Dearborn, Mich. – Ford Motor Co. is calling the Edge wagon its most important new vehicle of 2006, as the automaker tries to halt a U.S. market-share slide now in its 11th year.
The Edge, a so-called crossover that combines features of a car and a sport-utility vehicle, begins sales in November and is being touted at reporter test drives this week in San Francisco. It’s Ford’s second crossover, after the Freestyle introduced in 2004. Freestyle sales haven’t met the company’s expectations.
“If the Edge disappoints, most consumers would write off Ford for those vehicles,” said Eric Noble, president of the consulting firm Car Lab in Orange, Calif. “Everyone is looking for a signal from Ford (that) they’re still viable.”
Ford, the second-largest U.S. automaker, adds the Edge as crossover sales are increasing while those of other SUVs, minivans and pickups are falling. Ford’s success in boosting U.S. car sales has been overwhelmed by the drop in demand for its light trucks, pushing the company’s total sales down 8.6 percent in this year’s first nine months.
