As previously suspected by the public and media for a good while, Ford Australia has now confirmed it will be introducing a new SUV into its local line-up in the form of the Edge, but not until 2018.
This lapse will mean that Ford will be without a large SUV after Ford ceases production at its Australian factory in October, the Territory produced in Campbellfield will start its fade into history. Sales of the locally developed and built SUV will end in early 2017 and Ford Australia plans for the Edge to be introduced roughly a year after that.
But this introduction is part of Ford’s SUV push, one that began earlier this year with the arrival of the new Everest and Ranger, and expected to continue with a new Kuga in the early phase of 2017.
By the end of 2018, Ford Australia expects SUV sales to reach 40 percent of overall vehicle sales based on contemporary lifestyle needs as individual buyers will outgrow smaller vehicles and seek larger ones to accommodate a family.
“Ford will continue to be ready for SUV growth to reach even higher record levels this decade, so we are investing even more to offer the freshest models with outstanding safety, fuel economy, technology and quality positioning,” said Ford Australia President and CEO, Graeme Whickman. “Adding the Ford Edge and further expanding our SUV line-up comes as many of the 5.5 million Millennials start having children and similar numbers of Baby Boomers continue to buy them after driving their early popularity.”
It’s not yet known if the 2018 Edge will be all that similar to the version we see today which is primarily being sold in the US market. The second-generation Edge was introduced in 2015 built on the Ford CD4 platform and powered by a choice of either two turbocharged petrol engines or one 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6. In Europe, however, the Edge is only available as a diesel with standard four-wheel drive.
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