The closest we’ve come to confirming a new Ford Edge is the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which leaked specifications and images of the new Edge headed to that market, and a set of spy shots from Spain. The Chinese have their new crossover in Edge L form with six or seven seats. Carrying over the design language seen on Ford’s latest international products, the Edge L is like the straight-laced crossover incarnation of the China-market Mondeo sedan and Evos crossover coupe. Quite restrained, but also quite elegant. It’s also quite long at 196.9 inches, which is about eight inches longer than our Edge, as well as two inches wider, one inch taller, on a four-inch longer wheelbase. It’s also about two inches shorter than our Explorer and about two inches narrower, with a wheelbase three inches shorter.
The entry version is distinguished from the ST-Line by a different front fascia treatment and body-coloured lower rear fascia instead of the black version on the fancier model. Two engines will be offered, the base motor being a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 249 horsepower and 279 pound-feet of torque. The premium option is an E-Hybrid that makes a combined 271 hp and 299 lb-ft. Both shift via conventional automatic – no eCVT here – and come with all-wheel drive. Ford China says the hybrid can return 37 miles per gallon, and travels an estimated 738 miles between fill-ups, thanks to the roughly 20-gallon tank.
Inside are three rows of seats in a 2-2-3 configuration, with second-row captain’s chairs fitted with headrests as well as neck bolsters under the leg rests that pop out when tilted. The entry-level Edge L gets two-tone interiors and copper accents as standard, while the ST-Line gets black leather with red accents. Both look good in detailing. The driver gets a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a head-up display, the driver and passengers can run their fingers over the 27-inch infotainment touchscreen set atop the instrument panel. The list of possible mod-cons includes a panoramic roof, ambient lighting, Bang & Olufsen audio and 20 driver assistance aids.
The non-hybrid 2024 Edge L is said to be arriving in Chinese showrooms in April, with the hybrid hitting about three months later. The public can get to see the auto in person in April at Auto Shanghai. Perhaps by then we’ll know the fate of our Edge, rumored to be sent into retirement at the end of this model year.