Latest news with #FordTerritory
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
Ford Territory a worthy contender in a crowded SUV segment
Worthy contender: The Ford Territory is value for money in the mid-sized SUV segment. The local SUV segment has become crowded but South Africans are not complaining. Our less-than-perfect roads have led to many of us looking for vehicles with higher ground clearance and, luckily, all the manufacturers are giving us their own little twist on SUVs. Ford reintroduced the Territory as its answer to the growing middle-sized SUV market. It is built in China and the thin, curved headlights resemble a few of the Chinese vehicles we see on the market. It doesn't necessarily have the characteristics of a Ford on the exterior. While it misses the mark of the traditional rugged look that the brand is known for, its aim was to release an SUV that looked commanding, agile and responsive. The Territory's front end is framed coast-to-coast by an integrated grille and LED daytime running lights, creating a signature light effect. The back of the vehicle has tail lights that are also curved but separated by the branding in the middle. Altogether, the exterior has a more energetic and unique feel than the average Ford. The spacious interior is the highlight of the Ford Territory. The interior I feel this is where the Territory does its best work. It continues to divert away from the extreme rugged nature of Ford SUVs, but it feels refreshing. The wooden finish underneath the very nice materials on the dashboard gives the interior an upmarket and modern feel. At the centre of the new Territory experience is a panoramic display that integrates a 12.3-inch high-definition digital instrument cluster paired to a 12.3-inch landscape infotainment touchscreen. This caps off the luxurious nature of the interior and brings it all together exceptionally well. The Titanium variant comes standard with a huge panoramic moonroof that flows all the way to the back of the vehicle. While the aesthetics blend together well, the best part of the Ford Territory is the practicality of the interior. The front passengers are treated to very large and comfortable seats and the back is as spacious as mid-sized SUVs come. This was the feedback I received from anyone who sat at the back of the vehicle — they were impressed at the amount of headroom and legroom that was offered. The interior of the Ford Territory sports a premium feel. The drive The Ford Territory has a 1.8 litre EcoBoost engine that delivers 138kW of power and 318Nm of torque. That is more than sufficient for easy overtakes on the highway. It also provides a smooth drive. The engine is refined and there's not much wind noise in the cabin. The handling and suspension also felt sturdy and solid, making navigating up steep hills effortless. The Territory felt comfortable to drive — until I hit traffic on the N3. That's when I started noticing the sensitive calibration of the brakes and throttle. The jerk I felt every time I applied the brakes became annoying. You will get used to it, but it is certainly not ideal, and it detracts from what is otherwise a splendid driving experience. Ford has claimed 7 litres/100km on the Territory but I could only manage 8.3 litres/100km when I had the vehicle on test. Safety On the safety front, all Territory models are equipped with electronic stability control with traction control; emergency brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution; hill launch assist; hill descent control and a tyre pressure monitoring system. Six airbags — dual front, side and curtain — are provided. The Titanium gains Ford's advanced driver assistance package which includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go; automatic emergency braking; blind spot information system; rear cross-traffic alert; forward collision warning with pedestrian detection; lane keep assist; lane departure warning and lane change assist. It seems that Ford has benefited greatly from its partnership with Jiangling Motors Corporation to include all of these safety features in the Territory. Pricing and verdict The Ford Territory comes in three variants: the Ambiente priced from R576 000, the Trend priced from R632 600 and the top-of-the-range Titanium priced at R707 000. The Territory is very uncharacteristic of Ford SUVs and it brings the fresh and more modern feeling that consumers have become accustomed to in this segment. The technology, along with the incredible amount of space that the Territory offers, makes it well worth the price. However, it must be noted that, with the rise of Chinese cars in South Africa, the Territory enters a segment that is packed, but it is certainly a worthy contender.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
2026 Ford Territory revealed: Familiar name for fresh-faced SUV
