Ford has added an option to its second-generation Edge that could help fleets reduce the costs associated with low-speed collisions. The 2015 Edge offers enhanced parking assist, a sensor-based system that backs the Edge into a perpendicular parking space between two other vehicles.

The all-new 2015 Ford Edge mid-size, five-passenger crossover is available in four trim levels: SE, SEL, Sport, and – for the first time – a top-of-the-line Titanium series. Our test vehicle was the 2015 Ford Edge Titanium with optional all-wheel drive (AWD).

While driving the Edge, it exuded a solid feel, with agile handling and responsive steering. Reasons for the improved driving dynamics are an entirely new body structure and redesigned front and rear suspension. In addition, the 2015 Edge is based on Ford’s global mid-size vehicle platform, the same global platform as the Ford Fusion. The advantages of a car-based design are better on-road comfort, fuel efficiency, and overall driving dynamics versus a truck-based SUV.

Our test vehicle was equipped with the standard 2.0L EcoBoost I-4 engine, which is the base engine in the SE, SEL, and Titanium trim levels, but not in Sport. The Edge is the first Ford vehicle to feature standard EcoBoost power. The turbocharged 245-hp 2.0L engine, with 270 lb.-ft. of torque, offered quick acceleration and seamless shifts with the 6-speed automatic transmission. The SelectShift 6-speed transmission features two modes of operation – drive and sport. The Edge equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost can be specified with newly available AWD and a towing package capable of hauling a 3,500-pound trailer.

The 2015 Ford Edge is one of the most high-tech models sold by Ford. For 2015, the Edge adds adaptive cruise control, collision warning; a 180-degree front camera system with a washer, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist. The new, optional lane keeping system is bundled with adaptive cruise control and it has three settings: low nudges the wheel a little bit when approaching the lane marker, medium nudges a little harder, and high nudges the hardest. The system can also use audible beeps to keep you in line.

A rear-view camera is standard and there is an optional 180-degree front camera, lane-departure, and blind-spot warning systems. The 180-degree front camera allows the Edge to see what you can’t. The Edge offers a front 180-degree view system. It has three cameras, one in the middle of the front bumper and two on the sides, which allow drivers to see around corners. This works when pulling forward out of a perpendicular spot or pulling up to a blind intersection.

The 2015 Ford Edge Titanium model offers optional AWD. The available AWD system for the new Edge is full-time, on-demand, and seamless – there are no knobs or switches to activate.

There’s ample room for both front and rear seat occupants. Storage areas have been improved throughout the cabin, with a covered media bin on top of the center stack; an open, pass-through-type storage area beneath the climate controls; an open storage area on the instrument panel, below and to the left of the steering wheel; and large pockets on each door.

Legroom in the first and second row of the 2015 Edge has increased by 1.9 inches and 1 inch, respectively. Headroom has increased by 1 inch throughout. Cargo capacity has also increased, with 39.2 cubic feet of space behind the second row of seats – 7 cubic feet more than the previous model. With the second row folded, space has increased by 4.5 cubic feet, to 73.4 cubic feet.

The new Edge is slightly longer and taller than its predecessor, with the wheelbase increased by 1 inch, to 112.2 inches.

One noticeable takeaway from our test drive was the quietness in the cabin while driving. This enhanced quietness is due to better sealing of the body, sound insulation improvements, and powertrains that are better isolated from the cabin. Also, acoustic windshield glass is standard on every model. Select Titanium models are even quieter, incorporating acoustic glass on driver and passenger side doors.