2011 Ford Edge Gets Almost Best-in-Class 19/27-MPG Fuel Econmy Rating

Ford has just released the official EPA rated fuel economy numbers for the 2011 Edge and it appears as though the American automaker is living up to its promise to be a fuel economy leader. Well, almost.

Equipped with its new standard six-speed automatic transmission, the 3.5-liter V6 is now rated at 19-mpg city and 27-mpg highway, slightly higher than its mechanically-similar Lincoln MKX cousin. These numbers best the Honda Accord Crosstour and Toyota Venza, which are rated at 18/27-mpg and 19/26-mpg respectively. Interestingly, however, the combined rating of 22-mpg is just short of the Hyundai Santa Fe which is rated at 23-mpg (20-mpg city, 26-mpg highway).

That hasn’t stopped Ford from boasting “top fuel economy” in its press release. Seems like yet another automaker has underestimated Hyundai. Then again, Ford would probably argue that the Santa Fe isn’t a competitor.

As for the new Edge Sport model, it retains its 18/25-mpg rating from last year, although with the addition of 40-hp thanks to Ford’s new 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine. That powerplant makes 305-hp and 280 ft-lbs of torque in the 2011 Edge.

What Ford hasn’t released yet are numbers for the 2.0-liter Ecoboost engine, which we expect to top 30-mph on the highway. Then the Edge will truly have best-in-class fuel economy.

Official release after the jump:

PRESS RELEASE

2011 FORD EDGE SPORT ADDS CLASS-LEADING POWER, BOLDER APPEARANCE AND INDUSTRY-FIRST TECHNOLOGY

* The class-leading power is flowed through a six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission and accessed by new unique treatment of paddle shifters. The paddle shifters now can operate while the vehicle is in Drive, allowing a true manual experience when upshifting or downshifting
* New class-exclusive standard 22-inch wheels are the key elements of a refreshed, bolder exterior; special sport-tuned suspension complements new wheels and adds higher level of handling and ride
* Industry-first MyFord Touch™ with SYNC is standard, opening a new era of driver connectivity through the use of intuitive voice commands, 8-inch touch screen in the center stack and two driver-configurable 4.2-inch LCD screens in the instrument cluster

FACT SHEET: 2011 FORD EDGE SPORT

DEARBORN, Mich., July 14, 2010 – The 2011 Ford Edge Sport is both edgier and sportier than the original version launched in 2009. Customers opting for the popular midsize crossover’s performance version will enjoy a more engaging driving experience, a bolder appearance and industry-first driver connect technology.

“The 2011 Ford Edge Sport is bolder, more powerful and has more customer-focused technology than ever before,” said Elaine Bannon, chief engineer. “Edge customers value style and technology. The 2011 Edge Sport delivers the ultimate in both, now with class-leading performance.”

Bannon has been the chief engineer for Edge, which debuted in December of 2006 as a 2007 model year product, from the start. Edge Sport joined the lineup two years later, and the new version best expresses the vision of combining the signature elements of Edge with even greater engineering know-how.

“With the larger wheels, unique exterior cues and added performance, Edge Sport is the type of vehicle you usually could only find at aftermarket exhibition shows like SEMA. The Sport is certainly a vehicle an aftermarket developer might create starting with a base Edge for the enthusiast/performance customer,” said Bannon.

“The difference for the Edge Sport is that all the performance attributes are precisely engineered and matched by Ford, as are all the exterior and interior design cues and materials, to create the ultimate Edge experience directly from the factory.”

More power and better fuel economy
Class-leading power is delivered by a new 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine that produces 305 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 280 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. This improved power – 40 more horsepower over the outgoing Edge Sport – is not at the expense of fuel economy, either. The 2011 Edge Sport fuel economy remains 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

Advanced technology and clever control strategies help the 2011 Edge Sport produce power efficiently. Ti-VCT, for example, enables precise and variable control of the intake and exhaust camshafts to optimize performance and fuel economy.

The new engine is mated to a six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission with upgraded, class-exclusive paddle shift activation inspired by sports cars.

“For 2011, the paddle shift activation for the Edge Sport is ‘live in drive,’ which means the customer doesn’t have to shift to ‘M’ or manual mode,” said Rich Kreder, vehicle engineering manager. “Instead, while in Drive, the driver can pull the ‘+’ paddle on the right side of the steering wheel or ‘-‘ paddle on the left side of the steering wheel to go up or down gears. It’s a much more engaging and intuitive experience.”

This execution, available on the 2011 Edge Sport only, allows the driver to shift gears quickly while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. The transmission reverts to automatic mode and upshifts or downshifts as needed when driven at a steady speed.

