Car Trends Magazine

The big reveal of the refreshed 2011 Ford Edge will take place in about two weeks at the 2010 Chicago auto show, but why wait—these spy snaps give us a pretty clear idea of what form it will take. Not only that, but this prototype also previews the Sport trim, which should continue to be the sharpest-looking Edge in the drawer.

As with its twin, the Lincoln MKX, the angular Edge undergoes a dramatic mid-cycle revamp for 2011, starting with fresh front-end styling that actually has some radius edges. Indeed, shades of the Toyota Venza and the Honda Accord Crosstour—both prime competitors—can be seen in the Edge’s visage, with a vast majority of its frontal area devoted to the T-shaped arrangement of the headlamps and thick three-bar grille. It does not appear, however, that the new fascia will be affixed to new front fenders (the MKX, by comparison, is all-new from the A-pillars forward), but certainty on that point is complicated by this prototype’s black-and-white “cheese-puff” camouflage.

Other aesthetic changes for the standard Edge are expected to be minimal, although this Sport prototype wears flashier rocker panels and a diffuser-look rear bumper as conspicuous conceits to its Sport designation. And speaking of conspicuous, the 22-inch wheels seen here are kinda, sorta bitchin’, especially for a stock-out-of-the-box Ford family car. Rounding out the appearance changes are the new taillamps, which will feature LED elements.

Count On a Vastly Improved Interior

What we can’t see here is the new tech-laden cabin, although Ford itself released images of the interior a few weeks ago when it announced an innovative new connectivity suite called MyFord and MyFord Touch. (The systems include things such as in-car WiFi, improved Sync voice control, apps, and iTunes audio tagging; it all sounds pretty cool.) As such, we already know that the interior of the 2011 Edge will feature upgraded materials and capacitive touch controls in place of some conventional buttons and switches.

While the Edge and Edge Sport currently share one engine—a 265-hp, 3.5-liter V-6—the 2011 Edge could follow the MKX in offering FoMoCo’s 305-hp, 3.7-liter V-6, possibly as an upgrade exclusive to the Sport model. Of course, switching the entire lineup to the 3.7-liter mill is entirely possible, too. However the V-6 situation pans out, it’s relatively certain that the Edge will eventually be available with an EcoBoost turbocharged engine. It’s more likely to be the highly anticipated new 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder rather than something burlier like the 355-hp, twin-turbo V-6 seen in the Taurus SHO and Flex EcoBoost. Ford has said that the 2.0-liter will be good for at least 230 hp.

Look for the 2011 Ford Edge to appear in showrooms late this summer. Of course, if you’re willing to brave some brutal cold and head to the 2010 Chicago auto show next month, you can see it long before then. Even better: Stay warm and point your browser right back here in just a couple of weeks to read full product information and see our photos from the show floor.

(BY STEVE SILER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN WILLIAMS FOR BRENDA PRIDDY & CO. AND THE MANUFACTURER)