CHICAGO, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE:
F) will launch its all-new and highly anticipated 2007 Ford Edge crossover
with a sticker price below $26,000, Cisco Codina, group vice president,
Marketing, Sales and Service, announced today at a meeting of the Midwest
Automotive Media Association.
At the meeting Codina reaffirmed that between now and the end of 2008,
70 percent of the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineup by volume will be
all-new or significantly freshened. That includes strong new vehicles in
new segments like the Ford Edge, which goes on sale in November, as well as
a new 2008 Ford Super Duty pickup, which will be revealed next week at the
State Fair of Texas and will go on sale in January.
"Each new product will be a milepost on Ford's road to recovery,"
Codina said. "Inside and outside the company, we have called the Edge
launch the single most important launch for the company this year."
The Right Product at the Right Time
The five-passenger 2007 Ford Edge has a bold design with a stylish,
functional and clever interior. It features a fuel-saving powertrain, with
Ford's all-new 3.5-liter V-6 engine with best-in-class 265 horsepower mated
to a six-speed automatic transmission. Its highway fuel economy is
anticipated to be in the mid-20s. Edge also features standard side curtain
air bags and standard AdvanceTrac(R) with RSC(R) (Roll Stability Control).
A laptop- friendly center console and standard MP3-player input jack also
are included.
In addition to optional all-wheel drive, the Edge is available with
innovative features including a class-exclusive, all-glass available
panoramic VistaRoof(TM) which gives a grand view of the sky and can open
for a sense of freedom that front and rear passengers can enjoy.
Anticipation Grows
The new Edge already is generating excitement among consumers. Since
the vehicle was unveiled in January at the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, more than 930,000 consumers have visited the Edge Web
site at http://www.fordvehicles.com/edge . Traffic on the Edge Web pages
has jumped more than 125 percent since June, after Ford added a "crossover"
tab on the http://fordvehicles.com home page. Driven by the Web, auto shows
and other marketing activities, more than 45,000 consumers have asked for
more information about the Edge and 3,200 have shared information from the
Edge Web site with a friend.
Two distinct trends have helped spur crossover growth: car buyers
seeking more spacious and flexible interiors along with the confidence of
AWD, and traditional SUV buyers looking for more fuel-efficient and
maneuverable vehicles. This year, crossovers are expected to outsell the
traditional SUV segment for the first time ever. Through August, industry
crossover sales are up 8 percent at 1.62 million units. Already the
fastest-growing vehicle segment in the United States, crossovers are
expected to be the largest segment in the industry with sales of about 3
million units by the end of the decade. By 2009, the segment is expected to
include more than 70 CUV models.
Ford Motor Company outpaced the competition in CUV growth in 2005 and
will stake an even stronger claim over the CUV market with the introduction
of the new Edge, along with the new Lincoln MKX. As vehicle segments
continue to shift in the marketplace, Edge will play a critical role in
retaining existing Ford customers as well as drawing new customers into
Ford dealerships. Ford expects that approximately 45 percent of Edge buyers
will be customers who are new to Ford Motor Company.
"The success of the Edge will prove that we can bring the same
customer- focused intensity we have in trucks to new segments of the
market," said Codina. "The total Edge package -- design, flexibility, fuel
economy, fun-to- drive character and value -- gives us high confidence that
we will win new customers."
Exceptional Value
The 2007 Ford Edge SE features a base manufacturer's suggested retail
price (MSRP) of $25,995 for the well-equipped front-wheel-drive model and
$27,645 for the all-wheel-drive model.
Key standard features of the Ford Edge SE include:
* Bold exterior styling
* Best-in-class 3.5-liter V6 mated to 6-speed automatic transmission
deliver 265 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. (Fuel economy is expected to
be in the mid-20s for highway driving.)
* Front-wheel drive
* Rear spoiler
* Dual exhaust
* Center console with class-leading flexibility
* Second-row 60/40 split fold-flat seats
* Class-exclusive MP3 audio input jack
* 17-inch painted aluminum wheels
* Class-leading standard safety features including: industry leading
AdvanceTrac(R) with RSC(R), ABS, Safety Canopy (TM) with rollover
sensor, front- and front seat side-impact air bags, occupant
classification system, adjustable head restraints and LATCH system
The Ford Edge SEL offers many additional appearance, comfort and
convenience features, including chrome tipped dual exhaust, a 6-disc CD
changer, Convenience Package, body color rear spoiler and fog lamps. It
starts at $27,990 for front-wheel drive models and $29,640 for all-wheel
drive models.
Option packages available on the Edge SEL include:
* Premium Package - Dual electronic temperature control with particulate
air filter; exterior puddle lamps; heated seats and heated exterior
mirrors; leather trimmed front and second row seats; memory seats;
memory exterior mirrors and steering wheel climate controls
* Seating Flexibility Package - 6-way power passenger seat, front-row
passenger fold-flat seatback; second-row EasyFold(TM) remote release
seatback; leather trimmed front- and second-row seats; memory seats.

Options exclusive to the Edge SEL include:
* 18-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels or 18-inch painted aluminum sport
wheels
* Audiophile sound system with CDX6, nine speakers and steering wheel
controls
* DVD-based Navigation system with Audiophile sound system
* Reverse sensing system
* Rear-seat DVD Entertainment System
* Class-exclusive two-panel panoramic VistaRoof(TM) with dual power
shades

Options available on all Edge models include:
* All-wheel drive
* SIRIUS(TM) satellite radio with six-month subscription
* Class II Trailer Towing (for up to 3,500 lbs. maximum towing
capability)

Way Forward Commitment: Deliver Outstanding Customer Value
Ford is accelerating the rollout of many of the technologies featured
on the Ford Edge across the Ford and Lincoln Mercury product lineup.
"The Ford Edge's success will validate many of our key product
strategies -- including better design, higher quality, more safety, added
content, lower prices and higher performance," Codina said.
* Stability control - By the end of 2009, all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury
retail cars and trucks will feature standard electronic stability
control. AdvanceTrac(R) with RSC(R) is now standard on traditional
SUVs and will be standard on all CUVs by the end of 2008.
* Side air bag protection - All retail products will have side impact
protection by the end of 2009. All SUVs and CUVs will be equipped with
rollover-protecting side air curtains.
* 3.5L V6 engine - this engine will eventually power one out of every
five Ford Motor Company vehicles in North America
* All-wheel drive - Ford Motor Company will have 28 vehicles with AWD
technology this year
* 6-speed automatic transmission - Ford plans to produce about 1.3
million 6-speed transmissions annually by 2008
* DVD-based navigation system - For 2007, Ford is doubling the number of
products with an available navigation system
* SIRIUS satellite radio - For 2007, Ford is quadrupling the number of
products with available SIRIUS satellite radio
* Auxiliary audio jack - Ford is increasing the number of models with
auxiliary audio jacks from zero to nearly half of its lineup