Class-exclusive 22-inch wheels highlight exterior differentiation
Large wheels have been the signature of Edge Sport since its debut as a 2009 model year product. New for 2011 are class-exclusive 22-inch forged aluminum wheels that are standard. Forged aluminum wheels are often the top choice in the aftermarket because of their premium quality and ability to combine high strength and light weight in one package.

Experienced designers and engineers worked closely with state-of-the-art computer tools to optimize form, fit and function to deliver world-class weight-efficient designs that exceed Ford’s strict requirements – higher than the industry standard – in terms of structural integrity, corrosion performance and other attributes. This ensures the new Ford wheels have higher standards than typically found in the aftermarket.

Complementing the new wheels is a sport-tuned suspension with revised front strut tuning, rear spring rates and rear jounce bumper, which helps stiffen the suspension for a flatter, sportier ride. Key to the suspension tuning is the addition of high-flow shocks. These shocks allow tuning for both handling and ride without compromise to either.

“Drivers will feel a firmer connection to the road when going around a corner and less jarring when hitting a pothole, for example,” said Kreder. “It’s allowed us to make Edge Sport much more comfortable without losing any handling.”

The tires were designed and engineered specifically for Edge Sport and deliver similar grip levels as those found in a Mustang GT tire combined with all-season performance.

The wheels feature a polished finish with painted Tuxedo Black spoke accents that complement Edge Sport’s other dynamic exterior styling cues, including the painted Tuxedo Black grille, smoked headlamp and taillamp treatment, body-color rocker moldings, 4-inch oval chrome exhaust tips, body-color door cladding and revised body-color lower front and rear fascias.

Key interior highlights are aluminum pedal covers, liquid silver smoke appliqués that are echoed in the silver smoke metallic leather seat inserts with contrast stitching and 10-way heated power driver seat with power lumbar and memory settings.

MyFord Touch ushers in new era of interaction
The industry-first MyFord Touch driver connect technology powered by SYNC® provides a smarter, safer, simpler way to connect drivers with in-car technologies and their digital lives. It replaces traditional vehicle buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, crisp LCD screens and five-way controls like those found on cell phones and MP3 players and also uses intuitive voice commands.

Standard on the 2011 Edge Sport, MyFord Touch displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens. The screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each individual driver.

Sony sound system, unique finish panel standard
The MyFord touch with Sony Audio System finish panel is fully integrated. The panel is completely flat (except for the center knob), so the touch cells are executed as circular “landing zones” for the finger.

The touch cells create a miniature, undetectable electric field. A finger breaks the field and causes the cell to go on or off like a traditional switch. This means there is no true button to push – a touch of the finger does the job. Illumination and an audible “beep” confirm activation.

The touch cells can control items such as volume, radio seek, radio station tuning, CD track seek, defrosters and air conditioning. Included in the climate controls is the new MyTemp feature, which allows a customer to program and set the desired interior temperature like a radio preset.

Consistent with other Sony products, the audio portion of the control panel is divided into “Source” and “Sound” sections, allowing customers to select the input (AM/FM radio, HD Radio™ broadcasts, satellite radio, CD, personal devices) and tune the sound with bass, treble, fade and balance inputs on the screen.

The heart of the Sony Audio System is its extraordinary sound quality. Comprised of 12 high-quality speakers and a Class D all-digital amplifier, the Sony system has the ability to pump out 390 watts of continuous power (RMS). Further, Dolby Pro Logic® II technology creates true virtual 5.1 channel surround sound throughout the car for a unique listening experience.

Like the song? You can tag it
Also new on the 2011 Ford Edge Sport is the world’s first use of iTunes® Tagging in an available factory-installed HD Radio receiver. iTunes Tagging provides customers with the ability to “capture” a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase from iTunes. With a simple push of a “TAG” button on the MyFord touch-screen display, the song information will be stored in the radio’s memory.

Once a song is tagged and customers dock their iPod to the SYNC system, the tagged song information will transfer to that iPod. Up to 100 tags on SYNC can be stored until the iPod is connected. When the iPod is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of tagged songs will appear. Customers then can preview, and if they desire, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.

One significant benefit of HD Radio technology is that the sound quality of the broadcast is dramatically better because of the digital transmission – FM sounds like a CD and AM sounds like today’s FM broadcasts. Unlike analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts aren’t susceptible to interference, fadeout and other issues.

“The goal with the 2011 Edge was to raise the level of all the attributes to world-class status, and with that in mind we needed to improve the Edge Sport that much more,” Bannon said. “With class-leading performance, head-turning styling inside and out and industry-exclusive technologies, we want to provide customers a vehicle that truly delivers the ultimate Edge experience.”