The
Ford Territory is a
crossover SUVCrossover describes a vehicle that derives from a car platform while borrowing features from a traditional Sport Utility Vehicle .While body on frame construction and light truck platforms are used to build traditional SUVs, crossovers use a car's monocoque/unibody platform construction...
built by
Ford AustraliaFord Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford USA...
and based on the
EA169 platform of the
Ford BA FalconThe Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia, between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...
. It was released in April 2004. Its code name inside Ford was E265. It won the 2004
Wheels Car of the YearWheels magazine has announced its Car of the Year every year since 1963, with the exception of 1972, 1979 and 1986 when no cars were considered worthy of the honour. It is considered Australia's most prestigious automotive award...
award, the reviewers praising car-like handling and practicality as reasons for its win. Ford had reportedly spent
A$The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
500 million on developing the range over four years. It is built on the same production line as the Australian-made Falcon.
The
Ford Territory is a
crossover SUVCrossover describes a vehicle that derives from a car platform while borrowing features from a traditional Sport Utility Vehicle .While body on frame construction and light truck platforms are used to build traditional SUVs, crossovers use a car's monocoque/unibody platform construction...
built by
Ford AustraliaFord Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. At that time, Ford Canada was a separate company from Ford USA...
and based on the
EA169 platform of the
Ford BA FalconThe Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia, between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...
. It was released in April 2004. Its code name inside Ford was E265. It won the 2004
Wheels Car of the YearWheels magazine has announced its Car of the Year every year since 1963, with the exception of 1972, 1979 and 1986 when no cars were considered worthy of the honour. It is considered Australia's most prestigious automotive award...
award, the reviewers praising car-like handling and practicality as reasons for its win. Ford had reportedly spent
A$The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
500 million on developing the range over four years. It is built on the same production line as the Australian-made Falcon. While many suspected that it would replace the Falcon wagon, the two actually co-exist together because the Territory is bought mainly by private buyers, the Falcon wagon by fleets.
Australian and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
models are slightly different visually: all models sold in New Zealand have body-colour bumpers and alloy wheels, including the base model. Front light detail resembles that of
jewelleryJewellery or jewelry is an item of personal adornment, such as a necklace, ring, brooch or bracelet, that is worn by a person. It may be made from gemstones or precious metals, but may be from any other material, and may be appreciated because of geometric or other patterns, or meaningful symbols...
in a black box. In New Zealand, the only rear wheel drive model is the base version and all other models have all wheel drive; while in Australia, all models are available with either rear wheel drive or all wheel drive.
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
n sales for the Territory began in 2005. Exports to Thailand began in 2006, with the Thai model being offered only in AWD Ghia trim.
Powertrains
The Territory is sold with two engine choices, the 4.0L inline-six engine as the standard engine, and a turbo charged six-cylinder version in the Turbo model. The base engine is available in RWD and AWD. The RWD model has a four-speed automatic gearbox, and the AWD has the ZF's six-speed auto. The turbo model only comes in AWD. In 2010 Ford will update the current 4.0L inline-six to meet strict Euro 4 emission standards. In 2011 Ford will introduce a new model with the 2.7L diesel V6 that is shared with
Land RoverLand Rover is a 4x4, SUV and all-terrain vehicle manufacturer, based in Solihull, West Midlands, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business owned by Tata Motors of India....
,
PeugeotPeugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest European carmaker.Peugeot's roots go back to 19th-century coffee mill and bicycle manufacturing. The Peugeot company and family is originally from Sochaux, France. Peugeot retains a large manufacturing plant and...
and
CitroenCitroën is a French automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1919 by André Citroën, it was the world's first mass-production car company outside of the USA. Since 1976 it has been part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and its headquarters is on rue Fructidor, Paris...
. It will initially use the ZF's six-speed auto but eventually adopt the Powershift transmission to reduce fuel consumption. The engine will emit up to 25 percent less CO2 compared to the current 4.0L inline-six.
SX (2004–2005)
The original model was the
SX and was produced between 2004–2005. The engine was the 4.0 litre DOHC I6
BarraThe Barra engines are a family of straight 6s and V8s assembled by Ford Australia since 2002. The name 'Barra' is thought to have been derived from the surname of Rod Barrett, a major 'father' of the Ford i6 redevelopment project. The V8s are built in India by the Tata Motor Company and are...
engine from the Falcon, developing .
Appearance-wise, the Territory resembles the
Ford Taurus XThe Ford Taurus X is a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV that was produced by Ford Motor Company in the United States. It was originally introduced in 2005 as the Ford Freestyle, before being renamed Taurus X for the 2008 model year. In Ford's lineup, it replaced the Ford Taurus station wagon...
sold in North America. Both cars have similar styling cues -- it was this that sold the Territory to Ford executives at the head office in
Dearborn, MichiganDearborn is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 97,775. The city is the hometown of Henry Ford and the world headquarters...
