Three Months With Ford Territory Shows Its Strength As A Practical And Comfortable Family SUV

It did in fact do so. To the unacquainted. The Ford Territory is a mid-sized SUV that is built in China. The range is made up of four models in South Africa, namely Ambiente, Trend, Titanium, and the Dark edition, which is scheduled to launch in the country very soon. On test, I have the Titanium, and it comes with a 1.8l EcoBoost engine mated to a seven-speed DCT transmission, enabling an output of 138kW power and 318Nm of torque.

My first two months proved that the Territory’s strength lies in its spacious cabin, which is ideal for a family. I also noticed that in that period, the FWD system was something I grew accustomed to the more I drove it. There were some things I wasn’t too fond of, such as the gloss black finishes found in the cabin that can make dirt marks stand out more, and the wee bit of power struggle it has on an incline. Other than that, it’s been smooth sailing.

In my previous update, I mentioned that I would focus on the switchgear and the general build quality of the interior. So far, things have felt solid and nothing has broken. The fact that nothing has broken after three months, with my kids’ tendency to fidget with buttons and dials, is great. I still, however, feel that the Territory doesn’t quite have that overall Ford feel to it the same way a Puma or Everest does. Now I’m aware that they are very different vehicles, but I suppose I’ve gotten so used to using a Ford that comes with a massive portrait infotainment screen.

This brings me to the user experience with the horizontal infotainment screen in the Territory. It certainly isn’t bad, and it’s pretty straightforward to use and navigate. My gripe with it is the quality of the graphics. The quality of the reverse camera is just okay as well, not amazing, but I feel there’s room for Ford to make the image clearer in future. The quality here is not a deal breaker though as I’ve come across some horrid-looking reverse-camera screens in the past (I won’t mention names).

One other thing where I think the infotainment screen could be improved for the driver is to have it slanted more toward the driver. This will make it so that the driver has to turn their head less to look at the screen while driving. This goes for all infotainment screens that are like this. Also, the screen could be closer to the driver. I’ve found myself having to stretch my arm far out to get my index finger on the screen, which can be a bit distracting.

All in all, the Territory has become a great companion over the past three months. I’m still, however, trying to bring my fuel consumption average lower. Right now I’m hovering between 9-10l per 100km. But on a trip from Cape Town’s CBD to Stellenbosch at a cruising speed of 90km/h, that figure can come down to about 7l per 100km. Still, my goal remains: to bring the fuel consumption down over the next months.

Stay tuned for the next review…