Five New Tech Features in the 2015 Ford Edge

Whether it’s a base model small car or a flagship luxury sedan, every modern automobile is chockablock with high-end features, some of which seemed like impossibilities just a few years ago.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Ford Edge Revealed with New Style

Things like adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams and voice-activated infotainment systems have become commonplace in the market. In order to appeal to tech-savvy customers the all-new 2015 Ford Edge offers some attractive, high-end features.

This feature is by no means exclusive to Ford. Practically every automaker offers or will offer start/stop technology, it’s just a no-brainer. Why run the engine when the vehicle isn’t moving? Shut it down and save fuel.

Engineers at the Blue Oval are working on refining this technology so it works as seamlessly as possible. They claim that for the average driver start/stop can boost a vehicle’s efficiency by about 3.5 percent, which is huge. Formal pricing for this optional feature has not been announced at this time but it should cost around $300.

This is arguably the 2015 Edge’s coolest new feature. Ford and supplier company Takata have developed an adaptive steering system that takes the work out of driving. It varies the ratio between the tiller and front wheels, which reduces wheel winding at low speeds but doesn’t sacrifice stability at increased velocities.

BMW and Audi have offered similar systems in the past but Ford’s take on this is technology seems a bit simpler. It features a small electric motor mounted in the steering-wheel hub as well as a worm gear. The worm gear meshes with a spur gear, which is attached to the steering shaft. By powering the motor in one direction or the other it physically turns the steering shaft, which adjusts the overall steering ratio. It’s a pretty clever design that’s a bit difficult to explain but is fairly simple in practice. For safety, if there’s ever a problem the system prevents the motor from moving.

Engineers have crammed a knee airbag into the 2015 Edge’s glovebox door. This clever design work improves packaging efficiency by a whopping 75 percent compared to a traditional arrangement and is up to 65 percent lighter.

A plastic bladder is sandwiched between the glovebox door’s outer surface inner structure. When a crash occurs the bladder inflates, providing a cushioned impact surface. Because of its mounting location directly in front of the front passenger’s knees, the airbag can use a drastically smaller inflator, which is key to this design’s significant mass reduction. This feature will also be offered in the 2015 Ford Mustang.

The 2015 Ford Edge gains other advanced features including lane-keeping assist, inflatable rear seat belts, a hands-free liftgate, paddle shifters and much more. Three different engines will be offered to North American customers including a 2.7-liter EcoBoost unit in the Sport model. European buyers can even get a diesel engine and a manual transmission.

In America this stylish new crossover is slated to go on sale in the first quarter of 2015. Pricing information has not been made available at this time.