<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/" rel="tag">Crossover</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/quick-spin/" rel="tag">Quick Spin</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---15opta.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Yee-Ha! in a 2011 Ford Edge Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br /> Manufacturers used to roll out all-new cars every five-to-eight years. Somewhere around the halfway point - usually year three - much hoopla would be made about new front and rear fascias, the addition of some standard features and some new option packages. (*Yawn*). These changes were designed to give shoppers a reason to look at a car that was getting long-in-the-tooth.<br /> <br /> Ford Motor Company sung by this songbook for decades, but it's not any longer. As we've seen with the Escape, Fusion and Mustang, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> brand is rolling out significant product changes any time they darn well please. For example, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/fusion">2010 Fusion</a> could have been a standard refresh, but instead included three all-new powertrains, a significantly upgraded interior, and the expected front and rear fascias.<br /> <br /> Introduced as a 2007 model at the close of 2006, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/edge">Edge</a> was Ford's second attempt at a more car-like crossover. (Anybody remember the Freestyle/Taurus X ... uhh, not so much.) Heading into its fifth year of production, the Edge needed some serious attention. It just got it: We <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-edge-gets-three-engine-choices-more-ambitious-sport-m/"> reported so</a> on the eve of February's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/Chicago-Auto-Show/">Chicago Auto Show</a>.<br /> <br /> Following the new model's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-edge-chicago-debut/">public debut</a>, Ford offered Autoblog an exclusive opportunity to ride in a 2011 Edge Sport with some development engineers so we could have an early, behind-the-scenes look at their handiwork. The new Edge doesn't go on sale until later this Summer, but you can read all about our experience at the Dearborn Development Center right now after the jump.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/">First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /> <strong><em><small>Photos by Rex Roy / </small></em><em><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></em><em><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></em></strong><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/">Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19403398/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
More...
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Yee-Ha! in a 2011 Ford Edge Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br /> Manufacturers used to roll out all-new cars every five-to-eight years. Somewhere around the halfway point - usually year three - much hoopla would be made about new front and rear fascias, the addition of some standard features and some new option packages. (*Yawn*). These changes were designed to give shoppers a reason to look at a car that was getting long-in-the-tooth.<br /> <br /> Ford Motor Company sung by this songbook for decades, but it's not any longer. As we've seen with the Escape, Fusion and Mustang, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> brand is rolling out significant product changes any time they darn well please. For example, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/fusion">2010 Fusion</a> could have been a standard refresh, but instead included three all-new powertrains, a significantly upgraded interior, and the expected front and rear fascias.<br /> <br /> Introduced as a 2007 model at the close of 2006, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/edge">Edge</a> was Ford's second attempt at a more car-like crossover. (Anybody remember the Freestyle/Taurus X ... uhh, not so much.) Heading into its fifth year of production, the Edge needed some serious attention. It just got it: We <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-edge-gets-three-engine-choices-more-ambitious-sport-m/"> reported so</a> on the eve of February's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/Chicago-Auto-Show/">Chicago Auto Show</a>.<br /> <br /> Following the new model's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/2011-ford-edge-chicago-debut/">public debut</a>, Ford offered Autoblog an exclusive opportunity to ride in a 2011 Edge Sport with some development engineers so we could have an early, behind-the-scenes look at their handiwork. The new Edge doesn't go on sale until later this Summer, but you can read all about our experience at the Dearborn Development Center right now after the jump.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/">First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/edgesportride---05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /> <strong><em><small>Photos by Rex Roy / </small></em><em><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></em><em><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></em></strong><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/">Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19403398/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/2011-ford-edge-sport-first-ride-exclusive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
More...