![Ford Edge Vignale](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2018/07/02/TELEMMGLPICT000168169884_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqejUjfOFTA5GLD5oxXDcqHc8lK6QR28zuN5QrBthJtes.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Ford Edge Vignale review – two tonnes of mild disappointment
![Ford Edge Vignale](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2018/07/02/TELEMMGLPICT000168169884_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqejUjfOFTA5GLD5oxXDcqHc8lK6QR28zuN5QrBthJtes.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Aside from selected versions of the Mustang muscle car, the SUV pictured above is the most expensive Ford on sale in the UK today. It’s called the Edge Vignale and in automatic form as tested comes in at £43,025.
If this was a BMW or a Mercedes SUV then you might not look twice at that figure. But as a Ford you can’t help but stare. This, after all, is a brand known for building quality mainstream cars that are roomy, reliable and inexpensive to buy and run. How does a £40,000 SUV fit into that?
Ford's new 'Vignale' trim is what one might call a 'premium sub-brand'. It's a top-spec car, and in theory a Mondeo Vignale or Fiesta Vignale is sufficiently posh for it to be almost considered a separate model, competing with the rung above rather than with Ford's conventional rivals. Has it worked? Well, how many Vignales have you seen...
In fairness, Ford isn’t the only mainstream car-maker exploring ways to retain buyers who might otherwise defect to the premium brands, and given the strength of its product line-up and the tendency of buyers on monthly finance plans to opt for higher spec models, the Vignale might make some kind of sense.
![Ford Edge Vignale SUV review](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2018/07/02/TELEMMGLPICT000168169880_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqUuvF0SvfsEcR-Tsvy7LhcV4lmKEV4qvivo6QQ0VL7GM.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Plus you can save yourself £2,250 by taking the car with a less powerful diesel engine and a manual gearbox – or more still by haggling on either model.
So, let’s assume price isn’t a factor, or that you stumble across some killer finance deal that allows you to drive an Edge Vignale for the same monthly price as a BMW X3 (we couldn’t find one, but let’s imagine), what will you be getting?
Well, the Edge is a very American sort of SUV. Indeed, it was originally designed with the US market in mind, and while Ford has tweaked it for European tastes by altering the ride and handling and rolling out diesel engines, its roots remain obvious both in the way it looks and the sheer size of the thing.
On the styling front the Vignale brings even more bling to what is already an eye-catching SUV, with 20-inch wheels with their polished chrome finish, special Vignale metallic paint, a huge grille on the front of the car (again polished to stand out), adaptive LED headlights and tinted windows all making it look like the sort of thing you expect to see being driven in a Hollywood blockbuster. Whether or not you find the aesthetics classy or imposing is down to personal taste, but at least you couldn’t call it dull.
![Ford Edge Vignale interior](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2018/07/02/TELEMMGLPICT000168169878_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQfyf2A9a6I9YchsjMeADBa08.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Being so large on the outside means the Edge is massive inside too. At 602 litres the boot is a match for some of the largest estates around, and accessed via a powered tailgate (as it should be given the car’s price). This works either by pressing a button on the key or boot itself, or waving your foot under the bumper before making a hasty retreat so as not to get clobbered in the face as the huge tailgate swings into action.
What you won’t find in the boot are any seats hidden away in the floor as you would with the similarly sized Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe. Nor does the Edge Vignale feature much in the way of fancy adjustment in the second row, which only allows you to recline the backrests. Still, there’s loads of legroom and headroom back there, and the bench is wide enough to fit three across without an issue.
From the driver’s seat the Edge feels simply vast, particularly in its width, which doesn’t seem that far shy of a Range Rover (even though in reality it is). With Vignale being Ford’s most luxurious trim level you might expect a similarly lavish interior specification to a Range Rover, too. However, while the leather seats are lovely, there’s more leather atop the dash, and even the plastics lower down in the cabin feel of high quality, we are still very much in the realms of tarted up mainstream as opposed to true luxury.
![Ford Edge review interior](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2018/07/02/TELEMMGLPICT000168169882_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQfyf2A9a6I9YchsjMeADBa08.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Equipment is plentiful, with those seats being powered and heated, plus there’s a part-digital dial display (somewhat convoluted to navigate, admittedly), and ‘enhanced ambient lighting’, although it’s still a world away from the kind of systems you’ll find in an Audi or Mercedes.
On the infotainment front the Edge uses an 8-inch touchscreen with Ford’s latest Sync 3 system installed. It offers what is generally a fairly good user experience, aside from the fact you can’t run Apple Carplay at the same time as the car’s own satnav. Odd.
As for the driving experience, there’s no denying the Edge’s commanding view of the road and well-insulated interior (including an active noise cancelling system) help to make it great on long journeys. Once up to speed the 2.0-litre diesel engine is extremely quiet, and the car is very stable on the motorway. However, even in flagship 207bhp tune this still feels like an engine that’s battling an awful lot of weight (which it is – the Edge comes in at 1,949kg) and the response of the automatic gearbox can be sluggish, making the car feel slower than its 9.4 second 0-62mph time might suggest.
![Vignale badge](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2018/07/02/TELEMMGLPICT000168169887_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQfyf2A9a6I9YchsjMeADBa08.jpeg?imwidth=350)
The ride is fine once cruising, but in town driving or on country roads you can’t help thinking the Vignale would benefit from the option of adaptive dampers to help mitigate the firm edge introduced by those enormous wheels. Either way, while body control is good for big and heavy SUV, this is still a car that is at its happiest when cruising gently, rather than being hurried.
As you’d hope given the price there’s a range of safety systems that includes active lane assist and traffic sign recognition, but at this money it’s galling to find Ford still charges extra for blind spot monitors.
Then there’s the Vignale ownership experience with its dedicated lounge for use when ordering your car, and a relationship manager to ensure everything runs smoothly, including collecting the car when it needs servicing. The idea being to give a premium level of customer service to go with the premium feel of the car.
However, whether any of that means you’d be inclined to take an Edge Vignale over any of the truly premium offerings that this kind of money buys, such as a BMW X3, Audi Q5 or Lexus NX, still seems doubtful.
As a final deterrent, Ford’s decision to price the Edge at more than £40,000 means you’ll also need to pay a premium in VED that’ll cost you an additional £310 per year until the car is five years old. As you can probably tell by now, this car is something of a tough sell.
Ford Edge Vignale – prices and specs
TESTED 1,997cc four-cylinder diesel engine, six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive
PRICE/ON SALE £43,025/now
POWER/TORQUE 207bhp @ 3,750rpm/332lb ft @ 2,000rpm
ACCELERATION 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds
TOP SPEED 131mph
FUEL ECONOMY 44.1mpg/48.7mpg (EU Urban/Combined). On test 38mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS 149g/km
VED £515 first year, then £450 for five years, then £140 per year
VERDICT Well built and not without some visual appeal, the Edge Vignale is far from a disaster. But with the purchase price and running costs being so high it’s difficult to imagine there being many people prepared to take the plunge.
TELEGRAPH RATING Two out of five stars
*Lease price from list price shown in the article is correct as of 11/09/2018 and are based on 9months initial payment upfront. Prices exclude VAT and are subject to change. Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply.