Ford Territory 2005 review

Not only is it the most-popular Australian-made SUV but Ford president Tom Gorman claims it has become the top-selling SUV of all, including established imported models.

The vehicle that last week was named News Ltd CARSguide Star Car of 2004, this week was awarded the Wheels magazine Car of the Year title. It has been selling at more than 2000 a month without overt discounting.

It is not a tall, cumbersome 4WD but it does give driver and passengers a view point higher than conventional cars.

Territory all-wheel-drive has traction control and reasonable ground clearance.

A sump guard is offered as an option for owners heading for rougher ground. Although it does not have a low-range set of gears, the traction control works a treat in getting it through tracks most Territory buyers would think bold enough.

Extreme grip, such as steep downhill slippery slopes, is limited by the vehicle coming only in automatic, having no low range and tyre treads designed more for bitumen use.

Perhaps for that sort of terrain, a full-bore serious 4WD would be better.

The Territory is designed more as an all-round vehicle. It has reasonable dirt track, sand and light mud ability yet is very much at home on the highway where it's refined, quiet and where the six-cylinder engine hums along at 2300rpm at 110km/h. The 182kW engine has good power for highway overtaking and hillclimbing. Long-distance trips can use as little as 12l/100km of fuel or 15l/100km for suburban driving.

The spare wheel is difficult to get at, meaning an owner needs to be conscientious to check its tyre pressure.

But the rear glass opens separately to the tailgate allowing smaller items to be put in or out.

Particularly applauded are the many storage areas in the cabin, including the generous-sized map pockets and large bottle holders.

Territory all-wheel-drive allows holiday exploring off the bitumen to enjoy lookouts or find a scenic picnic spot away from the main roads.

Off-road Torque

Size isn't all

TERRITORY at 1898mm wide is 3.5cm wider than a Falcon station wagon. But at 4856mm long, it's about 20cm shorter than the Falcon wagon. With a fairly tight turning circle and a 1676mm height, Territory can use multi-storey car parks.

Seven-up

TERRITORY can be ordered as a seven-seater (five seats is standard). Luggage space is good, but not as good as the longer Falcon station wagon.

Triple choice

FORD Territory AWD starts at $42,990 for the TX, the new mid-range TS is $48,790 and the luxury Ghia $53,290. In each case, these AWD prices are $4000 more than the rear-wheel-drive versions.

Ford family

THE four-litre, six-cylinder engine of 182kW and the four-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift mode are standard on the Territory and come from the Falcon. There is no manual-transmission Territory.