Ford Edge dropped in the UK
The five-seat large SUV has been axed in its main right-hand drive market due to poor sales, though Ford Australia says it has no impact on local models.
Ford has decided to limit availability of its Edge SUV in Europe, known here as the Endura, due to slow sales in certain markets and ever-tightening emissions laws.
A new report by Automotive News Europe says the Blue Oval's European arm will pull the Edge from markets like the UK – which also happens to be Ford's largest European market – while soldiering on in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, Belgium and Romania.
The publication adds that 82 per cent of Edge sales in Europe came from these countries in the first three months of sale.
"The decision to limit Edge availability is in line with our strategy aimed at strengthening the Ford brand and creating a sustainably profitable business in Europe, including by taking action to improve or exit less profitable vehicle lines," Ford said in a statement.
Ford had initially projected sales of 25,000-30,000 units per annum when the Canadian-built Edge first went on sale in Europe in 2016, however, 2017 saw 16,094 units registered, falling again in 2018 to just 9554.
It's believed the main cause for the sales slide is increasingly strict emissions laws in the region, which is forcing Edge customers to pay more tax in nations that penalise vehicles with higher CO2 emissions outputs.
Another reason could be slowing diesel sales in the mainstream medium SUV sector which the Edge competes in Europe, which fell by 22 per cent during the first quarter of 2019, though the fuel type still accounts for 62 per cent of overall sales in the class.
Like Australia, the Edge is only sold as a diesel in Europe, though it offers both single turbo and high-output twin-turbo versions depending on market – we don't get the twin-turbo unit Down Under.
The company's European crossover line-up will be bolstered over the coming 12-18 months with the new-generation Kuga (Escape in Australia) and compact Puma, while the plug-in hybrid version of the larger Explorer is also earmarked for a European launch soon.
Australia
Speaking with CarAdvice, Ford's local division said: "The announcement on Edge overseas is market specific and has no bearing on the product offering here in Australia".
In terms of sales Down Under, the Endura's reception has been somewhat lukewarm. For the month of May there were 175 vehicles registered, with the year-to-date figure standing at 810 units as of May 30.
That's less than half the volume of the similarly priced but arguably more utilitarian Everest (360/1975), while the only other five-seat large SUV at the same price point, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, saw 277 registrations in May and is sitting at 1094 sales YTD.
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