. Simon Butterworth, who was behind the Ford Falcon facelift of 2003, styled the Territory but had worked with his American counterpart,
J MaysJ Mays is Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company...
, in working in the global Ford "DNA". Marcus Hotblack worked on the Territory's interior, with a
Swiss army knifeA Swiss Army knife , is a brand of multi-function pocket knife or multi-tool.It originated in Ibach Schwyz, Switzerland in 1897. The term "Swiss Army knife" is a registered trademark owned by Wenger S.A...
as a metaphor. Consequently, the car has touches such as flexible cupholders and a handbag holder to the side of the seat for female drivers, recognizing that many SUV buyers are women.
Specification levels
Both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations were offered in three trim levels. All-wheel drive models have an optional
Hill Descent Control systemFour-wheel-drive and All Wheel Drive vehicles such as the Australian made Ford Territory may have a Hill Descent Control system installed, using the ABS braking to control the car's motion downhill, initially developed by Robert_Bosch_GmbH for Land Rover...
, using the
anti-lock braking systemAn anti-lock braking system, or ABS is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking up while braking....
to control the car's motion downhill, inherited from
Land RoverLand Rover is a 4x4, SUV and all-terrain vehicle manufacturer, based in Solihull, West Midlands, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business owned by Tata Motors of India....
.
Options of five seats (in two rows) or seven seats (in three rows) are available. The rows of seats are arranged in a "
theatreTheatre is a branch of the performing arts. While any performance may be considered theatre, as a performing art, it focuses almost exclusively on live performers creating a self contained drama. A performance qualifies as dramatic by creating a representational illusion...
style", with the back row highest. They fold down smoothly into the floor. A
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
player is available as an option on all models.
- TX:
- TS: added side curtain airbags (optional on TX), which were a first for an Australian made car.
- Ghia:
SY (2005–2008)
An updated SY model arrived in October 2005, bringing with it a ZF six-speed automatic transmission on all AWD models and an increase in power to . The model also comes with a Rear Parking Camera (optional on the TS and standard on the Ghia), another first for an Australian made vehicle.
Ford Australia introduced a turbo variant of the base engine, in mid 2006. The addition of the turbo boosted the engine performance to and of torque
SY II (2009–)
The SY II facelift was revealed at the 2009
Melbourne International Motor ShowThe Melbourne International Motor Show is an annual auto show held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, in Melbourne, Australia . It attracts major car makers, modifiers and suppliers from around the world, and usually occurs around the same time as the Australian Grand Prix. It contains sections...
. It consists of moderate front-end changes as well as other minor exterior changes. The interior gets upholstery changes across the range, with the old colour schemes being replaced with more modern ones.
Specification levels
- TX: receives body-coloured bumpers and alloy wheels standard over the SY.
- TS: also gains body-coloured bumpers, newly designed alloy wheels as well as third-row seats standard.
- Ghia: models get mirror mounted side indicators, new alloy wheels, privacy glass for the rear windows and third-row seats standard.
The SYII also received a revised front suspension to address a well documented weakness in the front lower balljoints. The previous design has the ball joints under constant tension (i.e. trying to pull them apart) which has resulted in some complete failures of the joint (fortunately no casualties) and premature wear requiring lower control arm replacements after as little as 50,000km. The rubber mounting bushes for the differential are also known to fail earlier than would be expected - this has not been addressed in the new model.
Territory as an emergency vehicle
The Territory is used in varying roles by several emergency services in Australia. Victoria Police use the Territory as a patrol car as well as specialist departments such as the Major Collision Investigation Unit. The Territory Turbo has been used by the Traffic Management Unit for traffic patrols. Ambulance Victoria uses the Territory for
Mobile Intensive Care AmbulanceAustralian Mobile Intensive Care Ambulances are well-equipped ambulances staffed by highly trained paramedics dispatched to emergency situations where patients require a higher level of care than a regular ambulance can provide.- MICA Paramedics :...
Single Responder units, and for similar roles in other ambulance services. It is also used by some fire brigades as a crew/equipment transport vehicle.
The Australian Federal Police and NSW Police both use the Territory Turbo as a VIP protection and escort vehicle.
FPV F6X
An enhanced version of the Ford Territory was introduced by
Ford Performance VehiclesFord Performance Vehicles is the Melbourne-based official performance car division of Ford Australia, founded in 2002.-History:...
in January 2008 as the FPV F6X. It was fitted with the same 270 kW turbo-charged engine as the FPV F6 and accelerates from 0 to 100kph in 5.9secs. The F6X was only available with
Four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
and is equipped with the ZF 6 speed automatic gearbox as fitted to the
Ford FG FalconThe Ford FG Falcon is a full-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia since 2008. The FG series is the current model of the Ford Falcon and is the seventh generation of the car. It was first previewed at a press event on February 17 2008...
. The lack of sufficient differentiation from other Territory Turbo models and the significantly higher price meant it met with only limited success and it was discontinued in June 2009 when the SY II was introduced.
External links