The AutoTrader team has added another daily driver to our long-term fleet by swapping out our long-term Puma for the new Territory. Here are our impressions after nearly a month on board!
Related: Ford Territory 1.8T Trend (2024) video review
Pros:
-Feels genuinely impressive on the open road
-Ride comfort
-Spacious interior
Cons:
-Irksome Start/Stop system
-Drivetrain calibration could be better
-Lack of Ford Sync ecosystem in infotainment system
Six months in a Territory
After spending six months aboard the brand's Puma, the editorial team were offered an upgrade from the brand in the form of a mid-spec Trend derivative of the Territory. I've driven the car for the past three weeks and have a slightly different impression of it than I did after the national media launch.
Styling
The exterior of the Territory isn't going to win any design awards. Still, it is immediately identifiable as a Ford product from its front-end design and is executed well enough to have a broad appeal and cater for a large audience. Many products in this segment lean towards the more generic end of the spectrum, and that's because they're utilitarian, and there's something quite endearing about a product designed to be functional. We must also acknowledge that designers' hands are tied-up by safety regulations and the need to be conservative in their approach, making truly unique aesthetics rare in this segment.
Interior & Space
Inside the Territory is a mixed bag; you see, the general fit, finish and material quality are good, but aside from the badge on the steering wheel, the door handles and switches that reside below them, along with some of the audible beeps and bongs emitted when using the vehicle, there isn't much that ties this product with other Fords locally. This is because the Territory is part of Ford's Chinese product division. You'll quickly see the family resemblance with a glance at models such as the Escort and Mondeo Sport (built by Changan). As a result, items such as the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system are completely different from a user experience perspective. If you're unfamiliar with the Ford Sync systems, this will not be an issue, but those who have used them will note the difference in the functionality on offer. Still, there's wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on a screen with reasonably good resolution, which can, thankfully, also be operated via a small toggle switch in the centre console.
Practicality is near class-leading, as the Territory is longer, wider and taller than the Hyundai Grand Creta, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Jaecoo J7! The rear occupant space is particularly impressive, and it has slightly encroached on boot space, despite a reasonable boot size of 448-litres, with 1 422-litres available and the second row of seats folded. I managed to fit my medium-frame 29er mountain bike in the back without removing the front wheel, which is always a sign of a cavernous interior!
Braked towing capacity, at 1 310kg, isn't going to set any records. Still, it's more than sufficient for a vehicle of this type, and the 190mm of ground clearance and high-profile tyres make mild off-road driving on gravel possible.
Drivetrain
Related: Ford Territory (2024) Road-Trip Review
Driving impression
Throughout my near-month-long stint with the Territory, I noted some pros and cons to the driving experience. The issues are all related to low-speed driving and compound one another. The vehicle's start/stop system will sometimes switch the engine off before the car comes to a complete stop. Then, paradoxically, the engine will only switch back on when it detects you're pressing the accelerator instead of when your right foot comes off the brake. This would be okay in some instances, but when combined with the odd calibration of the gearbox and engine, once the engine fires up again, the clutch grabs, and the car lurches forward, meaning keen throttle modulation needs to be learned. The same can be said for the brake pedal, which is too sharp. When all three of these calibration issues come together, which isn't all the time, low-speed driving is far less refined than it could be. The easiest solution is to switch off the start/stop system, which, in combination with more time spent adapting to the car's throttle and brake calibration, makes things easier. This can, and most likely will all be resolved with updated versions of the car.
With the negatives out of the way, let's move on to what the car does well: mid-to-high-speed cruising. The Territory is comfortable and effortless to use at speeds above 20 km/h, offering a soft ride quality, good noise cancellation and refinement that has made many of my traffic-laden commutes bearable. The comfort combined with the spacious interior means that it doubles as a great companion to transport me to my hobbies by swallowing my golf clubs and mountain bike, which is the point of a car like this.
Fuel economy
Ford claims a fuel consumption figure of 7.0 L/100km, but our real-world figure of 8.2 L/100km is a bit higher than the claim but entirely reasonable for a vehicle such as this. We have managed to slowly reduce the average fuel returns. Having now used three tanks of fuel, we've had a chance to gauge what the car is actually using versus what the computer tells us it is, and while the computer is under-reading with a figure of 8.2 L/100km, the actual figure of 8.57 L/100km is acceptable on a mixed driving cycle.
Safety
We have created a handy Ford Territory safety piece, which you can read here.
Pricing
At R632 600, the Trend-spec Territory is competitively priced. However, bear in mind that you'll have to pay an additional R14 000 for a 6-year/90 000km service plan.
Check our how much repayments will be on each derivative of the Ford Territory.
Rivals
The Trend derivative of the Territory sits in the middle of a very congested segment.
| Model | Price |
| Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max 1.6TGDI 290T Executive AWD | R 609 900 |
| Hyundai Grand Creta 1.5D Elite | R 644 500 |
| Jaecoo J7 1.6T Inferno AWD | R 679 900 |
Verdict
One month into our stint with the Territory, we're adapting to the quirks of the newcomer while discovering that it is more efficient and comfortable than our initial impression at the national media launch had us believe. Keep an eye on our socials as we progress with our extended review of the car, and, based on the fact that our vehicle had 10 000km on the odometer when it arrived, we will very likely have a chance to document a service experience in the model, so stay tuned!