A new Ford Territory is scheduled to land showrooms in South America, Southeast Asia and South Africa from next month, the famous Australian name now applied to a Chinese-made SUV. There are no plans to bring the Territory to local showrooms, and the updated model is not related – apart from its name – to the Australian-made Territory sold here between 2004 and 2016. With sales kicking off in Brazil in July 2025, the 'Novo Territory' is a mid-life update of the current model. Ford is looking to capitalise on the SUV's strong sales, which quadrupled in Brazil over the last 12 months. 'Territory is the model of our portfolio that has grown the most in the last year in Brazil and South America and has room to advance even further,' Antonio Baltar Junior, Ford South America director of sales, marketing and services, said in a statement. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The Territory continues with a single model grade in Brazil, the Titanium Turbo EcoBoost priced at R$215,001 ($60,372) before on-road costs – R$3001 ($800) more than the previous model – with only key details announced so far. The biggest change is the new squared-off styling with redesigned bumpers front and rear featuring integrated fog lamps, while L-shaped 'optical' LED headlights with LED daytime running lights extend into the lower front bumper. The front also sees a new thinner, black front grille and central but raised Ford blue-oval logo in a similar style to the final Ford Escape SUV – and Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks – dropped from Australian showrooms. There are also 19-inch silver alloy wheels – bigger than any standard showroom wheel fitted to the previous Australian Territory – and more colour coding for the mirrors and door handles, peppered with chrome elements such as the side window surrounds. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The design follows the late 2024 facelift of the Chinese-market Equator Sport SUV, which is the same vehicle by another name. This model has been on sale since 2018, with the current, second generation launching in 2022. There are no changes to the key dimensions – with a 4630mm length making it 10mm longer than the previous Escape and 15mm longer than a Toyota RAV4 – and a significant 258mm shorter than the final Australian Territory (4888mm) sold in 2016. Ford Brazil says the cabin benefits from new finishes, such as new grey and brown colours, with electrically adjustable seats with 'micro-perforated' leather upholstery as well as cooling. A panoramic sunroof, rotary gear shifter and 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist tech – including Parking Assist – are also standard, along with a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and wireless smartphone charging. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 124kW of power and 250Nm of torque, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic carry over unchanged. Only front-wheel drive is available. The Ford Territory was introduced in Australia in 2004 and is one of the automaker's key masterstrokes. The Australian-made SUV was also exported to multiple markets, including South America and South Africa where it introduced the Territory name which remains in showrooms today. The rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon family sedan/wagon/ute was the basis for the Australian-made Territory. The large crossover SUV offered a masterclass in exterior design with 178mm of ground clearance and up to seven seats, combined with clever features such as an opening rear windscreen and 'wet area', all while using the Falcon's powerful 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine and offering strong 2300kg towing capability. From a manufacturing viewpoint, it also allowed parts sharing and development cost efficiencies, with the Territory and Falcon's corresponding improvements feeding into each other. Supplied Credit: CarExpert It won significant praise from the motoring media at its launch, catching arch-rival Holden flat-footed despite it cleverly using the Falcon-rivalling Commodore for a raft of different body types – yet not a thoroughly executed SUV like Territory. Holden did offer the Adventra, a jacked-up version of the Commodore wagon with all-wheel drive, but it was short-lived and its sales numbers paled in comparison to those of the Territory. A turbo-diesel version of the Territory added in 2011 helped improve fuel economy as well as increase its braked towing capacity to 2700kg for all-wheel drive variants. While Falcon sales tailed off as Ford Australia production wound down, the Territory remained a strong seller for the brand until production ended in October 2016 – easily outlasting its short-lived replacement, the Canadian-built Ford Endura (Ford Edge overseas) sold here between 2018-2020. MORE: Everything Ford
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2026 Ford Territory revealed: Familiar name for fresh-faced SUV
