Ford Territory Impresses With Reliability, Stability and Real-World Fuel Efficiency Over Time

The Ford Territory has remained reliable...

Stable in the sense that nothing has broken or malfunctioned. There have been no unexpected oil leaks, flat tires, or glitches with the infotainment screen or the digital cockpit. Fuel consumption has been relatively the same, with figures consistently ranging between 8L and 10L per 100km.

Power problems?

Power, however, has become more of a pain to me at times. I’ve mentioned somewhere along in my previous reviews that on an incline, the Ford Territory Titanium struggles a bit to pull its weight, resulting in an overexertion of its 1.8L EcoBoost engine.

The Territory, which uses a CVT transmission, makes 138kW and 318Nm of torque. In future, I hope that a little power will be bestowed on a newer generation of Territory just to take out the hassle of dealing with a steep incline.

A new Territory has arrived in South Africa, though, and it seems fitting that I shed some light on it here, as it may or may not help you decide on which is the better option in the Territory lineup.

Ford has recently introduced the Ford Territory Dark Edition, which sits above all the other variants. I’ve driven the Dark Edition, and visually, it looks great. Learn more about it here:

Other gripes I mentioned previously, such as the gloss black finishes showing up fingerprints, the infotainment system not quite up to scratch compared to other higher-end Fords, have not really bothered me in the past month.

These things can be easily overlooked, and like with anything else, the more you use it, the less you notice it and the more comfortable you become with it.

A unique selling point...

But let's rehash some of the positives now, such as the comfort of housing a family of five. I bring this up every time in my Territory reviews, and I believe rightfully so. I think the amount of space a SUV provides is an important selling point, particularly if a brand’s target audience is family-oriented.

I mean, I’ve driven SUVs in all different sizes in the past, and some are, shockingly, short on space, despite having a large appearance from the outside. As a parent, I also can’t stress enough how valuable rear space is for your kids.

My kids tend to play around at the back when we aren’t driving, and the Territory adequately provides them with enough space to do so.

A modest yet striking design

Another positive is actually the design of the Ford Territory. It really has grown on me more after such a long time.

The aforementioned visual appeal of the Dark Edition makes it a home run, but the Titanium variant oozes coolness at its rear with its slim brake lights and ‘Territory’ letters that sit under the famous blue oval badge.

A rear window spoiler is the chef's kiss. While the Territory doesn’t catch the eyes of pedestrians like other fancy test cars I drive, it has a quiet aura about it: sleek, American-esque, and well-proportioned.

This is my penultimate update of the Territory; my next one will be a wrap-up of my overall time spent with it. In that review, I’ll give my final thoughts and perhaps have a broader look at where the Territory actually fits in among the plethora of SUV options out there.

While I look forward to giving a last update on it, it will be a bittersweet moment to realise that these are the final moments with a car that has unmistakably become a part of my and my family’s life.