What's the news?
Ford has confirmed that it will cease sales of its flagship Edge SUV in Ireland following poor sales results. The model struggled to capitalise on the current SUV trend, thought to be partly due to its high cost and lack of a seven-seat option, amongst other factors. CompleteCar.ie understands that Ford will no longer take new orders for the model but will sell existing stock in the dealer network.
Ford hasn't made any official statement regarding the Edge other than to say the move is "in line with Ford's strategy aimed at strengthening the Ford brand and creating a sustainably profitable business in Europe, including taking action to improve or exit less profitable vehicle lines."
More recently, Ford had introduced high-end Edge Vignale and sporty Edge ST Line versions, and in other markets it will also be launching a sportier Edge ST model, but it hasn't been enough to secure the car's future on these shores.
The move will see the Kuga remain as Ford's biggest SUV model on sale in Ireland. Recently the company revealed a new model that will feature plug-in hybrid technology. Ford is introducing the larger Explorer model to Europe for the first time, too. This new Ford Explorer will also feature plug-in hybrid tech, but it will only be sold as in left-hand-drive markets.
Anything else?
Better news for Ford fans is that the company will re-introduce the Puma name to its range, this time as a sporty crossover model. Details remain scant for now, but you can read more about it here.