A quick history of the Ford Territory

The Territory nameplate itself, under the Ford brand, is already 16 years old so you’re not remiss if you feel like the badge feels like an old familiar name that you just can’t quite put your finger on.

But just like the EcoSport, which was purely a Brazilian idea, the original Territory is only American by brand as it was wholly an Australian concept.

The Ford Territory, which started production in 2004, takes its platform from another, totally Aussie-made vehicle, the Falcon (a full-size sedan), which makes it doubly Australian, I guess.

That Territory was a mid-size, five-door SUV that came in a five- and seven-seater configuration. Seating layout is à la theater-style, which means that the first row is the lowest and the second and third are slightly higher than one another for an unencumbered view for each passenger.

It was a relatively large vehicle by Philippine standards with a length of 4,856mm, width of 1,898mm, height of 1,714mm, and a wheelbase of 2,842mm.

The two engine options were a 4.0-liter inline-six gasoline and a 2.7-liter Duratorq V6 diesel engine, and came in either a two-wheel or four-wheel drive layout.

Ford Australia managed to keep production costs low, a lot lower than if it was manufactured in Detroit, while also making it the country’s best selling medium-sized SUV for two straight years.

It was exported to New Zealand, South Africa, and even to Thailand.

After revealing in 2013 that the company had lost over $600 million in the last five years, Ford announced that it would cease Australian production in 2016. On October 7, 2016, Ford officially ended production of the Territory.

Fortuitously for Ford, some six months prior (April 29, 2016), JMC (Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd.) sub-brand JMC Yusheng launched a compact crossover called the Yusheng S330 at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show. This vehicle was a product of the joint venture between JMC and Ford (the latter owns 32% of the former.

The Yusheng S330 shares a platform with the controversial Landwind X7 owned by JMH (Jiangling Motor Holding), which was, incidentally, the centerpiece of an unfair competition and copyright infringement lawsuit by Jaguar Land Rover as the vehicle looked so much like the Land Rover Evoque. Both JMC Yusheng and JMH are owned by JMCG (Jiangling Motors Corporation Group).

Back to the Yusheng S330. It uses a 1.5-liter JX4G15 gasoline turbo engine made by JMC and comes in either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

It received fair and relatively good reviews and sold 11,000 units in its first year (2016) before finishing 2017 with 17,998 units.

After selling only 2,737 units in 2018, production was promptly stopped before it was renamed, redesigned, and relaunched as the Ford Territory at the 2018 Chengdu Auto Show.

This time, this version of the Territory went down a size and became a compact crossover. It slots right in between the EcoSport and the Kuga (Escape), and is not related to the Australian Territory in any way.

It still uses a 1.5-liter engine that’s also been rebadged as an EcoBoost, but this is not the same one you’ll find on the Focus, Escape, and Fiesta ST. It is based on Yusheng’s JX4G15 four-cylinder gas turbo engine and puts out 138hp and 225Nm of torque. Gearbox options are a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and a six-speed manual transmission. A trim with a mild hybrid system is also available in China with a full EV (electric vehicle) variant coming soon.

Surprisingly, Ford Australia had input in the design and development of the Territory. The ride, handling, and even levels of noise, vibration, and harshness were partly tuned in Ford's Geelong Proving Grounds in Australia. However, it will not be sold in the Australian market.

Backed by the Ford name, its dealership network, plus marketing and sales expertise, the Territory sold 45,000 units locally in its first 11 months, making it the brand’s most popular model in China.

Argentina launched it in early August 2020 just as Brazil began pre-selling the Territory. Engine output for both Latin American countries are not the same (Argentina has 141hp and Brazil 148hp) and are slightly more powerful than the Chinese variant.

Ford is exporting the Territory throughout South America and countries in Southeast Asia with left-hand drive orientation.

Assembly of the Ford Territory is done in JMC Ford's plant in Nanchang, China.

Ford Philippines launched the Territory in August 14, 2020 and is being marketed to young professionals and starting families.

The Philippine model comes with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a CVT. It is available in Titanium and Trend variants. Some variants will come with various driver-assist technologies such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist with parallel and perpendicular parking function, leather power-adjust seats with cooling function, and a 10-inch infotainment display with multi-view function and wireless charging. It features a panoramic moonroof and sits on either 17-inch or 18-inch inch alloy wheels.

And no, it doesn’t come with Sync3.

Photos from Ford Philippines