SPY PICS: Seven-seat Ford Edge spotted in Broady

Ford's Edge has been snapped exclusively by motoring.com.au staff in the vicinity of the Blue Oval's R&D centre in Campbellfield.

The left-hook car, replete with 'Changan-Ford' badging at the rear, was one of the seven-seat versions that have been developed for the Chinese market. According to road test editor Matt Brogan, the driver of the SUV "wasn't hanging around", and there was no chance of catching a glimpse of the front-end.

But it's the rear that matters most anyway. Clearly visible through the tailgate glass is a third-row head restraint. Is it a sign that the Chinese Edge will be imported for local consumption?

Wes Sherwood, Ford Australia's Communications & Public Affairs Director, was unfamiliar with this particular vehicle, but suggested it might be here for warm-weather testing. He also explained that Ford Australia carries out many different types of testing on behalf of other design centres around the world.

"[The Cambellfield facility] is one of our global engineering and design hubs; they do work for vehicles around the portfolio – whether they lead design and development for them, or they support with certain testing elements...," Sherwood said to motoring.com.au earlier today.

"[We've] certainly seen a lot of different vehicles that they don't directly engineer here. It's not uncommon... particularly coming from the North American side when you're in the middle of winter there and you need to get warm-weather testing. It's a good place to send vehicles for that."

Sherwood confirmed that Ford's Asia/Pacific R&D is led by the team in Campbellfield, with R&D for Asian markets shared with annexes in other major markets around the region.

"Australia is the hub and then there are satellite operations in China and India."

But seen so close to the end of Territory production, the timing of the Edge's appearance here is thought-provoking. Ford has nurtured the Territory badge in its marketing and advertising, even after the announcement the company would cease manufacturing the Territory and the Falcon in Australia from October this year.

So far, the Edge is speculated to be the odds-on favourite to succeed the Territory, but Ford Australia has confirmed nothing other than a direct replacement for the locally-designed Falcon-based SUV will happen. Ford has officially ruled out the US market Explorer for Australia, on the basis that it won't be built in right-hand drive.

But there are plenty of question marks hanging over the Edge for Australia. We know it's coming, we know it will seat at least five. Diesel variants are available in global markets, and it's safe to expect they'll be sold here too.

What we don't know is whether it will be marketed here with its original model name or be rebadged as 'Territory'. We also don't know whether there will be a seven-seat version – or whether the Ford/Changan joint-venture in China will be the only operation to build an Edge with three rows of seats.

"We certainly are going to have a Territory replacement... [but] we're not at the point where we're talking about details," Sherwood said. "It will be a global program... it's clearly a very important segment for us."

For the moment, Canada builds only the five-seat Edge, and China builds only the seven-seat Edge. Ford Australia's experience with Territory indicates that ideally, both seating configurations should be available in Australia, assuming the Edge alone is the replacement for Territory.

Previously Ford Australia has told motoring.com.au that up to 80 per cent of all Territory sales are diesel all-wheel drive variants with the seven-seat option. That may indicate the Territory is swimming against the tide, with more buyers in the market looking closely at medium and small SUVs in the current economic climate.

In 2015 the small SUV segment grew by 27.4 per cent, according to VFACTS, and the medium SUV segment grew by 15.7 per cent. The large SUV segment, in which Territory resides, grew by 9.3 per cent.

Speculating then, could Ford Australia be focusing the Edge on the medium, five-seat market, leaving the Everest to provide the one and only seven-seat alternative in Ford's local product range? Or, could the seven-seat Edge be brought in later, badged as the Territory to distance itself from the five-seat model?

The Everest, despite being more refined than its principal competitors, may not keep Territory buyers from trading for Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento if refined diesel soft-roading is critical to those buyers.

But if primary factors in purchasing Territory are transporting a larger family and also towing a boat or caravan, the Everest may meet their requirements well enough that Ford won't bleed sales in that market sector with Territory's demise.

As for sourcing the seven-seat Edge, Sherwood offered the view that finding the right product for customers was of paramount importance, when asked what, if anything prevented Ford Australia from sourcing cars from China.

"We look at what we think we need for our customers, first and foremost. Sourcing is a secondary or tertiary consideration; when we find a segment we need to be in or need to strengthen our position, that's first and foremost – and then we go out and find where it is in the Ford portfolio.

"I wouldn't say that anything is stopping us from sourcing anywhere. As we've shown, we've got vehicles coming in from all the main regions."

EcoSport was one example Sherwood offered to illustrate that. Developed in South America, the small SUV is supplied in Australian specification by a factory in India.

"Our quality and our manufacturing standards around the world are consistent, so we expect world-class vehicles, no matter where we're sourcing from."

So a Chinese-built seven-seat Edge is not out of the picture, but Ford would presumably want to source both five- and seven-seat versions from the same factory.