A new Ford Territory is scheduled to land showrooms in South America, Southeast Asia and South Africa from next month, the famous Australian name now applied to a Chinese-made SUV. There are no plans to bring the Territory to local showrooms, and the updated model is not related – apart from its name – to the Australian-made Territory sold here between 2004 and 2016. With sales kicking off in Brazil in July 2025, the 'Novo Territory' is a mid-life update of the current model. Ford is looking to capitalise on the SUV's strong sales, which quadrupled in Brazil over the last 12 months. "Territory is the model of our portfolio that has grown the most in the last year in Brazil and South America and has room to advance even further," Antonio Baltar Junior, Ford South America director of sales, marketing and services, said in a statement. The Territory continues with a single model grade in Brazil, the Titanium Turbo EcoBoost priced at R$215,001 ($60,372) before on-road costs – R$3001 ($800) more than the previous model – with only key details announced so far. The biggest change is the new squared-off styling with redesigned bumpers front and rear featuring integrated fog lamps, while L-shaped 'optical' LED headlights with LED daytime running lights extend into the lower front bumper. The front also sees a new thinner, black front grille and central but raised Ford blue-oval logo in a similar style to the final Ford Escape SUV – and Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks – dropped from Australian showrooms. There are also 19-inch silver alloy wheels – bigger than any standard showroom wheel fitted to the previous Australian Territory – and more colour coding for the mirrors and door handles, peppered with chrome elements such as the side window surrounds. The design follows the late 2024 facelift of the Chinese-market Equator Sport SUV, which is the same vehicle by another name. This model has been on sale since 2018, with the current, second generation launching in 2022. There are no changes to the key dimensions – with a 4630mm length making it 10mm longer than the previous Escape and 15mm longer than a Toyota RAV4 – and a significant 258mm shorter than the final Australian Territory (4888mm) sold in 2016. Ford Brazil says the cabin benefits from new finishes, such as new grey and brown colours, with electrically adjustable seats with 'micro-perforated' leather upholstery as well as cooling. A panoramic sunroof, rotary gear shifter and 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist tech – including Parking Assist – are also standard, along with a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and wireless smartphone charging. The turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 124kW of power and 250Nm of torque, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic carry over unchanged. Only front-wheel drive is available. The Ford Territory was introduced in Australia in 2004 and is one of the automaker's key masterstrokes. The Australian-made SUV was also exported to multiple markets, including South America and South Africa where it introduced the Territory name which remains in showrooms today. The rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon family sedan/wagon/ute was the basis for the Australian-made Territory. The large crossover SUV offered a masterclass in exterior design with 178mm of ground clearance and up to seven seats, combined with clever features such as an opening rear windscreen and 'wet area', all while using the Falcon's powerful 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine and offering strong 2300kg towing capability. From a manufacturing viewpoint, it also allowed parts sharing and development cost efficiencies, with the Territory and Falcon's corresponding improvements feeding into each other. It won significant praise from the motoring media at its launch, catching arch-rival Holden flat-footed despite it cleverly using the Falcon-rivalling Commodore for a raft of different body types – yet not a thoroughly executed SUV like Territory. Holden did offer the Adventra, a jacked-up version of the Commodore wagon with all-wheel drive, but it was short-lived and its sales numbers paled in comparison to those of the Territory. A turbo-diesel version of the Territory added in 2011 helped improve fuel economy as well as increase its braked towing capacity to 2700kg for all-wheel drive variants. While Falcon sales tailed off as Ford Australia production wound down, the Territory remained a strong seller for the brand until production ended in October 2016 – easily outlasting its short-lived replacement, the Canadian-built Ford Endura (Ford Edge overseas) sold here between 2018-2020. MORE: Everything Ford Content originally sourced from: A new Ford Territory is scheduled to land showrooms in South America, Southeast Asia and South Africa from next month, the famous Australian name now applied to a Chinese-made SUV. There are no plans to bring the Territory to local showrooms, and the updated model is not related – apart from its name – to the Australian-made Territory sold here between 2004 and 2016. With sales kicking off in Brazil in July 2025, the 'Novo Territory' is a mid-life update of the current model. Ford is looking to capitalise on the SUV's strong sales, which