All you need to know about the Ford Territory

MANILA: Very truly, Ford is set to establish its, well, Territory in the Philippines — marking its third launch in 2020, done during the quarantine period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s not a familiar nameplate compared to the last two launches (Everest Sport and F-150), which begs the question, “What is the Territory, and where did it come from?”

Well, the OG Territory was made and sold in Australia starting 2004. It is a five-door SUV that comes in five- and seven-seater configurations. 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 had two engine options, a 4.0-liter inline-six petrol 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 much 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 ceased production in 2016, just around the same time Ford decommissioned its manufacturing plant in Australia.

In that same year, JMC (Jiangling Motors Co., Ltd.) sub-brand JMC Yusheng launched a compact crossover called the Yusheng S330, a product of the joint venture between JMC and Ford (the latter owns 32% of the former. This model 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.

In 2018, just two years later, the model stopped production and was redesigned and relaunched as the Ford Territory at the 2018 Chengdu Auto Show late that year. It slots right in between the EcoSport and the Kuga (Escape), and is not related to the Australian Territory in any way.

It uses a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine but not the same one you’ll find on the Focus, Escape, and Fiesta ST. It’s 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.

Within 11 months of its launch, the Territory sold 45,000 units in China, making it Ford’s most popular model there. Argentina just launched it days ago, while we will be getting it on August 14. It is also set to debut in Brazil next month. 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.

The Philippine model comes with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a CVT. It will be available in Titanium and Trend variants. Expect driver-assist technologies such as 360-degree camera, 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 also comes with panoramic moonroof and 18” inch alloy wheels.

“The all-new Ford Territory is designed to empower the modern Filipino driver who don’t want to compromise features, space, technology and versatility in their vehicle,” said PK Umashankar, managing director of Ford Philippines. “With Ford’s heritage and global expertise in designing class-leading SUVs, we are confident that the all-new Ford Territory will resonate with Filipino customers looking for an all-in-one package in their SUV.”

They didn’t say if it comes with Sync3. I guess we’ll find out together on August 14.

Photos from Ford Philippines

Also read: Ford PH marks new territory this August with all-new SUV