Have a closer look at the Ford Territory for the Chinese market

MANILA: Ford, the renowned American auto manufacturer has revealed a new compact SUV, the Territory for the Chinese market in collaboration with a local motor company, Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC). The Ford Territory is an attempt to see off its struggling days in China and make a mark in the crossover segment.

The Territory, based on the JMC Yusheng S330 SUV, will be offered at an affordable price while offering added value to both Tier II and Tier III Chinese markets. This is the first collaborated effort between the two manufacturers. The new Ford compact SUV will be manufactured at a plant in Xiao Lan.

Though the company hasn’t revealed specifications of the upcoming Territory, the expectations of it carrying a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 164 PS of peak power are quite high. It is the same engine that powers the Yusheng S330. Also, the new Ford Territory will be positioned above the EcoSport in China.

The Territory is expected to come with a 7-seat configuration, offering greater value to the customers. Ford China, until now, was catering to the premium buyers which is certainly going to be changed with the arrival of the new compact SUV. A wider group of an audience would be available to target. Thus, Ford hopes to change its fortunes in the fastest growing auto market in the world.

It is expected that the Ford Territory would be available by early 2019. The Territory is, however, not new to Ford. The original Territory was developed for the Australian market as a budget offering sold between 2004 to 2016.

Aside from Territory, Ford is planning to launch 50 new vehicles by 2025 in China. The potential models to make their way to the Chinese market are the Ford Focus and the Ford Escort.

Since the Territory is a China-only product, the chances of it landing on the Philippines shores are minimum. However, we hope that the company considers this move owing to the fact that crossovers are in demand.