Ford Territory takes the sting out of the daily traffic grind

When motor manufacturers fire off press releases, they’re usually full of hyperbole, and the actual driving experience often does not match the marketing hype.

However, Ford recently got it spot on when it decided to punt its Territory mid-size SUV as a way to soothe the furrowed brows of commuter motoring.

How much time do we spend in traffic?

Picking up on recent research, Ford’s marketing people noted that, on average, a driver in Cape Town would spend 42 minutes a day in traffic — or a horrifying 163 hours per year of effectively wasted time.

The Territory, they claimed, would help take the pain out of commuting. And, after a long period of testing, involving half a dozen drivers and plenty of urban commuting (although done in Joburg which, believe it or not, is better than the Mother City when it comes to traffic), we would have to agree.

All testers commented on how the Territory was comfortable to drive and quick and easy to get used to. Interestingly, one or two people said they preferred it to the Territory’s big brother, the Everest large SUV, especially when driving around town.

Having spent extended periods in both, I would put that down to the sheer size of the Everest – although the more you drive that car, the more it fits like a glove and shrinks around you.

Ford reckons the array of luxury and safety goodies in the well-equipped Territory will more than take the sting out of the daily traffic grind.

What I like about the Ford Territory

First up for me in terms of pros for the car would be that it is an automatic – a seven-speed dual-clutch one, which provides smooth changes and, obviously, does away with stress to your left clutch leg.

Having been caught up recently in a few treacly traffic jams in my manual Subaru Forester, the ball of my left foot – which seems to be worst affected by the clutch actions required in stop-start driving – seconds that opinion.

In addition, the clever electronics of the gearbox mean you can choose between Normal mode (name says it all); Eco (for fuel saving); Sport (“punchier throttle response and dynamic steering for a more engaging experience,” says Ford); or Mountain mode (for more control throttle response on uneven off-road terrain).

The latter probably won’t be applicable in town unless you go climbing pavements.

Air conditioning is good—something that surprised me a bit, given that the car is produced in China, where I mistakenly thought cool cabins might not be a priority.

However, the Territory was, like the Everest, largely designed by a team in Australia and aimed specifically at beating the heat and other challenges in tropical climates.

Plenty of gadgets to keep you safe in Ford Territory

There’s plenty of space in the Territory for driver and passenger and anyone in the back seat… and feeling cramped is not going to make you any more cheerful in traffic.

Ford also boasts that there is plenty of tech to keep you safe when you’re in the middle of the clown show, which is South African urban commuting.

Lane Keeping Assist, together with the Lane Departure Warning, keep you on the straight and narrow and, in doing so, ease some of the stress.

Finally, a decent ICE (In-Car Entertainment system) means you can hook up Android or Apple mobile devices and do everything from playing your music to navigating.

The Territory does everything well, and we could find a few niggles (other than an odd user interface on the instrument panel in the lower-spec version we had on test).