Dev boss dismisses diesel-only Territory

Territory will add a diesel powerplant to its line-up, but the core product will stay petrol. That's the word from the man that heads the team charged with developing Ford Australia's innovative softroader and its Falcon stablemate.

While he would not comment on timelines for the long, long awaited turbodiesel Territory, Ford Australia's Product Development Director Russell Christophers told the Carsales Network it would be "a mistake" to move to a pure diesel line-up for the softroader.

"I think it would be a mistake if we did that, because we would be losing volume," Christophers stated at this week's SY MkII Territory media launch.

"People don't buy diesels because they like diesel. People buy diesel [cars] because it's a cost of ownership issue. If you can deliver a better cost of ownership solution, I think people
go to that rather than buy diesel," he opined.

"That's probably not the case in real offroad four-wheel drives... But Territory is not a real offroad vehicle, so I think people are looking for cost of ownership [and] some [of the] kudos that comes with having a diesel engine now -- especially if it's a sophisticated diesel."

The main barrier to Ford adopting an all-diesel Territory range is end cost, says Christophers. He says much of this is linked to tempering the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) issues inherent with even modern diesel engine installations.

"Where we have positioned Territory, that [poor NVH] is unacceptable. That [Territory] customer is a sophisticated customer. That customer wants to have a diesel engine but doesn't want to know they've got a diesel engine.

"The cost of those [sophisticated passenger car] diesel engines compared to trucks is both in the engine and in the way you isolate the engine from the cabin. The European guys are using a full periphery seal between the hood and the engine compartment; they've got double skin bulkheads; they just add a shedload of cost into the vehicle.

"Bottom line is it's a really expensive solution...  Some people will never get payback on a diesel. And some people just won't be able to stretch the X-thousand dollars it's going to take to get there [to buy a turbodiesel Territory].

"So I think you're walking away from a number of customers if you offer diesel only," Christophers explained.

But the Ford development boss says the maker is still committed to a diesel option.

"Half of the medium SUV market is now diesel, so you have to be in there.

"That doesn't mean you'll double your [sales] volume if you have a diesel, you'll probably increase your volume by about 50 per cent... I think if you want to increase your volume you have to have diesel. We want to increase Territory volume," he stated.

Timing of the launch of the turbodiesel and petrol versions of the all-new Territory is still closely held by Ford insiders.

The BF MKII Falcon was on sale around 14 months ahead of the FG's early 2008 debut. Based on this week's launch of the SY MKII Territory that same sort of timeframe would position the new Territory at mid-2010.

Initially, it seemed likely the model change would align with the above and next year's Euro 4 emission laws, however, this week's news the existing pre-FG inline six-cylinder petrol powertrain can be upgraded to meet the new regs readily (more here) suggests Ford may choose to push back the debut -- perhaps as late as 2011.

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