By now you should’ve heard the Ford is adding a crossover into its lineup called the Territory – not to be confused with the midsize crossover that the automaker sold in Australia until 2016.
The all-new Territory is set to slot in between the EcoSport and the Everest in the Blue Oval’s SUV range, effectively replacing the void that the Escape left when it, err, escaped from Ford’s local lineup.
The all-new Ford Territory is slated to be launched in August, as previously announced. However, Ford Philippines is gracious enough to give us more definite details about the vehicle before its official landing. With the list of equipment provided, we think we know how the 2020 Ford Territory will be priced at launch, but let’s delve into the details first.
In size, the incoming Territory crossover is closer to the Everest than the EcoSport, with the former’s wheelbase measuring longer than the Territory’s by 134mm or around five inches. That’s fine, though, as the upcoming vehicle is a five-seat crossover.
Ford also mentioned that the Territory will get a full set of driver-assist technologies such as 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Active Park Assist with parallel and perpendicular auto-parking functions. The around-view monitor is a bit of a surprise, considering that the top-spec Everest Titanium doesn’t have this feature.
Apart from the driving nannies, the Territory will also get cabin niceties such as power-adjustable leather seats with cooling function, 10-inch touchscreen infotainment, wireless charging, and a panoramic moonroof. Ford will also equip the crossover with 18-inch alloy wheels.
The upcoming Territory will be available in two variants – Trend and Titanium – so we expect these lot of features in the top-spec Titanium trim.
Much to our shock, though, Ford Philippines said in its release that the Territory will come with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a CVT, which is quite different from the Mitsubishi Orion engine that the China-spec Territory has.
Peeking at other Ford vehicles that carry this mill tells us that we can expect 148hp to 181hp from this turbocharged, inline-four power plant. Or, we might also get the 1.5-liter inline-three from the current Escape that also makes 181 hp. In any case, we’ll know the truth next month.
The good news is, Ford Philippines said that future Territory owners will enjoy lower service maintenance costs with a once-a-year scheduled service interval.
Now, on to the juicy part – the pricing. To get a more accurate look at the Territory’s pricing, I turned my sights on its competitor that’s sourced in China and also available locally, and that’s none other than the Geely Azkarra.
In China, the Azkarra or Boyue Pro is priced at around 160,000 Chinese yuan or around P1.13 million. Coincidentally, the fully-loaded Territory is priced similarly at 164,800 Chinese yuan or around P1.16 million at the current exchange rate – but that’s for the Mitsubishi-powered Territory, not the EcoBoost-propelled that’s bound to arrive here.
Regardless, though, considering that the Azkarra is priced at almost P1.6 million for its top-of-the-line Luxury variant, we can assume that the Territory will lurk around that price point for the Titanium trim. We can expect the lower Trend variant to sell for around P1.4 million, or even less depending on the amount of equipment included.
Besides, the base Everest Trend has a price tag of P1.7 million, so we don’t expect the Territory to cross this boundary so it would appeal to Filipino car buyers. Yes, pun intended.
Take this speculative pricing with a healthy dash of salt, of course. We asked Ford Philippines about the pricing and naturally, the Blue Oval refused to comment. We’ll know more about the exact price tags in a few weeks when the company officially launches next month, so watch this space.