Bill Pierre Ford

Ford uses the word bold frequently when describing the Edge’s design, which is the correct assessment from the front, where three wide bright-chromed bars mark the grille, with headlights flanking the grille and signal lights wrapping around into the front fenders – a feature that is soon to be adopted as a Ford family styling cue in U.S. products.

The 2007 Ford Edge is powered by a new 265-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Available with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, the Edge is equipped with MacPherson struts in the front and a four-link independent rear suspension for improved ride and handling. The interior features a center console that can fit a laptop computer and a number of options including a panoramic Vista Roof, a segment-first MP3 audio jack and six-way power-heated adjustable front seats. Standard safety features include Advance Trac with Roll Stability Control, seat-mounted side airbags and Safety Canopy air curtain system with rollover detection and extended-duration side-curtain airbags.

From all angles, the Edge is sleek and well proportioned, but the shiny snout remains the centerpiece. Looking inside, the interior is definitely better than most current or recent Ford models, but it’s not exactly high-fashion or as bold as the exterior. Ford really delivers on packaging, though, and someone made a wise decision to skip what would have been a rather useless third-row seat, opting instead for a roomy back seat and plenty of cargo space. The front seats are uncommonly good for Ford, with plenty of support all around, a commanding view out over the hood, and good adjustability for a wide range of sizes, while the back-seat passengers benefit from a very well-planned seating position. Passengers sit at a very natural height in back, not down low with raised knees to make up for headroom issues or up on a pedestal. The rear seat is split 60/40 and does fold forward easily, expanding the already quite spacious cargo floor. There’s a huge Vista Roof option to let the sun shine in, while the removable tray that’s part of the center console is large enough to hold a laptop.

A noteworthy positive is that it runs on 87-octane, while some competing vehicles, like the Nissan Murano, take premium.

A single powertrain control module is shared by the engine and transmission, and the two were developed together so as to assure top drivability and lowest possible levels of noise, vibration, and harshness, according to Ford.

The new Edge is the first vehicle in its segment to offer an all-glass roof, which was inspired by architectural trends toward greater use of glass in wall-to-ceiling windows. The interior makes ingenious use of space, delivering maximum flexibility and functionality. The available EasyFold electro-mechanical seat release switch drops either of the back seats at the touch of a button for easy cargo loading. An innovative use of materials and technology has produced a crossover with luxury-vehicle interior quietness.

The new Ford Interceptor 2007 concept might also look familiar simply because of its three-bar chrome front grille .The Interceptor is not at all dissimilar to the rear-drive, 590-hp 427 concept sedan Ford unveiled four years ago. And power is something this muscle sedan has plenty of. The show car comes equipped with a 400-horsepower version of Ford Racing’s 5.0-liter Cammer V-8 mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Bowing to other social trends, Ford tries to paint the Interceptor green by fueling it with the alcohol/gasoline blend, E-85. (Indeed, we’re wondering why the show car is blue, rather than green.)

In keeping with other social trends, the Interceptor boasts a number of innovative safety features, including an easy-to-use four-point seatbelt system, something Ford engineers have been working on for a number of years. The rear belts, meanwhile, are inflatable – in other words, they function as airbags.

The Interceptor’s cabin is finished in dark black leather and contrasting metal finishes. Its four low bucket seats are gloved in black belt leather, with exposed seams and distinctive caramel stitching. The headrests, interestingly enough, drop from the ceiling when the sedan starts up. Exteriorly It contains concealed body-color bumpers, piece full wrap cover, Color-keyed retail body-side moldings, Rear appliqué color-keyed panels, Chrome grille/door handle bezels/taillamp appliqué, Dual black fold-away pwr remote-control mirrors , Light bar connector-inc: 40-amp battery circuit behind right.

We’ve grown to quite like the look of it, even if we haven’t yet seen it in person. And we love the idea of it. But we want the Interceptor. But we want the whole thing — the V8, the six-speed manual, the gated shifter, the limited-slip differential, the coarse-leather low-bucket seats, even the 22-inch wheels — not just the basic style of it, applied to some front-drive, automatic-equipped car.