2018 Ford Edge gets new Appearance Package

Unveiled at the 2017 Dallas Fort Worth Auto Show yesterday, a new Sport Appearance Package will be available on the 2018 Ford Edge SEL this fall.

2018 Ford Edge

If you've ever lived in the southwest, you might understand why everyone in the market for a vehicle with the trappings of luxury doesn't necessarily want leather seats.

Take Dallas, Texas, for instance. Residents in the Big D are generally subjected to more than 230 sunny days a year. But while many of us living under the grey skies of a Midwestern winter probably yearn for weather like that, it turns out that too much sun isn't always a good thing.

But then again, we aren't faced with having to choose from either a technologically-packed vehicle trimmed in hide-burning leather (our hide, not the seat, itself), or one with seats covered in skin-soothing cloth but lacking the latest infotainment and safety features - all for the sake of personal comfort.

According to Ford, Edge sales figures point to the very fact that many buyers in the Dallas Metroplex choose the latter "because cloth seating materials tend to be more comfortable in the heat." In fact, Ford sells nearly 5 percent more Edge models with non-leather seats in Dallas than the national average. So maybe Texans aren't that tough, after all.

Be that as it may, customers in Dallas – and the rest of the US, for that matter – will no longer have to forego technology for a comfy posterior.

2018 Ford Edge SEL Sport Appearance Package

Beginning with the 2018 model year, buyers who choose the SEL trim can check the box next to the Sport Appearance package and get a technology-laden Edge, sans cow.

Available with either the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or optional 3.5-liter V6, the package includes model-specific, 10-spoke, 19-inch Magnetic Metallic-painted wheels, as well as a slew of additional items finished in Magnetic Metallic paint including:

• The grille surround
• The exterior rearview mirror caps
• The rear spoiler
• Both front and rear skid plates

Also included are blacked-out headlamp bezels and blacked-out side window trim.

The Sport Appearance Package also includes Ford's Sync 3 infotainment software that offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a premium audio system, rear view camera, and a reverse sensing system.

The non-leather seats will be covered in Mayan Gray fabric with "Umber-colored Miko sueded cloth perforated inserts" and trimmed in contrasting Umber stitching. Meanwhile, the dash will be trimmed in a "Copper Sands textured appliqué", while the floor mats will feature an Umber "Edge" logo.

Available options include a panoramic sunroof, black roof rack side rails, a navigation system, blind spot monitor, and a hands-free power liftgate.

2018 Ford Edge SEL Sport Appearance Package prices and availability

According to Ford, when the 2018 Edge reaches dealerships this fall, the Sport Appearance Package, itself, will come with a suggested option price of $1,295.