Why Did Ford Discontinue The Edge?

Given how popular SUVs and crossovers are these days, it's not often that you hear about a mainstream automaker discontinuing one of its typically hot-selling models in the North American market. It does still happen occasionally, however, and one of the most recent American SUVs to leave the market is the Ford Edge. This vehicle originally debuted for the 2007 model year as a midsize crossover SUV that would bridge the gap between the smaller Escape and the larger Explorer and Expedition in Ford's lineup. The Edge would last for two generations, with the second-gen model arriving in the 2015 year, before being discontinued in 2024.  There was even a high-performance Ford Edge ST available for those who wanted extra muscle in their family crossover.

So why did Ford make the decision to discontinue the Edge? First and foremost, the factory that built the Edge is being retooled to build other Ford vehicles, including EVs. The Edge was also an aging vehicle that, sandwiched between the Explorer and Escape, lacked much of an identity or selling point of its own. Plus, its price was pretty close to the Explorer's.

The Edge was built at Ford's Oakville assembly plant in Canada. Initially, the plan was to have the place completely retooled as a high-tech factory for Ford's next generation of electric vehicles, including a potential three-row electric SUV. However, with the changing winds of the auto industry and some hesitancy about EVs in the U.S. market, Ford announced that Oakville would instead be retooled to build Super Duty trucks, at least for the time being. The company will, however, continue to elsewhere develop new EVs, including a $30,000 mid-sized electric pickup truck.

In addition to competing with new EVs on Ford's lineup, the Edge failed to stand out in comparison to other Ford classics. With the Explorer moving to the more car-based unibody D4 and then CD6 platforms, it became more of a crossover itself. Ultimately, the Explorer came with three rows of seats but didn't cost much more than the Edge. For buyers that didn't need so much space, the Escape offered a cheaper option with better gas mileage. The Edge seemed to be caught in the middle of these two Ford giants, likely contributing to its discontinuation.

Unlike some models that are discontinued for a short time before a replacement arrives, it doesn't seem like Ford has plans to bring the Edge nameplate back to America anytime soon. You can still purchase a brand new Ford Edge, however. You'll just have to go to China to do so. In the Chinese market, Ford offers the Edge L, which is an attractive-looking crossover with an option for a third row and hybrid power. 

The Edge L was developed for the Chinese market and is built locally by Ford's partner Changan. In that sense, the Edge L is like the new Ford Bronco EV, which uses a familiar model name but will likely remain exclusive to the Chinese market. Is the Edge going to be one of those vehicles that will be greatly missed or that we look back fondly at in the future? Probably not. The Edge ST could become an obscure collector vehicle a couple of decades from now, though.