Over here in the U.S., we love our SUVs - throw in a solid dose of extra performance, like you get in an ST Ford, and we like it even more. Unfortunately, it looks as though buyers across the pond with similar interests will be left out in the cold, as the Blue Oval won’t sell ST-badged SUVs in Europe.

Continue reading for the the full story.

The Full Story

As if it weren’t already extremely obvious, the European and U.S. markets are vastly different in terms of demand. Ford is a major player in both, and as such, it must tailor its approach to match. Now, it looks as though that includes a restriction on go-faster SUVs for the Euro market.

In a recent interview with Autocar, Ford’s U.K. head, Andy Barratt, explained that SUVs like the Edge ST wouldn’t offer what customers were after in Europe.

“All our research shows buyers want a combination of the sporty ST styling with a more luxurious feel to it, from the interior finish to the engine package,” Barratt told the outlet.

Furthermore, Barratt doesn’t see Ford backtracking on the decision any time soon.

“The customer will always have the casting vote. If the demand is there, it is unlikely we’ll resist it. But we already have plenty of evidence that ST-Line is the way to go,” he explained. “The Kuga has led the way on this and the Fiesta is following suit. Customers are stepping up from Zetec trim and that’s good business.”

The revelation follows hot on the heels of Ford’s decision to cut nearly every sedan from its U.S. lineup, citing ongoing money hemorrhaging as the primary motivation. Instead, Ford will rely on its line of SUVs and pickups to bring in the U.S. sales, and that’s just fine when you consider the two segments raked in an impressive $3 billion for Ford in just the first quarter of the year all by themselves.

What’s more, with improved cost savings across each of its major markets, Ford will look to develop new technologies, such as alternative fuel vehicles and EVs.

However, here in the U.S., we’ll still get to enjoy the Edge ST, which produces upwards of 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque thank to its turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6. For those of you keeping score, that’s 20 additional horses and 30 additional pound-feet of twist over the standard Edge. The ST also comes a sporty suspension tune and an eight-speed automatic transmission that routes output to all four corners.

So then, it would seem as though Ford is concentrating on its strengths on a market-by-market basis, while also quickly cutting out any perceived weaknesses. It’s definitely an aggressive strategy - we’ll see if it works out.

References

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Edge ST.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Edge.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford Kuga ST.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford Fiesta.

Read more Ford news.