In August 2022, the revamped Ford Edge made an early appearance in China on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's website as part of the SUV's homologation process. We saw it again at the end of last month undergoing cold-weather testing while wearing a colorful wrap. The family vehicle is now celebrating its official debut in China where it goes by the name of Edge L. Inside and out, it looks vastly different than its predecessor.
The Edge L is technically a successor to the Edge Plus and has a three-low layout with 2+2+3 seating. As you can probably tell, it's a rather large vehicle, bigger than another locally sold SUV, the Equator. Indeed, it stretches at a stately 196.9 inches (5,000 millimeters) long, 77.2 in (1,961 mm) wide, and 69.8 in (1,773 mm) tall. It carries a 2,950 mm (116.1 in) wheelbase and rides on alloys as large as 21 inches.
2024 Ford Edge L (CN)
Because it's apparently a must to have a light bar on nearly all cars nowadays, the Edge L has a wide LED strip linked to the daytime running lights to create a unibrow effect. It boasts an imposingly large front grille and comes with pop-out door handles. As we noted when the first images appeared on the MIIT website, the beltline is particularly strange, rising abruptly ahead of the C-pillar and gradually coming down after it.
The transition from the C to the D pillars is quite odd, and we're noticing an "L" logo on the former pillars. Aside from the aforementioned light bar, the 2024 Ford Edge L also has another trending styling cue – the "floating roof" as the upper part of the body is finished in black. The front light signature is repeated at the rear where prominent "EDGE" lettering sits below the Blue Oval.
The interior is equally interesting, especially the dashboard with its generous screen real estate. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is joined by a massive 27-inch touchscreen, mirroring other Fords sold in China such as the Evos and Explorer facelift. Amenities include everything from ambient lighting and a head-up display to a Bang & Olufsen sound system and a huge panoramic sunroof. Reclining second-row captain's chairs and as many as 20 advanced driver assistance systems.
Powering the Edge L is a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 249 hp and 279 lb-ft (378 Nm) of torque. Ford will also sell the seven-seat SUV as a self-charging hybrid with a total output of 271 hp and nearly 300 lb-ft (405 Nm). Both utilize an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. With the gas tank full and the battery fully charged, the hybrid variant will cover up to 738 miles (1,188 kilometers).
The Ford Edge L hasn't made an appearance at an auto show in China, but it might attend the 2023 Auto Shanghai in the second half of April when the gasoline model is scheduled to go on sale. The hybrid will follow in July.