quadrupled in Brazil over the last 12 months. "Territory is the model of our portfolio that has grown the most in the last year in Brazil and South America and has room to advance even further," Antonio Baltar Junior, Ford South America director of sales, marketing and services, said in a statement. The Territory continues with a single model grade in Brazil, the Titanium Turbo EcoBoost priced at R$215,001 ($60,372) before on-road costs – R$3001 ($800) more than the previous model – with only key details announced so far. The biggest change is the new squared-off styling with redesigned bumpers front and rear featuring integrated fog lamps, while L-shaped 'optical' LED headlights with LED daytime running lights extend into the lower front bumper. The front also sees a new thinner, black front grille and central but raised Ford blue-oval logo in a similar style to the final Ford Escape SUV – and Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks – dropped from Australian showrooms. There are also 19-inch silver alloy wheels – bigger than any standard showroom wheel fitted to the previous Australian Territory – and more colour coding for the mirrors and door handles, peppered with chrome elements such as the side window surrounds. The design follows the late 2024 facelift of the Chinese-market Equator Sport SUV, which is the same vehicle by another name. This model has been on sale since 2018, with the current, second generation launching in 2022. There are no changes to the key dimensions – with a 4630mm length making it 10mm longer than the previous Escape and 15mm longer than a Toyota RAV4 – and a significant 258mm shorter than the final Australian Territory (4888mm) sold in 2016. Ford Brazil says the cabin benefits from new finishes, such as new grey and brown colours, with electrically adjustable seats with 'micro-perforated' leather upholstery as well as cooling. A panoramic sunroof, rotary gear shifter and 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist tech – including Parking Assist – are also standard, along with a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and wireless smartphone charging. The turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 124kW of power and 250Nm of torque, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic carry over unchanged. Only front-wheel drive is available. The Ford Territory was introduced in Australia in 2004 and is one of the automaker's key masterstrokes. The Australian-made SUV was also exported to multiple markets, including South America and South Africa where it introduced the Territory name which remains in showrooms today. The rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon family sedan/wagon/ute was the basis for the Australian-made Territory. The large crossover SUV offered a masterclass in exterior design with 178mm of ground clearance and up to seven seats, combined with clever features such as an opening rear windscreen and 'wet area', all while using the Falcon's powerful 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine and offering strong 2300kg towing capability. From a manufacturing viewpoint, it also allowed parts sharing and development cost efficiencies, with the Territory and Falcon's corresponding improvements feeding into each other. It won significant praise from the motoring media at its launch, catching arch-rival Holden flat-footed despite it cleverly using the Falcon-rivalling Commodore for a raft of different body types – yet not a thoroughly executed SUV like Territory. Holden did offer the Adventra, a jacked-up version of the Commodore wagon with all-wheel drive, but it was short-lived and its sales numbers paled in comparison to those of the Territory. A turbo-diesel version of the Territory added in 2011 helped improve fuel economy as well as increase its braked towing capacity to 2700kg for all-wheel drive variants. While Falcon sales tailed off as Ford Australia production wound down, the Territory remained a strong seller for the brand until production ended in October 2016 – easily outlasting its short-lived replacement, the Canadian-built Ford Endura (Ford Edge overseas) sold here between 2018-2020. MORE: Everything Ford Content originally sourced from: A new Ford Territory is scheduled to land showrooms in South America, Southeast Asia and South Africa from next month, the famous Australian name now applied to a Chinese-made SUV. There are no plans to bring the Territory to local showrooms, and the updated model is not related – apart from its name – to the Australian-made Territory sold here between 2004 and 2016. With sales kicking off in Brazil in July 2025, the 'Novo Territory' is a mid-life update of the current model. Ford is looking to capitalise on the SUV's strong sales, which quadrupled in Brazil over the last 12 months. "Territory is the model of our portfolio that has grown the most in the last year in Brazil and South America and has room to advance even further," Antonio Baltar Junior, Ford South America director of sales, marketing and services, said in a statement. The Territory continues with a single model grade in Brazil, the Titanium Turbo EcoBoost priced at R$215,001 ($60,372) before on-road costs – R$3001 ($800) more than the previous model – with only key details announced so far. The biggest change is the new squared-off styling with redesigned bumpers front and rear featuring integrated fog lamps, while L-shaped 'optical' LED headlights with LED daytime running lights extend into the lower front bumper. The front also sees a new thinner, black front grille and central but raised Ford blue-oval logo in a similar style to the final Ford Escape SUV – and Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks – dropped from Australian showrooms. There are also 19-inch silver alloy wheels – bigger than any standard showroom wheel fitted to the previous Australian Territory – and more colour coding for the mirrors and door handles, peppered with chrome elements such as the side window surrounds. The design follows the late 2024 facelift of the Chinese-market Equator Sport SUV, which is the same vehicle by another name. This model has been on sale since 2018, with the current, second generation launching in 2022. There are no changes to the key dimensions – with a 4630mm length making it 10mm longer than the previous Escape and 15mm longer than a Toyota RAV4 – and a significant 258mm shorter than the final Australian Territory (4888mm) sold in 2016. Ford Brazil says the cabin benefits from new finishes, such as new grey and brown colours, with electrically adjustable seats with 'micro-perforated' leather upholstery as well as cooling. A panoramic sunroof, rotary gear shifter and 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist tech – including Parking Assist – are also standard, along with a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and wireless smartphone charging. The turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 124kW of power and 250Nm of torque, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic carry over unchanged. Only front-wheel drive is available. The Ford Territory was introduced in Australia in 2004 and is one of the automaker's key masterstrokes. The Australian-made SUV was also exported to multiple markets, including South America and South Africa where it introduced the Territory name which remains in showrooms today. The rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon family sedan/wagon/ute was the basis for the Australian-made Territory. The large crossover SUV offered a masterclass in exterior design with 178mm of ground clearance and up to seven seats, combined with clever features such as an opening rear windscreen and 'wet area', all while using the Falcon's powerful 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine and offering strong 2300kg towing capability. From a manufacturing viewpoint, it also allowed parts sharing and development cost efficiencies, with the Territory and Falcon's corresponding improvements feeding into each other. It won significant praise from the motoring media at its launch, catching arch-rival Holden flat-footed despite it cleverly using the Falcon-rivalling Commodore for a raft of different body types – yet not a thoroughly executed SUV like Territory. Holden did offer the Adventra, a jacked-up version of the Commodore wagon with all-wheel drive, but it was short-lived and its sales numbers paled in comparison to those of the Territory. A turbo-diesel version of the Territory added in 2011 helped improve fuel economy as well as increase its braked towing capacity to 2700kg for all-wheel drive variants. While Falcon sales tailed off as Ford Australia production wound down, the Territory remained a strong seller for the brand until production ended in October 2016 – easily outlasting its short-lived replacement, the Canadian-built Ford Endura (Ford Edge overseas) sold here between 2018-2020. MORE: Everything Ford Content originally sourced from: A new Ford Territory is scheduled to land showrooms in South America, Southeast Asia and South Africa from next month, the famous Australian name now applied to a Chinese-made SUV. There are no plans to bring the Territory to local showrooms, and the updated model is not related – apart from its name – to the Australian-made Territory sold here between 2004 and 2016. With sales kicking off in Brazil in July 2025, the 'Novo Territory' is a mid-life update of the current model. Ford is looking to capitalise on the SUV's strong sales, which quadrupled in Brazil over the last 12 months. "Territory is the model of our portfolio that has grown the most in the last year in Brazil and South America and has room to advance even further," Antonio Baltar Junior, Ford South America director of sales, marketing and services, said in a statement. The Territory continues with a single model grade in Brazil, the Titanium Turbo EcoBoost priced at R$215,001 ($60,372) before on-road costs – R$3001 ($800) more than the previous model – with only key details announced so far. The biggest change is the new squared-off styling with redesigned bumpers front and rear featuring integrated fog lamps, while L-shaped 'optical' LED headlights with LED daytime running lights extend into the lower front bumper. The front also sees a new thinner, black front grille and central but raised Ford blue-oval logo in a similar style to the final Ford Escape SUV – and Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks – dropped from Australian showrooms. There are also 19-inch silver alloy wheels – bigger than any standard showroom wheel fitted to the previous Australian Territory – and more colour coding for the mirrors and door handles, peppered with chrome elements such as the side window surrounds. The design follows the late 2024 facelift of the Chinese-market Equator Sport SUV, which is the same vehicle by another name. This model has been on sale since 2018, with the current, second generation launching in 2022. There are no changes to the key dimensions – with a 4630mm length making it 10mm longer than the previous Escape and 15mm longer than a Toyota RAV4 – and a significant 258mm shorter than the final Australian Territory (4888mm) sold in 2016. Ford Brazil says the cabin benefits from new finishes, such as new grey and brown colours, with electrically adjustable seats with 'micro-perforated' leather upholstery as well as cooling. A panoramic sunroof, rotary gear shifter and 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist tech – including Parking Assist – are also standard, along with a 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and wireless smartphone charging. The turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 124kW of power and 250Nm of torque, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic carry over unchanged. Only front-wheel drive is available. The Ford Territory was introduced in Australia in 2004 and is one of the automaker's key masterstrokes. The Australian-made SUV was also exported to multiple markets, including South America and South Africa where it introduced the Territory name which remains in showrooms today. The rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon family sedan/wagon/ute was the basis for the Australian-made Territory. The large crossover SUV offered a masterclass in exterior design with 178mm of ground clearance and up to seven seats, combined with clever features such as an opening rear windscreen and 'wet area', all while using the Falcon's powerful 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine and offering strong 2300kg towing capability. From a manufacturing viewpoint, it also allowed parts sharing and development cost efficiencies, with the Territory and Falcon's corresponding improvements feeding into each other. It won significant praise from the motoring media at its launch, catching arch-rival Holden flat-footed despite it cleverly using the Falcon-rivalling Commodore for a raft of different body types – yet not a thoroughly executed SUV like Territory. Holden did offer the Adventra, a jacked-up version of the Commodore wagon with all-wheel drive, but it was short-lived and its sales numbers paled in comparison to those of the Territory. A turbo-diesel version of the Territory added in 2011 helped improve fuel economy as well as increase its braked towing capacity to 2700kg for all-wheel drive variants. While Falcon sales tailed off as Ford Australia production wound down, the Territory remained a strong seller for the brand until production ended in October 2016 – easily outlasting its short-lived replacement, the Canadian-built Ford Endura (Ford Edge overseas) sold here between 2018-2020. MORE: Everything Ford Content originally sourced from:
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
South Africa next? Brazil gets first showing of facelift Ford Territory
Equator Sport has been around since 2021 despite only having gone on-sale in South Africa last year with the revived Territory moniker. Compared to the Equator Sport, the revised Territory will small exterior differences for Brazil. Image: Ford Brazil Unveiled in its home market of China last year, Ford has debuted the facelift Equator Sport in Brazil as the market's first take on the second generation Territory made in the People's Republic. Until now sold in the South American nation as the controversial Yusheng S330 made the Blue Oval's Chinese partner, JMC – which attracted backlash from JLR for resembling the Range Rover Evoque – the revised Equator Sport/Territory will officially go on-sale in July with Brazil being the first country outside China to receive it. Smallest engine likely While Ford Brazil's website doesn't mention any price or specification details, expectations are that the Territory will use the same powertrain as the Equator Sport, namely the 1.5 EcoBoost mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. ALSO READ: Sharper Ford Territory debuts as facelift Equator Sport in China Producing 125kW/280Nm, the unit is, therefore, in contrast to the more powerful 1.8 that makes 140kW/320Nm in the Middle East, but