically disappear. It’s like travelling in a set of Bose headphones.

Every model gets four-wheel drive, making Edge a proper SUV rather than just a fashion piece.

However, while it’ll happily cope with a muddy field, crossing the Darien Gap might be asking a bit much of it. Not that you’d want to take something so sharply styled through somewhere so impenetrable.

Nope, in the Edge you’ve got something that should stay firmly on the road, cosseting its occupants as it wafts along with a level of refinement light years ahead of its direct competitors.

With prices starting just under £30,000, it’s also pretty good value, although the higher spec models start cranking up the cost. Still, it’s a fair price to pay for super-sized splendour.

The Ford Edge for this review was provided by: T C Harrison Ford – Oxney Road, Peterborough PE1 5YN / tel: 0333 014 5507

Dealerships also at: St Neots - 0333 014 5509; Huntingdon - 0333 014 5508; Stamford - 0333 014 5506; Spalding - 0333 014 5510