Recently, CNBC, the U.S. business cheerleader - uh, business channel - all but anointed the reinvention of Ford as complete. CNBC jumped the gun.
Sure, Ford is starting to look like a great turnaround story: currently the world's most profitable car company is on track to post its most profitable fiscal year. Still, Ford is carrying $20-billion-plus (U.S.) in debt and has yet to regain investment grade status. Folks, all the chapters in Ford's comeback story are not yet written.
Truth be told, much of Ford's grand scheme revolves around buyers spending big bucks to load up on the latest technology in Ford vehicles.
Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product boss, says his company's growing reputation for high-tech innovation helps the auto maker wring more money out of every vehicle. "Technology has been fundamental to our improved brand and business."
The 2011 Edge crossover is the poster child for all this. This updated Edge - sold in front- and all-wheel drive - replaces a 2010 model that Ford of Canada has been moving with the help of $10,000 in potential sales sweeteners. Boy, would Ford like to get out of that incentive game and charge only premium bucks for all its rides.
The hope is that new styling, more power and most of all Ford's MyFord Touch voice recognition technology/infotainment system will allow the Dearborn, Mich., auto maker to move the latest Edge ($27,999-$43,499) all on its own merits. Ford would like to wave goodbye to the days of stuffing thousands of profit-sapping dollars on the hood, in the back seat and all around the cargo hold.
The obvious question then: Is MyFord Touch, the key technology at play here, a breakthrough in driver-activated voice recognition? Yes, a very nice one.
Does the reworked interior and exterior of the Edge justify any sort of price premium? Yes, I think so.
And does the extra horsepower make any difference? On that, probably not - not in real-world performance, though better fuel economy is always a good thing.
This 2011 Edge is new enough, updated well enough, to give pause. Not only has horsepower from the 3.5-litre V-6 gone to 285 from 265, the engineers managed to goose fuel economy, too: the 2011 is rated at 11.9 litres/100 km city/8.0 highway versus the 2010's 12.5 city/8.8 highway. The engineers' tricks: independent variable valve timing and aggressive fuel shut-off technology during deceleration, new engine hardware and a lower idle speed.
Ford's Edge needs all the power it can get, too. At a porky 1,935 kg, the 2011 Limited is some 80 kg heavier than the 2010 Limited. At least the 2011 sticker comes just $300 higher at $39,799. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard this year, just like 2010.
(For the record, Ford also has a snazzy-looking Edge Sport listing for $43,499 with all-wheel-drive in the 2011 lineup. Its 3.7-litre V-6 comes in at a healthy 305 hp. We're waiting to drive that one.)
Engine performance does not dominate the discussion about Ford these days, however. MyTouch does. A next-generation version of the Sync system, MyTouch allows users to manage navigation, entertainment, Bluetooth and climate controls all through a touch screen and with simple voice commands. Ford plans to offer MyTouch on 80 per cent of its vehicles within five years, including the 2012 Focus.
But first up with MyTouch are the Edge and its Lincoln cousin, the MKX. In the Edge, the first sign of something very different are the two small colour screens that are part of the instrument panel. They're operated by small pads on the steering wheel and let the driver track fuel economy, navigation turns, radio stations, adjust the heat, and other things.
As for the way the system handles voice commands, what Ford has here borders on artificial intelligence. If you want to find an ice cream parlour, just say "find ice cream." Up pops a list of nearby Dairy Queens. If you want to make a call, just say "call" and it knows what you mean. It's the same for finding radio stations or turning up the air conditioning, and so on.
The big touch screen at the top of the centre stack is equally easy to navigate. Instead of traditional click buttons, Ford has switches that you merely lay your finger across. The simplicity of it all means the cabin design is clean and unadorned. Adding a factory navigation system costs just $700, by the way.
The Edge's cabin is roomy, with seating for five. The second row is big enough for adults, and if you need to haul cargo, the 60/40-split rear seats fold down at the touch of a button. All the materials look and feel as good as the price tag is large (without incentives, of course).
Ford, of course, has other things to tout, including strong quality and safety scores just about across the lineup. But it's the technology that stands out most. CNBC may have come early with the pompoms, but that shouldn't undermine the clever improvements in the Edge - and other Ford vehicles.
jcato@globeandmail.com
2011 Ford Edge Limited AWD
Type: Mid-size SUV
Price: $39,799 ($1,400 freight)
Engine: 3.5-litre V-6
Horsepower/torque: 285 hp/253 lb-ft
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Drive: All-wheel
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 11.9 city/8.0 highway; regular gas
Alternatives: Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Volkswagen Touareg, Dodge Journey, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Murano, Subaru Outback