Being attached to an object can be a bad thing. Buddha taught that attachment is the root of suffering. It is, therefore, best to let go of things without yearning. When I had to give the keys back to my long-term Ford Territory Titanium test unit, I was a bit morose, admittedly, despite knowing that it’s best not to get attached. The car grew on me during my six months with it, and I imagine that using any car as a daily driver for half a year, particularly one you like, will leave one with grief, in a less dramatic sense. But I digress. The focus of my fifth and final review of the Ford Territory Titanium will be a conclusive wrap-up with a final judgment.
The Ford Territory Titanium in Star White colour with 19-inch double-spoke alloy wheels
The Territory lettering, slim rear LED lights, and a minor rear spoiler make the Territory a decent-looking car from behind
Space and practicality
To kick things off, let’s lay out the strong points of the Territory. Space is aplenty for occupants and is perfect for a small family. In my case, with three small kids and a wife, the available space was a sigh of relief.
Leg room and head room for rear passengers is aplenty
SUVs mostly provide appropriate accommodation in this department, but the Territory has a longer wheelbase than some competitors, which affords it generous rear-area space. The downside of this, however, could be a smaller boot with a longer wheelbase.
Excellent build quality throughout the Ford Territory Titanium. Note the blue and black contrast
The luggage compartment wasn’t something for me to moan about, though, and with 448L of space (expandable to 1,422L with 60/40 split folding rear seats), it was more than enough to get me through with grocery bags and school bags at the back.
Reliability over time
An often-overlooked aspect of driving a car for six months is paying attention to its reliability. My Ford Territory Titanium test unit was fresh off the shelf, so it would have been alarming to run into mechanical issues with it before its first service. Still, in my mind, I waited for something to go south unexpectedly.
Besides a notification on the driver’s display about low pressure in one tyre, which is normal, the Territory proved reliable time and time again.
Cabin quality and comfort
Another detail that deserves mention is the build quality of the cabin. At first, it felt not up to scratch, but I noticed that everything stayed in its place over the months. Nothing faltered and nothing broke.
Keep in mind, I have three kids who love to explore the inside of a car thoroughly when it’s stationary. When I drove for longer periods on open roads, I also remember no rattles or squeaks from the cabin.
Throughout the Ford Territory are storage compartments. After six months, things remained sturdy
Inside, you will find hard plastic finishes on some surfaces, with a gorgeous dual-colour finish of blue and black, which grew on me unbelievably over time. The seats are nicely wrapped in full leather, and other features include a 10-way powered driver seat, a four-way powered front passenger seat, LED ambient lighting (customisable colours), a double-deck centre console design, and wireless phone charging.
Engine and performance
The Ford Territory has a 1.8L EcoBoost turbopetrol engine under its bonnet that is matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Its outputs are a solid 138kW and 318Nm of torque.
The responsiveness from the setup also deserves mention, as does the throttle response. There wasn’t a noticeable delay when required to go forward, particularly in traffic, where one needs quick reflexes to get the upper hand in Cape Town’s traffic.
The engine will, of course, groan noticeably more at higher revs, but the transmission does really well to match the force on the pedal.
The Territory also grew on me when it comes to ride comfort and handling. The front-wheel drive was never my favourite, but I learned to adapt and found it to be more than pleasant over the months. The Territory also did a fine job with ride comfort by not being overly stiff with the suspension.
Safety and driver assistance
The Ford Territory offers peace of mind when it comes to safety, which is something that cannot be overlooked considering its position as a family-oriented car.
Safety features include adaptive cruise control with stop and go, automatic emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, blind spot information system (Blis), rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane change assist, electronic stability control with traction control, emergency brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, hill launch assist and hill descent Control, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), six airbags (dual front, side, and curtain), smart key passive entry and passive start (Peps), and a thatcham-grade alarm system with immobiliser.
Infotainment and annoyances
Let’s focus on what I didn’t enjoy. Truthfully, the Ford Territory scores points in almost all areas, but there are a few odd quirks.
Firstly, the most disappointing one is the absence of Ford’s Sync infotainment system. While the one used in the Territory isn’t inherently bad, it just isn’t up to the standard of Ford’s Sync found in the Puma and Ranger.
A rotary dial for the gear selector proved to be nifty
Another gripe is the distance of the infotainment screen from the driver’s left arm, which is something I have brought up before. I feel that if it were angled more towards the driver, it would be less of a strain to touch the screen. While on the topic of the infotainment screen, there’s also room for improvement with the reverse camera quality (though it’s not the worst out there).
Fuel consumption
The other downside of my time with the Ford Territory Titanium is the fuel consumption. I was able to fetch figures of between 8L and 9L/100km in Eco mode (the other modes being Normal, Sport, and Mountain) in urban driving conditions.
Realistically, however, to get the best driving experience, you have to use the Normal or Sport mode for that responsiveness I mentioned earlier. This, in turn, results in higher fuel consumption. I mostly got slightly over 10L/100km in the same conditions. In the end, I averaged 10.2L/100km.
To be economical with the Ford Territory Titanium, ensure it's in Eco mode and drive at a steady speed of between 80-10km/h.
Verdict
The Ford Territory sits in a fiercely competitive mid-sized SUV segment, where value for money and reliability are key. With the influx of Chinese brands offering attractive propositions, legacy brands like Ford have to prove why they deserve consideration.
The Territory does this well. It delivers on reliability and build quality, offering a family-friendly package that is practical, spacious, and comfortable.
While competitors like the Haval H6 and Kia Sportage provide strong alternatives, the Territory’s combination of proven dependability, thoughtful features, and overall quality makes it a compelling choice for buyers looking for a trustworthy mid-sized SUV.
Pricing: R721,000, including service plan. Included as standard is Ford Protect, comprising a four-year/120,000km warranty, four-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty.
To wrap it up, I have taken on the top-of-the-range Dark Edition Territory as my next six-month long-term test unit. Stay tuned for what’s next.
