Ford Territory Turbo Ghia 2006 Review

Road test

Performance SUVs are a small but growing niche in this country. But with most offerings coming from Euro-prestige brands and with six figure pricetags, soccer mums and dads with a need for speed on a tighter budget have been left out -- until recently.

Enter Ford's turbocharged Territory, which arrived in showrooms in June as the flagship of the popular medium-sized Territory range. With Ford currently on target to sell around 20,000 Territory wagons this year (and about 10 percent or 2000 of those made up of Turbo sales) it's a firm indication that there's a small but keen market for fast, affordable family freighters.

We tested the 'up-spec' Ghia Turbo Territory, which comes well-equipped with a few more convenience and safety features than the standard Turbo model. Like any Territory, the Turbo Ghia is comfortable, roomy, and easy to live with, with almost enough subtle 'performance' touches and extra goodies to justify its flagship status.

We say almost because at $11,500 more than the 'standard' Turbo, which is similar mechanically, you might question the extra bickies for interior highlights such as leather trim and other 'non-essentials' including a reversing camera and dual-zone climate control. That said, the Ghia's side airbags are a welcome safety feature.

There's no doubting its performance credentials, however. The combination of road hugging four-wheel drive, Dynamic Stability Control and upgraded front brakes and tyres allows the punchy 245kW/480Nm turbo six-cylinder petrol engine to be confidently exploited -- even on loose surfaces.

The six-speed auto is a good match for the engine, slurring the changes as it sprints towards the horizon in an impressive 7.0secs -- about line-ball with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche's 'entry level' performance SUVs.

Coming in strong from around 3000rpm, the extra boost is especially handy when overtaking or hauling a full load up mountainous roads. In fact, the Turbo is faster than it feels, perhaps due to its fuss-free nature or rising engine noise at higher revs.

Although top-heavy, it manages to conceal its 2145kg bulk well on flowing corners, only really getting flustered and wanting to push wide when punted too hard on the tighter stuff. And despite its sporting ability, ride comfort has been maintained, no doubt helped by the plush seats.

The main downfall of a vehicle like this apart from its size is its thirst. We managed to keep fuel consumption to a reasonable 14.0litre/100km -- Ford's claimed figure. That said, a lot of our driving was on the freeway. Punt it hard, as it was designed to be, especially in stop-start urban traffic, and you'll pay for it at the pump.

While not quite in the same league as the V8 offerings from the Euro heavy-hitters, the Territory Ghia Turbo does offer a very similar experience at around half the price. In many ways it's a locally-built performance car bargain -- but only if you can justify the extra dollars over the 'standard' Turbo and cope with the higher fuel bills.