Ford Territory not perfect, but heaven-sent for the Blue Oval

There could not have been a single soul at Ford Motor Company South Africa, and any of their dealers located around the country, that would have been happy with the product cull that the global company went on.

Two very popular models in our local lineup, the EcoSport and Figo were discontinued, along with the Kuga nameplate. The Fiesta bowed out globally too and Focus became too expensive to bring in. There was not a lot keeping the Ford name flying other than Ranger, Everest and Mustang.

Ford SA then brought in the European-sourced Puma, but it has not been well received by a buying public that expects better value for money from the brand. So you could say that the new Ford Territory, which is not the old Territory from years ago, could not have come at a better time.

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Ford Territory put to the test

The new Ford Territory is currently Ford’s best-selling passenger car in South Africa and The Citizen Motoring got to spend a week with the middle spec Trend model that retails for R646 600.

Let’s get the Chinese elephant out the room right up front. The Ford Territory is a Chinese-sourced vehicle. As such you can see that it doesn’t quite look like the Fords we are used to seeing on our roads. This translates into the interior which does not feature the Ford Sync system we have become used to.

What it does offer is proper, mid-size segment, space for five adults and their luggage and some decent tech. And a 138kW/318Nm petrol EcoBoost 1.8-litre mated to a seven-speed double clutch transmission.

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Drivetrain hiccups

Let’s touch on the engine/gearbox combo. On the open road and if you are not in a huge hurry to get places then this setup will work for you. But I felt that the slow response of the accelerator pedal when commanding something to happen with the engine around town was a pain.

It was if you had to anticipate the gap in the traffic when pulling out of a side road because of this delay. At least thereafter, the level of forward momentum was acceptable and the gearbox shifted smoothly and in an equally relaxed fashion.

Chinese manufacturers love to program the maximum amount of aggression into the accelerator and gearbox to provide owners with a “sportier” drive. But all this does is make for a jerky car that wants to spin the front wheels all the time and use unnecessary fuel.

The Ford Territory on the other hand gets down into the 8-litres per 100km bracket without trying too hard. One day, the Chinese will get this calibration thing right, but today is not that day.

ALSO READ: Intentions clear: All-new Ford Territory stakes its claim

Safe as a house

Thankfully, and I say this because I can’t take the number of pings and pongs the cars from the East have engineered into them, the Trend spec Ford Territory does not have every electronic nanny available on planet earth fitted. You still get plenty in the form of driver-assist features and technologies such as Blind Spot Information System with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Door Open Alarm, as well as Hill Descent Control and Enhanced Active Park Assist etc.

There is also a power tailgate, rear-view camera, wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 7-inch infotainment system to name some of the features in this family SUV.

The real irony is that while the all-new Ford Territory SUV finds itself playing in a segment that offers potential buyers over 30 products to choose from within the established brands such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia and Mazda, it’s the “other” Chinese brands in Haval, Chery and Jaecoo that will pose the biggest threat to this newcomer that wears the Blue Oval when it comes to taking your money.