FAMILY ASSORTMENT: SUV
Also see: Overview - Main Story; Small hatch - Toyota Corolla Conquest; Medium Wagon - Mazda Mazda6 Touring
Ford Territory Ghia AWD
Specifications for Ford Territory Ghia AWD here
The Territory's 2004 arrival was a significant milestone for Ford in Australia. And with 20:20 hindsight its development seems like an obvious move rather than the courageous $500 million investment plunge it actually was.
In case you didn't know, the Territory is an SUV. And like cookies, candy and hip-hop we inherited that term from the USA, where canny marketers further fractured the car market by creating the Sport Utility Vehicle.
Originally a sub-set of the four-wheel drive (or should that be four-by-four?) category, SUVs began their rapid rise to popularity in the early 1990s. Not always, but often 4WD, their appeal is based on generous space, easy access for passengers and cargo, as well as a commanding view from behind the wheel. And on an emotional level they promise the possibility (and image) of an adventurous lifestyle for those unwilling to load the family into a more conservative wagon or people mover.
Tellingly, as a direct result of the Territory's ongoing success, Ford has recently put the Falcon wagon to the sword. Production of this Aussie classic finished in June 2010, and the final examples will flow through dealers in the last half of this year.
Toyota's Prado and Kluger lead the medium SUV sales race, with Holden's Captiva behind them, and the Territory in fourth. Not a huge surprise given the Territory's getting long in the tooth (and the Captiva's lower entry price), with a replacement model due in the first half of next year.
In the interim, a Mark II upgrade from early 2009 has helped it stay competitive, with sheetmetal changes to the bonnet, a revised front bumper, grille and headlights, as well as specification upgrades across the range.
Although relatively compact when compared to some of the more monstrous SUV's stalking school drop-off zones around the country, the Territory is big in this context. It is a full 610mm (that's two feet for you old-school imperial types) longer than the shortest Corolla, and 220mm taller overall than the low-level Mazda.
The Territory is available in three models -- TX, TS and Ghia -- each offering a choice between rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). All are powered by the same 190kW/383Nm 4.0-litre, inline six cylinder engine. A 2.7-litre turbodiesel V6 engine is scheduled to arrive in 2011.
Territory models offer a choice of four-speed and six-speed automatic transmissions, with the AWD models exclusively the latter. The six-speed auto AWD drivetrain returns a claimed fuel economy of 12.5L/100km. The most frugal of the Territorys, the rear-wheel drive six-speeders, drop that official figure into the 11s.
Prices range from just under $40K to around $58K. And to fit the $40 bracket our ideal family test car would have been a midrange TS AWD at around $49,000. That wasn't to be, however, and we had to slum it in the flagship Ghia AWD.
The TS isn't short on standard equipment, featuring everything from climate-control air-conditioning and premium audio, to cruise control, electric windows and remote central-locking. As well, there's a full array of active and passive safety features.
So we all did our best to discount the Ghia's lengthy list of extra features, the highlights being leather seat inserts, 18-inch alloys, and six-way power driver's seat with memory. The hardest to ignore in this family environment was the roof-mounted rear DVD player.
ON THE ROAD
Clambering into the big Territory for the first time Rachel Cleary exclaimed it "feels like a hotel". And while I know for a fact she hasn't checked in to many five-star pubs lately, I also know what she means.
While the styling (exterior and interior) is relatively restrained, our test Territory's combination of 'Silhouette' black exterior, tinted 'privacy glass' and 'Cashmere' leather seat trim came off as a bit Gold Coast; the Coffeys going as far as dubbing it the "drug lord's car". Although Amelia Coffey did add "It's so cool" (Note to parents: Keep an eye on that girl!).
And 'car' becomes a debatable term in reference to a vehicle of this size and type. Though compact compared to some of its larger SUV competitors, the Territory is still a big bus. And after the Corolla and Mazda6 it feels like you need a base camp support team and oxygen tanks backing up your first ascent to the cabin. But jokes aside, as Kim Coffey noted, "It's easy to get everyone in".
Once acclimatised, all families appreciated the "big, spacious and comfortable" interior. However, there were several comments suggesting there isn't as much room in the front as you'd expect, while Rachel Cleary declared, "There's plenty of space in the back", and Will Thomas noted, "The boot is humungous".
On the move the Coffeys and Clearys said the Territory felt more like a 4WD than a car, while the relatively small jump from their own Mitsubishi Outlander meant this wasn't such a factor for Team Thomas.
Biggest pluses were the "lovely", "really comfortable" seats, "simple and clear" instrumentation, "well-weighted" steering and "good" brakes.
In true Blues Brothers style Andrew Coffey noted the six cylinder Territory's "got some pick-up", with Anne Cleary agreeing "A bit of power is nice, but it doesn't race away". And the "smooth" transmission was given two thumbs up all around.
Black mark for ride comfort though, the Clearys calling the Territory "unexpectedly bouncy" on anything other than billiard table smooth roads. The Coffeys went a step further in saying: "The suspension is more like a truck".
Visibility came in for a bit of stick as well, particularly at the rear (despite our test car featuring a rear view camera). And you know how we were all going to ignore 'our' test Ghia's extra features. Well there's one we have to mention. Ford calls the Ghia's roof-mounted rear DVD player 'Hollywood on the highway' and complete with wireless headsets it's great for keeping the kids entertained and parents sane. However, its big drawback is folding down the screen completely blocks the driver's vision from the interior rear-view mirror. Doh!
Random notes:
Andrew Coffey found the Territory's turning circle "surprisingly tight for a big car"
Ian Thomas thought the interior trim finish was a bit "plasticky"
Kim Coffey noted the combination of three kids and only two pairs of headsets for the rear DVD was a possible catalyst for back seat nuclear war
Rachel Cleary liked the "big cup holders, for big drinks, in a big car"
Ian Thomas and Anne Cleary thought the large side mirrors were "terrific"
Summary:
Big on space and performance, the Territory swallows a family like a sardine dropping into a pelican's beak. But even in top-spec Ghia trim, it's surprisingly short on ride comfort and refinement. Great seats, good steering and a smooth drivetrain go some way towards off-setting the bouncy suspension. And the view from behind the wheel is commanding (although rear visibility isn't great). Overall, our test team found an SUV of this scale to be somewhat over-size for the demands of claustrophobic city driving. A view that can only be magnified by the drain on resources (financial and otherwise) when visiting the fuel bowser.
Read more about our families' car of choice here
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site