A tale of two Territory variants

After dropping the Focus and the Fiesta from its lineup to focus solely on trucks and SUVs, except for the performance vehicle Mustang, Ford has stayed true to its word and expanded their offerings by launch the Territory in mid-August.

Made in JMC Ford’s plant in Nanchang, China, the Territory is a compact crossover that sits right in between the subcompact crossover EcoSport and the mid-size Everest.

Instead of using the same grille as its two closest siblings, the Territory does not share the typical two-bar design but instead uses a black mesh like its China counterpart and the Explorer.

It does, however, have a more expressive sheet metal of a body to show for it.

Unlike other Ford SUVs, it doesn’t have a flat, vertical grille. It is slightly raked towards the hood for added style and flavor, and to set it apart from its stablemates.

The fog lamp housing design is also borrowed from its more expensive siblings and comes in an inverted L shape with chrome accents.

Its headlamps though are more unique compared to the rest of the lineup as it is slimmer and longer compared to any of the local SUVs from Ford and takes directly from its Chinese predecessor.

The character line and rocker panel and heavily shaped, which gives it more personality and the exterior a fuller body, plus it complements the flared wheel arches very nicely.

For higher aerodynamic efficiency, the windshield is laid back to match the sloping roof as well.

The rear takes after the styling of the Explorer with the chrome bar spanning the middle of the hatch right between the taillights.

There are two variants of the Ford Territory locally, the entry-level 1.5L EcoBoost Trend CVT and the 1.5L EcoBoost Titanium+ CVT.

On the Trend are 17-inch alloy wheels matched to 235/55 R17 tires. It has a gloss black front grille, with variable intermittent windshield wipers, power-adjustable and heated sideview mirrors with turn indicators, and body color door handles.

The Titanium has 18-inch alloy wheels that go with 235/55 R18 tires. It has a gloss black grille with chrome inserts, rain-sensing windshield wipers, power-adjustable/power-folding and heated sideview mirrors with turn indicators, chrome door handles, and puddle lamps.

Standard on the body are LED (light-emitting diode) headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, auto on/off headlamps with Follow-me-Home feature, front and rear fog lamps, LED taillights, rear windshield wipers, panoramic moonroof, rear spoiler, shark’s fin antenna, and roof rails.

The chassis on both comes with MacPherson multi-link independent front and rear suspension, vented disc brakes in front and solid disc brakes at the rear, and electric power-assisted steering. Ground clearance is 180mm.

Power is driven to the front wheels via a 1.5L EcoBoost engine derived from the JX4G15 four-cylinder gas turbo engine of the Yusheng S330, the vehicle that it is based on from JMC (Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd.) Yusheng. So this is not the same EcoBoost engine of the Ford Focus or Ford Escape.

Engine output is the same for the two variants. It puts out 141hp and 225Nm of torque and has a CVT (continuously variable transmission) with Sport mode. Fuel tank capacity is 52 liters.

The Ford Territory is a five-seater. Access to the cabin is via a smart keyless entry system with Push-Button Start which is standard to both variants.

In the Trend’s cabin is a 3.5-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor in the instrument panel, steering wheel column with tilt adjustment, power windows, cabin pollen air filters with activated carbon, six-way manually-adjustable driver’s seat, four-way manually-adjustable front passenger’s seat, and six speakers.

The Titanium’s cabin comes with a 10-inch fully digital display in the instrument panel with three selectable themes, steering column with tilt and telescopic adjustment, power windows with one touch Up and Down function on all windows, cabin pollen and PM (particulate matter) 2.5 filter with activated carbon, ambient lighting with seven color options, heated and cooled front seats, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, four-way manually-adjustable front passenger’s seat, wireless charging, and eight speakers.

Standard in both cabins are perforated leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted controls, power door locks with central locking system, speed-sensing door locks, a 10-inch touchscreen with adjustable quad view, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, four USB ports (one data and three charging ports), auto dimming rearview mirrors with a high mount USB port, air-conditioning with automatic temperature control and second row air vents, driver and passenger sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors, sunglasses holder, leather-covered center console with dual-lid opening, seven cup and bottle holders (one in the first row, two in the second row, and four on the door trims), luggage tonneau cover, trunk light, and an auxiliary 12V power outlet.

The Trend’s safety, security, and driver-assist features are cruise control, rear parking sensors, and a rearview camera.

Safety, security, and driver-assist features of the Titanium are Autonomous Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Enhanced Active Park Assist with Parallel and Perpendicular Parking Assist, Blind Spot Information System, front and rear parking sensors, and a high-definition 360-degree camera.

Standard safety, security, and driver-assist features on both variants are tire pressure monitoring system with individual tire pressure display, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Traction Control, Hill Launch Assist, six airbags (driver, front passenger, side, and curtain), two adjustable three-point ELR (emergency locking retractor) seat belts with pre-tensioners in front, three three-point ELR seat belts in the rear, a high mount stop lamp, and child seat ISOFIX anchorage points in the second row.

The Ford Territory comes in six colors. The Trend is available in Ruby Red, Diffused Silver, Panther Black, and exclusively in Star White. The Titanium can come in any of the first three plus Crystal Pearl White, and Moonstone Blue.

The Ford Territory 1.5L Ecoboost Titanium+ CVT is priced at P1.299 million while the Territory 1.5L Ecoboost Trend CVT goes for P1.179 million.

Photos from Ford Philippines