Ford is hoping for a European Edge with this

This is the 2015 model Ford Edge medium SUV, which will be launched in the US in the spring and is coming to Europe and Ireland at the end of the year, writes Brian Byrne.

The car here will round out the blue oval's SUV range, currently EcoSport and Kuga, and will target buyers in the lower premium segment.

No specifications or prices for Europe have yet been revealed, but in the US there will be a base 2.0 245hp EcoBoost which is a likely option for this side of the big pond. Expect also a high-powered variant of the 2.0 TDCI diesels we're used to from Ford here.

As it is being built in the US for Europe, don't figure on any changes in the styling inside or out. The pictures show us a very similar interior design to that in the Ford Fusion/Mondeo. The overall look of the car is much more European than previous and current generations of the US vehicle.

It's a growth segment in Europe, and we figure Ford can't wait to get stuck in with this one, though the target market in Ireland is likely to be small enough.