Ford may have dulled the Edge in the US market, dropping the SUV in 2024, but in the rest of the world, it just keeps getting sharper. That includes in China, where Ford has just revealed the facelifted version of the Edge L, a model with a name that might fool you.
If the US-market Edge looked like this, it would probably still be on sale today.
The L Badge Doesn’t Mean Long Wheelbase This Time
Ford Edge LFord
Don’t let the L badge throw you off the scent. This isn’t an Edge with a longer wheelbase, though that’s a very common type of vehicle in China. This is the only Edge on sale there, and it replaced the Edge Plus a few years back.
This Edge looks significantly more premium than anything Ford has ever offered in the US, and it might even surpass anything from Lincoln. The interior looks like what we might expect from a new Palisade rather than a Ford, with airline-style reclining seats in the second row, dual wireless chargers up front, and quilted leather that you would never expect to see wearing a Blue Oval badge.
Ford’s new Edge for China and some other markets is not to be confused with Ford’s New Edge design from the late 1990s. Instead of sharp lines, it’s about “purer surfaces” that Ford’s designers say embody its values of power, personality, and presence.
Purer, this time, means what the company calls a simpler front fascia. The grille has a similar pattern, but Ford has made some big changes to the headlights. Instead of being mounted in a module beside, but separate from, the grille, the lights are integrated and repositioned higher and outward. The lower bumper is more upright than before to give the Edge L a more square jawline.
At the back, Ford has made some small changes to the rear LED lights, but they seem to be in the same housing. Moving the license plate from the tailgate to the bumper makes the hatch look more refined, and there are some other bumper tweaks to modernize it.
Would This Edge Make Explorer Obsolete?
The bigger changes are inside, where Ford has swapped the wall-to-wall screens for a different kind of wall-to-wall screens. The new setup is one massive bezel from side to side. In the actual car, it’s two screens: one for the main dash display, and one separate screen for the center stack and front passenger. The second unit is a few inches closer to the driver and front passenger, so it appears ultra-wide while also being easier to reach and use.
The tech is wild, though we’re not sure that calling its camera system a 540° view is entirely accurate. The system can show you around the car and under the car, though, which is neat.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
The luxury Edge is seriously cool, so why isn’t Ford bringing it to the US? It’s not just about the factory space, since Lincoln brings the similar Nautilus over from China. It might, instead, be about the price.
How much does this three-row Edge cost? Pricing starts from 229,800 yuan for a two-wheel-drive model, which is about $35,000 US, and a decked-out version with three-row seats costs $45,000. The Edge L might be too close to the Explorer in price, but if Ford could bring it to the States, we reckon it might sell pretty well.
