FORD hasn’t had a true premium SUV in its European line-up since it sold Land Rover for what now appears to be the laughably small sum of £1.3bn eight years ago. But all that’s about to change.

The blue oval lacks the badge cachet of Audi or Land Rover so it’s going all in - the new Edge SUV will be bigger, cheaper and more flash than any of its rivals.

It’s the third chapter in Ford’s SUV expansion plan for Europe - joining the medium-sized Kuga and the Juke-alike EcoSport.

First launched in North America in 2007, the Edge helped reshape the industry’s definition of a traditional SUV, establishing the “crossover SUV” segment. Today, it’s part of the global ‘One Ford’ strategy which sees models designed for the worldwide market rather than a specific regional audience. Edge is a top-selling vehicle in North America and is already on sale in South America, Russia and eastern Asia, including China.

To sweeten the deal for picky Europeans the Edge will undercut all its rivals.

Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing for Ford of Europe, summed it up: “Edge will deliver more room for passengers than large competitor SUVs that cost considerably more. The styling and suite of comfort, convenience and safety technologies in Edge rival the premium offerings in Europe.”

How can Ford pull this trick?

Beneath the Edge’s chunky body it sits on a modified version of the Mondeo’s platform, helping keep costs down, and, as a true world car, Ford expects to sell zillions bringing massive economies of scale. Hence, the £29,995 entry model (available on a PCP plan from £299 a month) costs thousands less than an Audi Q5, a Discovery Sport or a BMW X3 but still aces them all in terms of passenger space.

There’s a lot of new technology on board, too.

Adaptive steering continually changes the steering ratio with vehicle speed, optimising the steering response in all conditions. Housed in the steering wheel, the cunning electronics can increase or reduce the driver’s input by as much as 35 per cent. At lower speeds, such as pulling into a parking space or manoeuvring in tight quarters, the new system makes the vehicle more agile by amplifying the turning effort. At highway speeds, it enables Edge to react more smoothly and precisely by subtly reducing driver input.

Ford is proud of its adaptive steering - a genuine innovation - and early tests have shown the system’s intervention is as near seamless as makes no difference. Of course, a big chunky SUV is a good place to start - no one ever bought a hulking 4x4 and expected sports car levels of feel through the wheel (Porsche Macan excepted).

In the cabin an active noise cancellation system employs three microphones and generates opposing sound waves directed through the audio system that enhance the overall engine sound and cabin ambiance. It’s the same technology (developed by Lotus) that’s used in expensive noise cancelling headphones.

Finally, front split view camera technology makes negotiating difficult junctions or parking spaces with restricted visibility easier through the use of a 180-degree camera system installed at the front of the vehicle.

The Edge also features specially designed ducts along the side of the vehicle that create an “air curtain”, improving aerodynamics at speed, adaptive cruise control, a hands-free tailgate, advanced in-car connectivity, inflating rear seat belts (first seen on the Mondeo) and a blind spot warning system.

In Europe, Ford will offer two versions of the 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine: a 180 PS version delivering 400 Nm of torque and projected 149 g/km CO2, with a 6-speed manual transmission, and a 210 PS version delivering 450 Nm of torque and projected 159 g/km CO2, with 6-speed PowerShift automatic and paddle-shift controls.

This all sounds rather good.

So will the Edge give Ford’s big car sales a much-needed stimulus? It's certainly entering a popular (and lucrative) sector. The European utility segment more than doubled between 2008 and 2013 and is showing no sign of slowing.

One thing’s for sure, we won’t have long to wait. The first deliveries start this summer.