Ford Territory

A compact crossover SUV from Ford in the Philippines car market, the Territory is a Southeast Asian-specific model from the American carmaker. This most affordable SUV from Ford is currently in its second-generation version and is exclusively manufactured in China and Vietnam for the Asian car markets. In the Philippines, the For Territory is being sold in three variants – Titanium, Titanium X, and Sport, all of which have the same petrol-automatic powertrain as standard. 

Exterior Design

The second-generation Ford Territory has grown in size compared to the previous version, measuring 4,630mm long, 1,935mm wide, and 1,706mm tall. This compact crossover SUV has a slightly upright stance at the front, with the wide fascia comprising a hexagonal grille with honeycomb mesh inserts—chrome in Titanium and Titanium X variants and gloss black in Sport variants.

The split all-LED headlamps at the front have sleek LED DRLs attached to the upper edges of the grille and separate housings for the main LED headlamps in the C-shaped housings on the front bumper corners. The Ford Territory gets 18-inch alloys in the Titanium, 19-inch alloys in Titanium X and 19-inch black alloy wheels in the Sport variant. The rear profile gets wide-looking tail lamps with LED inserts.

All Territory variants are available in Lustrous Grey and Panther Black colour options, in addition to a few variant-specific colours, including Blue Metallic (except for Sport), Crystal Pearl White (except for Titanium), Ruby Red (exclusive to Titanium), and Star White (exclusive to Titanium).

Pros and cons

Pro: Upright stance with tall wheels

Cons: Throw of LEDs of the main headlamps is less

Interior and Cabin Experience

The Titanium and Titanium X variants of the Ford Territory have an all-black theme for their cabin – perforated partial leather with dual-tone Peacock Blue and Domino theme in the Titanium and perforated leather with Urban Grey and Domino theme in the Titanium X variants. 

However, the Sport variant distinguishes itself with its more premium Domino and Chalk leather perforated seats, door trims and instrument panel surrounds. This range-topping variant also has a Charcoal Black headliner and cyber orange stitching, which make the cabin look more premium and sportier. In the Sport variant, the lower centre console, where the drive mode knob and transmission lever are placed, also gets sportier-looking carbon fibre accents that elevate the sportiness of the cabin. 

The long wheelbase of 2,726mm of the Ford Territory gives it appreciable levels of legroom and knee room, with the crossover SUV also excelling in headroom and shoulder room. All the door panels come with small storage spaces and bottle holders, with the Territory also having front and rear centre armrests and 60:40 split folding rear seats. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Spacious cabin and practical storage spaces

Con: Boot space could have been more

Performance and Driving Dynamics

The Ford Territory is exclusively available with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine in the Philippines car market, which is different from the one offered in the previous-generation version of the SUV. Offered solely with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, this engine produces 160 bhp and 248 Nm. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Powerful and refined engine

Con: Bottom-end grunt could have been stronger

Features and Technology

All the variants of the Ford Territory come with a rectangular cockpit behind the tilt and telescopic-adjustable multi-functional steering wheel, though the sizes of the screens differ across variants. The base-spec Titanium variant has a 7-inch TFT screen for the instrument console and soft-feel steering wheel, while the Titanium X and Sport variants get a larger 12-inch TFT instrument console and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

All the variants of the Territory come equipped with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10-way electrically-adjustable driver’s seat, two Type-A charging ports, one Type-C charging port, wireless charger, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear AC vents, six speakers and auto-dimming inside rearview mirror.

The additional features offered in the higher-spec Titanium X and Sport variants are a panoramic moonroof, powered tailgate, two additional speakers, ventilated front seats, leather seats, rear parcel tray, PM2.5 air filter and all-four one-touch power windows.

Pros and cons:

Pro: Modern and tech-packed screens

Con: Could have had more Type-C charging ports

Mileage and Efficiency

Ford hasn’t claimed the official fuel efficiency figures of the Territory compact crossover SUV. However, the owners of Ford Territory usually get a fuel efficiency of 8-10 kmpl in city traffic conditions, which goes up to 16 kmpl in long-distance highway driving conditions. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Impressive highway fuel efficiency

Con: City efficiency could have been better

Safety Features

All three variants of the Ford Territory come equipped with driver, passenger, curtain and side airbags, front and rear parking sensors, electronic parking brake, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control with traction control, hill launch assist and rollover mitigation, hill descent control and ISOFIX mounts for child seats as standard.

The more advanced safety features standard across the three variants are a blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, enhanced active park assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, high definition 360-degree parking camera and cruise control.

In addition, the Titanium X and Sport variants also have more ADAS features like adaptive cruise control with stop and go, auto high beam, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping aid and collision mitigation system. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Well-defined ADAS systems

Con: Could have had more airbags in higher variants

Ride and Handling

With Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link independent suspension at the rear, the Ford Territory is also offered with four drive modes – Normal, Eco, Sport and Mountain, which change the suspension feedback depending on the terrain.

Those who are expecting the Territory to be as enthusiast-centric to drive as the conventional Fords, might not be fully convinced about the Territory. While the steering feels light and perfect to use in urban conditions, it lacks the precision and weighted feel of the Fords we have experienced in all these years. 

Pros and Cons:

• Pro: Smooth ride over rough terrains.
• Con: Steering lacks feedback at higher speeds.

Boot Space and Storage

The 448-litre boot space of Ford Territory is pretty decent for an SUV of its size. If required, this boot space is expandable up to 1,422 litres after folding down the rear 60:40 split seats. The boot floor is decently accessible, with it not being much higher for mounting and dismounting of luggage. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Spacious boot compartment

Con: Nothing as such

Competitor Comparison

The Ford Territory is priced alongside the compact crossover SUVs from other globally renowned brands, including popular offerings like the Toyota Yaris Cross, Honda HR-V, Nissan Kicks e-Power, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG One and Mazda CX-3.

Among all these compact crossover SUVs, the Ford Territory feels the largest and most premium for the price points at which it is being offered. The Territory also has the segment-best equipment list, making it the best value-for-money proposition in its category. 

Pricing and Variants

As mentioned, the Ford Territory is on sale in the Philippines in three variants – Titanium, Titanium X and Sport. The prices of the Territory start at PHP 1.335 million for the Titanium, going up to PHP 1.599 million for the Titanium X and PHP 1.625 million for the top-spec Sport variant. 

In our opinion, the mid-spec Titanium X variant of the Ford Territory offers the best value for its asking price. It gets almost all the comfort, convenience and safety features of the top-spec variant, albeit missing on sportier blacked-out highlights on the outside and a sportier upholstery on the inside. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Well-priced variant lineup

Con: Sport variant could have had more features over Titanium X

Conclusion and Final Verdict

The previous-generation Ford Territory felt more Chinese than American, as it was essentially a rebadged Yusheng S330 from JMC. While the second-generation Territory is still co-developed by Ford and JMC, it now feels more upmarket and American in its overall demeanour.

For the price points at which it is available, the new second-generation Ford Territory feels large in terms of size and cabin space. With the segment-best dimensions and equipment list, the Ford Territory ticks all the right boxes for desirability. The performance of its turbocharged petrol engine also outweighs its competitors.

While there are several positives, there are a few minor concerns, most of which are ignorable for a person who is buying this SUV more from his brain rather than his heart. This is not your typical fun-to-drive Ford SUV with perfectly tuned steering and suspension, which are comfortable but not enthusiast-centric. However, for most of the part, the Territory is a very practical SUV with a high value-for-money proposition.