Ford Edge Vignale UK 2017 first drive

This is the Ford that is priced well into the £40,000s even before you tick any of the option boxes: the Ford Edge Vignale. That sticks it right at the very top of the Ford range in price and prestige terms, with the likes of the S-Max Vignale, Ford Mustang V8, Focus RS and any Ford Galaxy Titanium X all well behind it.  

In theory, the Edge Vignale should hold plenty of appeal in Europe. The market can’t get enough of SUVs and many car makers report that SUV buyers, more than most, are willing to pay for top-spec models. Indeed, SUV buyers have proven themselves to be fairly neutral to badges as well – so long as the car is good enough.

The Edge Vignale, as with all other Ford Vignales, has been dipped in Ford’s chrome trim and big alloy machine on the outside, moved to the leather factory for the inside, before heading off to the technology department to heat, power, light and add vision to anything that can automate or turned into a switch or camera. All with a view of making it ‘premium’, which also extends to the buying and ownership experience.

Ford You can have the 2.0-litre diesel engine in the Edge Vignale with either 178bhp or 207bhp, the latter of which we’re testing here. All-wheel drive is standard in both versions and they have a six-speed dual-clutch Powershift automatic gearbox.

The Edge Vignale does what all other Edges do: it offers a comfortable, spacious cabin and a relaxed drive, and provides an adequate performance, but now with a few more toys thrown in. Remember, though, creditable as the Edge is on those fronts, it is not a class-leading car before its premium transformation.

So, at this price, the Edge’s have-nots now show up even more against its haves, particularly inside, where a premium car really sells itself. The big leather seats are comfortable and the undoubted high point, but all that plush leather is dotted around a load of switchgear and a fairly crude infotainment screen you’d find in Ford Mondeos costing half as much, diluting that premium feel.

Space is of course a premium feature, and the Edge Vignale does deliver on this front. The boot is a vast, usable space, with a wide opening, and the 60/40 split rear seats fold flat to create your very own posh van. But, then again, so do other Edges - just without the plusher carpet to line the boot floor.

The performance of the engine is decent, its delivery making for comfortable, relaxed progress rather than anything brisk. That makes it a nice companion for the automatic gearbox, which offers smooth and unobtrusive shifts. Ford Although, again, the same can be said for lesser Edges.