On (Ford) Edge

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March 23, 2015

Late last month, the 2015 Ford Edge went into production at the Ford Oakville, Ontario, manufacturing complex.

This is an all-new Edge. The crossover utility originally launched back in 2006, and while there was a fresh along the way, it is not until now that Ford designers, engineers and manufacturers had the opportunity to create a vehicle on a new platform with a new powertrain lineup.

And while the Edge had been pretty much a North American market-focused vehicle, this new model is destined for markets in South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, as well. Which meant that there were inputs from these various locales, which means that there will be some tailoring of the vehicle in the Oakville plant (e.g., diesel is being offered in Europe, but not in North America). In addition to which, there is a slightly longer Edge that’s been developed for, and will be produced in, China with the additional length being for adding a third-row.

Insights into the development of the Edge come from Ford’s Scott Smith, program manager for the vehicle, on this edition of “Autoline After Hours.”

Smith was enmeshed in the development of the last-gen vehicle, as well, so he deeply understands how this new vehicle has come to hit the roads around the world.

Smith talks to host John McElroy of “Autoline,” Aaron Bragman of Cars.com and me.

Jeep Chief concept: A Jeep for surfers

In addition to which, McElroy, Bragman and I discuss other topics, ranging from the remarkable concepts that Jeep designers have developed for their annual Easter event in Moab to the compact pickup truck segment to Sergio Marchionne’s recent talk of his openness to merging FCA with a global auto manufacturer.

And you can see it all here: