With the success of the locally-built Ranger, the well-received Everest, and surprisingly robust sales from the recently introduced Puma, Ford South Africa looks to maintain its momentum by introducing a new mid-sized SUV, bringing back the Territory nameplate. We headed down to the Western Cape to attend the newcomer's national media launch, and we have all the details you need!
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The revival of a name
The Territory will be a familiar name for South Africans, with the first Australia-built model having been sold locally during the early 2000s, including the rather potent Territory ST, which is still a favourite among performance fans, with its Barra engine going on to cement itself as an icon within the tuning community. Moving on to 2024, Ford South Africa has revived the model locally, with the new version being far removed from its predecessor but still targeted at families looking for a relatively affordable, spacious SUV.
The JMC in the room
Ford and the Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) entered into a partnership back in 2018, whereby JMC would build a compact crossover for the American brand with the underpinnings taken from the Yusheng S330 SUV and the design, drivetrain and final product being overseen, tested and developed by Ford. Thus, the first Chinese-built Territory was born.
In 2022, the second generation of the Territory, still based on the same platform, was launched, boasting a completely new design penned by Ford designers in Australia; it was then launched to various South American countries, areas of South East Asia and now, South Africa. The partnership with JMC has allowed Ford to enter the market with a competitively-priced product, in a segment with no less than 35 options for consumers to choose from!
Design
Interior
Drivetrain
Powering the Territory is a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Ford-JMC joint venture. It produces 138kW and 318Nm of torque sent through the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox sourced from Magna, formerly Getrag. A 0-100km/h time is not provided, and neither is a top speed; however, claimed fuel returns are 7.0 L/100km.
Gradewalk
The Territory is available in three trims: Ambiente, Trend and Titanium. The entry point Ambiente comes with rear privacy glass, rear air vents, air conditioning, a six-speaker sound system, a 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a digitised instrument cluster, a multi-function steering wheel, three USB ports, cruise control, rear parking sensors, cloth-covered seats and 18-inch alloy wheels. Moving up to the Trend, there's an electric-powered tailgate, automatic headlights/ windscreen wipers, vinyl seat and steering wheel trim, dual-zone climate control, a wireless smartphone charger, a one-touch driver’s window, a reverse camera and an electrochromic rearview mirror.
The flagship Titanium gets 19-inch alloy wheels, chrome finishes on the door handles, heated/power-folding reviewer mirrors, puddle lamps, front parking sensors, full leather trim for the seats and steering wheel, a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat and 4-way adjustable passenger seat, twin-panel panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting and a larger 12.3-inch instrument cluster plus eight speakers in the audio system.
Safety
All models are equipped with Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control, Emergency Brake Assist, Hill Launch Assist, Hill Descent Control and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). A total of six airbags are provided, comprising dual front, side and curtain airbags.
The Titanium derivative gets a host of driver assistance systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Warning with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Assist and Traffic Jam Assistant. The product achieved a five-star rating from the Chinese New Car Assessment Programme (C-NCAP), and there are no plans for other programmes to conduct similar testing.
South African additions
Since South African buyers have different requirements from those of other markets, Ford has added a Thatcham alarm system while developing a tow bar for the product, while improving the braked towing capacity to 1 310kg.
Driving impression
Out on the road, the Territory is agreeable, with the aforementioned drivetrain providing reasonably brisk acceleration and the gearbox not feeling clunky or slow to respond. Throttle calibration, regardless of the driving mode selected is good, however, the brake calibration is incredibly sharp, and some regulation is required to get used to this.
An area where the new model really shines is on imperfect road conditions, where the suspension soaks-up the bumps and changes in road conditions very well. At speeds below 100 km/h the Territory is quiet, and refined, however, when reaching the national speed limit, there is a bit more wind and tyre road penetrating the cabin than we had expected.
Despite the claimed fuel consumption of 7.0 L/100km, at the launch event, our average across two derivatives of the product came to 8.9 L/100km; however, these figures could come down as the engine is run in, but don't expect exceptional efficiency from the newcomer.
Verdict
The new Territory has entered one of the most competitive automotive segments in the market, and, from initial impressions, the product holds up reasonably well, ticking many of the proverbial boxes for a family SUV while benefitting from some branch cache, which should garner sales. The brand has not tried to reinvent the wheel here, offering a product that sits firmly in the middle of many of the buying categories that matter, while excelling in a few, and perhaps that is its biggest strength, its ability to offer a package worthy of consideration at a reasonable price.
Pricing
Pricing for the Territory includes a 6-year/90 000km service plan; however, if the buyer would not like this included, R14 000 will be deducted from the total price. Included in both prices is a 4-year/120 000km warranty, 4-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and 5-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty
| Pricing without service plan | Pricing with service plan | |
| Territory Ambiente 1.8L EcoBoost 7AT | R576 000 | R590 000 |
| Territory Trend 1.8L EcoBoost 7AT | R632 600 | R646 600 |
| Territory Titanium 1.8L EcoBoost 7AT | R707 000 | R721 000 |
