By Mac Demere/autoMedia.com

For the third model year of its Edge, Ford has livened up the crossover with a stylish new Sport model. From the outside, it's easy to note that the Edge Sport is something special, thanks to an aggressive lower body kit, which includes a body-color air dam fitted with fog lamps, body color front and rear lower fascias, side skirt rocker moldings and door cladding. When opting up to the 22-inch bright polished-aluminum wheels fitted with massive P265/40R22 Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires and modified suspension tuning, drivers will feel the difference thanks to performance-tuned shock absorbers, stiffer suspension springs and modified sporty steering rack.

Introduced as a 2007 model, the Edge is a powerful and roomy crossover. "Crossover" is what car writers call a vehicle that's not a traditional, truck-based sport-utility vehicle, but also isn't a minivan or station wagon. The Edge enjoys a flexible seating configuration, roomy interior and most of the load-carry capacity of an SUV. In addition, it has ride comfort that challenges many sedans.

In addition to the new Sport Series, updates for 2009 include as standard features: Blind Spot Mirrors, a grab handle for the front passenger, a cargo net, and tie-down hooks in the rear compartment. Other standard features include front-seat mounted side airbags and Safety Canopy® System with side-curtain airbags. Also standard is Ford's electronic stability control, AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™), and anti-lock brakes.

New options are highlighted by the addition of SIRIUS® Travel Link™ to the optional voiceactivated navigation system. This feature, found on only Ford and Lincoln products, provides realtime weather, fuel prices and traffic updates, and suggests alternate routes around traffic jams. A new standard security feature is SOS Post-crash Alert System, which activates horn and emergency flashers after an accident where the airbags have been deployed and/or the front safety belt pretensioners are activated.

The 2009 Edge is available in SE, SEL, Limited and Sport trims. It's built on the same platform as the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans. It's also a fraternal twin of the Lincoln MKX crossover. The Edge is built in Canada. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2009 Edge Top Safety Pick honors. In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, the Edge scored a five-star rating—the government's highest—for frontal driver, side driver and side rear passenger. It got four out of five stars for frontal passenger and both rollover tests.

Edge is powered by a potent 265-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6 that's mated to a sixspeed automatic transmission. Thanks in part to the engine's torque peak of 250 lb.-ft., a properly optioned Edge has a maximum towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds. Payload, which includes all passengers, is 1077 pounds for the front-wheel version. The Edge front-wheel drive model is rated at 24 miles per gallon in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highway test and 17 mpg in the city test.

The Edge comes standard with front-wheel drive, but an on-demand all-wheel-drive system is optional. The AWD system constantly delivers the appropriate amount of torque to all four wheels, working before wheel slippage can even occur. In fact, the AWD system utilizes AdvanceTrac with RSC to keep the vehicle moving if only one wheel has traction.

All Edges feature rear seats that both recline and fold forward in a 60/40 split. With the available forward-folding front passenger seat, the Edge can transport items up to eight feet long. Another appealing option is the Vista Roof™, a huge power-opening moonroof that gives the feeling of driving a convertible. In addition, this option includes a fixed rear glass roof panel and dual power sunshades. Available as a Ford Custom Accessory is the dual INViSiON® DVD Headrests entertainment system for rear passengers featuring two independent systems, each with a 7-inch screen, headphones and a remote.

The Edge starts at around $26,000, while a fully optioned version can exceed $42,000. Regardless of whether you like to be noticed on the road or carry a lot of people and things in comfort, the 2009 Edge is an attractive alternative to a regular car or a truck-based SUV.