I may be techno-light, but I’ve never been perplexed by simplistic, clearly-marked knobs to administer a wide array of vehicle functions and settings. I have been stumped—momentarily that is—by the touted simplicity of the MyFord Touch interface.
It takes some time and practice before MyFord Touch becomes second nature. Once voice commands are learned and the interface functions through the touch screen are discovered and adapted to, the system can be quite rewarding, but so can playing the guitar and riding a unicycle once mastered.
In the final analysis, MyFord Touch may be all that Ford claims it to be; at minimum, it’s pretty cool technology that will amuse the tech-savvy owner for indeterminate periods of time.
Not only is there the primary centre stack touch screen to interact with, there are two small screens that form part of the instrument cluster, book-ending a large analogue speedometer. These screens are manipulated through steering wheel-mounted buttons, providing access to a plethora of readouts, graphics, settings and vehicle information.
If the in-car electronics and innovative touch-capacitive switches fail to incite glee, the increased performance for 2011 should.
More power and performance
In the Sport model, last year’s 3.5-litre Duratec V6 mill has been increased in displacement to 3.7 litres and bumped from 265 horsepower to a stout 305 ponies. The significant increase in hooves hasn’t diminished fuel economy, which remains at 12.2 L/100 km and 8.8 L/100 km city and highway driving respectively. Another “positive” is the use of regular fuel over premium.
While not as powerful or refined as Ford’s new EcoBoost V6 engine, the Duratec does a good job of putting speed on the clock with surprising rapidity, some of which can be attributed to the broad gear ratio of the Edge’s 6-speed autobox. Shift paddles and downshift rev-matching are noteworthy “Sport” additions.
And thanks to my tester’s AWD configuration, no wheelspin compromised forward momentum during full-throttle launches on wet or dry pavement—certainly one of the benefits of traction at all four compass points.
It takes some time and practice before MyFord Touch becomes second nature. Once voice commands are learned and the interface functions through the touch screen are discovered and adapted to, the system can be quite rewarding, but so can playing the guitar and riding a unicycle once mastered.
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| There are two small screens that form part of the instrument cluster, book-ending a large analogue speedometer. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |
In the final analysis, MyFord Touch may be all that Ford claims it to be; at minimum, it’s pretty cool technology that will amuse the tech-savvy owner for indeterminate periods of time.
Not only is there the primary centre stack touch screen to interact with, there are two small screens that form part of the instrument cluster, book-ending a large analogue speedometer. These screens are manipulated through steering wheel-mounted buttons, providing access to a plethora of readouts, graphics, settings and vehicle information.
If the in-car electronics and innovative touch-capacitive switches fail to incite glee, the increased performance for 2011 should.
More power and performance
In the Sport model, last year’s 3.5-litre Duratec V6 mill has been increased in displacement to 3.7 litres and bumped from 265 horsepower to a stout 305 ponies. The significant increase in hooves hasn’t diminished fuel economy, which remains at 12.2 L/100 km and 8.8 L/100 km city and highway driving respectively. Another “positive” is the use of regular fuel over premium.
While not as powerful or refined as Ford’s new EcoBoost V6 engine, the Duratec does a good job of putting speed on the clock with surprising rapidity, some of which can be attributed to the broad gear ratio of the Edge’s 6-speed autobox. Shift paddles and downshift rev-matching are noteworthy “Sport” additions.
And thanks to my tester’s AWD configuration, no wheelspin compromised forward momentum during full-throttle launches on wet or dry pavement—certainly one of the benefits of traction at all four compass points.
 |
| In the Sport model, last year’s 3.5-litre Duratec V6 mill has been increased in displacement to 3.7 litres and bumped from 265 horsepower to a stout 305 ponies. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |