Ford's RWD Everest not a Territory successor

Ford's rear-wheel drive Everest Trend is scheduled to go on sale in September – just one month before production of the locally-built Territory ends.

The Everest 4x2 is a vehicle hand-chosen to fill a very specific gap in the expanding market for SUVs – soon to outsell passenger cars in this country. But it's not a replacement for the Territory, which will end its 12-year run in October.

Asked whether Ford planned for the new Everest variant to fill the gap left by the seven-seat Territory, Ford Australia president Graeme Whickman told motoring.com.au: "I see it slightly differently; certainly the strategy is different.

"We're trying to expand our SUV line-up in any area we can, where we see an opportunity...

"This is independent of a Territory replacement discussion... there appears to be a customer 'want' [for 4x2 Everest]; we've been able to react to that want over six or seven months to think our way through these... you don't just sort of pop a 4x2 out.

"I see them [Territory and Everest] independent of each other; I don't see the relationship. I know the relationship is separate..."

Whickman also denied that Ford was offering the Everest 4x2 in the Trend grade, rather than the base-grade Ambiente, in order to leave room for the Territory's replacement (the Ford Edge) at around the $50,000 mark.

A source at Ford has previously told motoring.com.au that the Canadian-built Edge will be the vehicle that replaces the Territory in Australia. All that lends weight to Whickman's argument that the 4x2 Everest isn't aimed at Ford customers who have purchased the Territory in the past.

But Whickman also revealed that "three quarters" of Territory sales were rear-wheel drive models. There's bound to be at least some overlap: Territory owners trading up to the Everest – developed in Australia – rather than the soft-road Edge.

Ford Australia is expected to announce any time now that the Edge – likely rebadged 'Territory' for Australia – will be the nominal successor to the locally-built Territory. And the introduction of a rear-wheel drive Everest variant is further testament to that.

"Territory replacement discussion [with media and the public] is not far away," said Whickman. "Imminent, I would suggest, and in reasonably short order.

"The speculation around the Edge, I can't comment on. We've bantered in the past around this; we already disclosed that we would have a Territory replacement, as early as late 2013. We're working on that; there's been a bit of speculation around its name.

"I believe Toyota has the rights to the name 'Edge', so we'll work our way through some of the nomenclature in the background. But it hasn't changed in terms of the message I gave you probably two months ago."

It's handy for Ford, in one sense, that Toyota owns the 'Edge' name, since 'Territory' is a name already so well established in Australia. And a new model bearing that name will likely pick up sales faster than a vehicle wearing a previously unknown name. Ford Australia can conceivably build sales of the imported Territory at a quicker pace precisely because it won't be marketed as the Edge here.

While the Edge is built in seven-seat form in China, it's speculated that the Edge for Australia will be sourced from Canada, the supplier for the right-hand drive, UK-spec Edge, which is diesel-powered.

So the Edge for Australia ('Territory') is anticipated to lack third-row seating and a petrol engine option. Will that matter? Possibly not, given most Territory sales currently are diesels – and contrary to Ford's expectations the petrol/diesel sales split has favoured diesels ever since the introduction of the V6 engine.

The lack of seven-seat capacity may be a stumbling block for Edge, however.