detuned to 138kW/318Nm in South Africa due to our poor fuel quality. What's new? Aesthetically, the Territory has been changed subtly from the Equator Sport in that the black grille sports silver studding while the inner sections below the lights have been colour coded instead of matching the grille's black finish. Changes at the rear are also small, one being the Territory name script name in place of Equator Sport. Image: Ford Brazil Also slimmer is the L-shaped cut-in underneath the light cluster and the graphics for the taillight clusters. Elsewhere, the Territory is unchanged from the Equator Sport as it gets the new almost boomerang-shaped LED front clusters, the new grille and lower air intake, redesigned bumpers and what appears to be the same 20-inch alloy wheels. Interior, seemingly, has changed much from the pre-facelift Territory/Equator Sport. Image: Ford Brazil Inside, no changes have seemingly taken place from the pre-facelift Equator Sport/Territory. Not yet for South Africa Set to be fully detailed at a later stage, the arrival of the facelift Territory in Brazil has so far not translated into a date of arrival for South Africa, where long overdue replacement for the Kuga officially went on-sale towards the end of March last year. Despite the introduction of the limited run Black Edition last month, don't be surprised if a formal announcement confirming the facelift Territory for South Africa is made before the end of the year. NOW READ: Ford Territory not perfect, but heaven-sent for the Blue Oval
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Ford Territory is ideal for driving around the Kruger Park
The size and comfort of the SUV made spending hours on Kruger's roads easy and comfortable. My wife and I love going to the Kruger National Park, but neither of us owns a car suited to that sort of trip. So, when we were offered a Ford Territory, we jumped at the opportunity. The Ford Territory SUV in Titanium guise was a far better option than my old Kia Picanto. When my wife goes to Kruger, she likes to take half of our household items with her. Despite this, the Territory had more than enough room for our bags, cooler boxes and other miscellaneous items. ALSO READ: Ford Territory takes the sting out of the daily traffic grind Ford Territory spacious and comfortable Driving on the highway for most of the journey to the park was pleasant. The Territory is so spacious and comfortable that the long stretches on the road seemed to go by quickly. The brakes are very sharp but you get used to it fairly quickly. Although I'm not a fan of automatics, the gear changes in the Territory are fairly smooth compared to other automatics I've driven in the past. I also had to keep checking the speedometer – on a few occasions I found myself going above the speed limit, but it felt like we were casually cruising. It is, however, quite a thirsty car. On the open road we were averaging 9.2L/100km, but that did decrease to 8.5L/km once we were driving very slowly in the Kruger Park. The Ford Territory offers plenty of space inside the cabin. Picture: Gareth Cotterell It was inside the park that the beauty of this car revealed itself. The Territory is perfect for this. ALSO READ: Ford Territory gets the feminine vote as a comfortable daily ride Perfect for game viewing The nature of spending a few days in the Kruger Park is that you spend most of the day inside the car. The ample room inside meant we never felt like we were on top of each other. There was also plenty of space – and compartments – for the many items taken on game drives, such as binoculars, snacks, bird books and a flask of coffee. The 190mm ground clearance also became handy when viewing game. This was most obvious when a scrum of cars formed next to a hyena with a clutch of cubs right next to the road. Even when other cars were trying to squeeze into every available space between us and the pups, we were still able to keep an eye on them. ALSO READ: Ford puts price on new Dark Edition attired Territory A hyena mom with her puppies in the Kruger Park. Picture: Gareth Cotterell Kruger's dirt roads no match The other standout moment for the Ford Territory came when we decided to take a quick evening drive to a waterhole near our camp. My wife decided she'd drive there. The small dam was only accessible via a dirt road. Now the car had been on a few dirt roads already and handled them with no problem, but this particular road was different. The whole stretch was craggy and regular potholes rivalled some of the worst roads in Joburg. The car handled the road superbly, my wife not so much. I drove back to our camp – while my wife calmed her nerves with a beer – and found the drive fun. I stupidly forgot to try out the Mountain driving mode for this part of the park, but it probably wasn't even necessary. All in all, the Ford Territory is ideal for visiting the Kruger Park. The size and comfort are perfect for people like us, who spend most of the day winding up and down the roads, but still enjoy being cosy while we do it.
