The cat’s out of the bag. Ford Philippines’ newest model is now on our shores and based on our initial impressions, the Territory looks promising in face value, specs, and pricing despite the minor imperfections we’ve discovered. It’s seriously well-equipped, so much so that the praises overpopulate the negative comments by critics. So much so that automotive journalists seem to forget that they’re not marketing tools, and that they have a responsibility to Filipino car buyers and to the handful that reads and believes their stories. But I digress.
While we reserve our deeper and full-blown judgment of the Territory for an in-depth review, there is an elephant in the room that needs to be discussed, one thing that we observed with the Territory’s arrival in the country.
Perfect timing?
The Territory came in a time when Chinese brands, particularly Geely, are starting to get prominence in the Philippine automotive market. As you should know by now, the Coolray is selling like hotcakes, taking the crown as a top-selling subcompact crossover amid the pandemic.
Geely’s formula is simple and easy to understand – a well-equipped car that comes with attractive pricing. Admittedly, I’m among those who gave the Coolray a high score when I reviewed the car last year, and I still stand by that rating as I write this story. It’s just that good.
RELATED: The strikers to Ford’s new Territory
It is, of course, a business move by the Blue Oval. With the Territory coming from the People’s Republic, tax duties were levied to a bare minimum, allowing Ford to slap a relatively affordable sticker price into its newest car. Even I was startled with the figures, with my initial speculative pricing thrown off by a massive margin.
With good specs and great pricing, Ford is trying Geely’s formula. Is this enough to sway buyers into buying the Territory? More importantly, is Ford trying to hit two Geelys with one Territory?
The comparison dilemma
People were quick to assume that the Territory competes with Geely’s flag-bearer, the Coolray. Forgivable, I guess, but they seem to be impervious to the fact that the Territory is even more massive than the bigger Geely in the range right now, the Azkarra. And that’s in overall size – the Ford is longer in overall and wheelbase length, while also being wider by more than 100mm (around 4 inches).
That’s because the Territory is a compact crossover, taking up the slot that the Escape left when the Blue Oval took it out of the lineup. The Azkarra is also a compact crossover, while the Coolray is a subcompact crossover. Not rocket science, right?
There’s a reason why size classifications exist; it’s for people not to be confused in comparing vehicles. Quite surprising that other automotive journalists get baffled with this one, though. For all intents and purposes, the Territory competes squarely with the Geely Azkarra – both in specs and size.
Pricing matters
And then, there’s the rub, at least for Geely and the other car brands right now that offer a compact crossover. The top-spec Territory comes with an introductory price of P1.299M, which puts the new Ford closer to the Coolray than the Azkarra in terms of pricing. If we were to decode Ford’s strategy, the company is trying to sway buyers of both the Coolray and Azkarra into considering the Territory instead. Not a bad call, considering that the Ford is just as well equipped and priced, while offering a literally bigger package.
So yes, it seems so that Ford is trying to take out the competition in its own game, and that’s an exciting thing for the discerning Filipino car buyers. More options for the buyers, the healthier the industry is.
Will Ford succeed in this strategy? Sales numbers should answer that question and right now, it’s too early to tell. If you ask us which between the Territory and the two Geelys is better, that’s another story for another time. For now, these cars are available for a test drive, so you might want to discover that for yourself.
