Ford Territory News

Ford is being sketchy about its plans. The Territory has no launch date, though is expected before mid year as Ford enters one of its busiest years on record.The Territory takes on the face of the Falcon with a large under-bumper intake and bears the lines of Ford's kinetic body styling in its flanks.Ford Australia's new president and CEO, Bob Graziano, says the Territory was a benchmark when first launched and "it is set to achieve this again - and more"."It wears an exciting new look and will boast an extensive list of technical highlights.  "The Ford Australia team is taking the Territory to an all-new level of performance, refinement and quality, and customers will definitely experience these advancements when they drive it."Ford added that the SUV's new look will include "a major interior update and boast a number of technology highlights, including the introduction of turbo-diesel power, details of which will be communicated in 2011"."For Ford Australia, the next 18-month period is set to be one of the company's busiest in its 85-year history," it says.  "Approximately 85 percent of the entire Ford Australia new-model catalogue will either be replaced or updated during this time."This includes the updated MC Mondeo range and new WT Fiesta hatch and sedan - both recently launched - and next year, the Territory, Focus, Falcon (with 2-litre four-cylinder engine and optional liquid-inject LPG) and the new Ranger ute.

And it's nearly ready for the road, judging from these shots of a car undergoing testing in regional Victoria.  Alert Carsguide reader Dave Fairley spotted this test mule at a service station in Bright and was quick enough to snap a few frames before it could drive off. The car bra camouflage can't mask the new front and rear styling, complete with projector-style twin headlights.  "The guy driving it wasn't too upset by me taking photos, but he wouldn't confirm or deny what it was," Fairley says. The Territory had a minor makeover in February with the release of the SY Series II, but that was primarily a mechanical tweak to revise the suspension — and address owners' complaints about excessive ball-joint wear. This version promises a major overhaul, inside and out. Ford has already announced it will fit a Jaguar-sourced 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel.  The diesel engine's output should be comparable with the turbocharget petrol model, but fuel consumption should drop to around 8 litres for 100km, well down on the petrol's 11.6litres/100km. Ford's production communications manager Neil McDonald says the dealers are desperate to get the new model into showrooms.  "There's a lot of expectation about this car, especially with the diesel engine," he says. "It will keep typical Territory buyers happy and should open up a new market for us."  The Territory has been the backbone of local production for Ford after the Falcon suffered from the move away from large cars. It has recently been overtaken by the Captiva in the SUV sales race, but sales will surge when the new model goes on sale in March or April next year.

Anderson loves eye-balling unsuspecting Melbourne drivers who are talking illegally on their mobile phones when she is in the Rush-mobile Ford Territory.She stars now as Senior Constable Shannon Henry but is best known for her work on Seven’s now-defunct drama series All Saints and for her vocal talents, after she and singing partner David Campbell went on to win 'It Takes Two' in 2007.These says she enjoys ripping through hand-brake spin turns and other stunts on Rush, but admits Melbourne's trams are still scary for a girl from the NSW country town of Kempsey."Given the nature of the action on Rush, we have a wonderful stunt co-ordinator on the show called Mitch Deans. He teaches us all our various motoring skills," Anderson says."Obviously when there are quite heavy, dangerous stunts to be done, we do have stunt drivers, but we do most of our own driving stunts. Anything from a 'hand-brakey' – that’s a technical term – where you pull the handbrake and do a 180 degree turn. I love doing those – especially on dirt roads – they are fun. I may or may not have pulled out a 'hand-brakey' on unsuspecting passengers away from the set. In a safely-controlled environment, of course. I find doing them much easier than driving on Melbourne roads with trams!""When I joined the Rush cast last year we went to an area outside of Sydney to practice our stunts, learn how to hit our marks, what speeds to come into the stunts at, that sort of thing, which was a lot of fun. While most people are heading off to work for the day, we were out there doing 'doughnuts. It was so much fun."Safety is paramount and we wouldn’t do anything unless we felt 100 per cent safe. Our stunt co-ordinator wouldn’t let us do anything if they felt it would jeopardize our lives or someone else's. Our stunt co-ordinator sits in the passenger seat for rehearsals so he knows you’re 110 per cent clear on what you’re doing. If you’re ever in doubt, we just call 'Cut'. "I have been doing a bit of motorbike riding with the stunt co-ordinators too and I am now really keen to get my motorbike licence.""For me, my scariest stunts are anything where I have to do it around trams in Melbourne. Stunts are fine – I just do not cope with trams. I am clearly a NSW girl.""On the show, we drive Ford Territorys – which are the same cars the police in Victoria actually do drive. Sometimes we get mistaken for the real police. It’s funny when we drive past people talking on their mobile phones whilst they’re driving; if you look at them, they’ll slowly drop their phone. It’s pretty funny.""My first car was an Astra which I bought after I went overseas. I bought it outright after saving all my money. I was 23.""I love road trips because I like singing in my car. I like driving solo and I just put my iPod on shuffle and see what comes up. You can always hit skip if it’s not a great song.""Any drive up the east coast of Australia is pretty special, especially up around where I live on the mid-north coast of NSW – it’s absolutely stunning. Last year I experienced quite a scary road trip. I drove to Melbourne by myself through the bushfires. That was full-on. I kept calling Vic Roads to see if I was going to get through. It was really very frightening. I don’t want to ever do that again."

Just a brief look into any junior sports club shows fewer people now do more to keep such clubs and teams afloat.

The recall was prompted after two drivers reported problems with mats jamming the accelerator. Ford Australia spokesman, Todd Nissen, said the drivers were able to slow their vehicles and were not injured."We had two reports that drivers weren't able to stop the vehicle because of the mat," he said. "So we looked into and determined that it was one of three mats we sell that could have caused the problem."The carpet mat set can be identified by its black colour with silver "Territory" lettering and rubber backing material. It is sold as an accessory with a Ford parts number 5R7J A13002 AA and is not a standard fitting on the car. Nissen said because it was an accessory, Ford dealers are being asked to contact purchasers directly."Unlike a vehicle recall we don't have a database of names," he said. "But what we do have is a good dealer network that can contact owners."The mats have been available since last June.Anyone who bought one of the 4990 mat sets as an accessory are being urged to return it to a Ford dealer in exhange for a free replacement of another design. Nissen said the mat set was one of three available. The others are not affected, he said.Ford has placed ads in newspapers and is posting notifications with dealers to alert Territory drivers.Earlier this year Toyota in North America was forced to recall millions of cars globally because of a similar floor mat-related problem that was found to jam the accelerator, causing cars to accelerate suddenly and uncontrollably."It's also important to note that there are no issues with accelerators or brakes or any other part of the Territory," Nissen said.

As the company moves ahead with plans for a V6 turbo-diesel Territory, a liquid-injection gas version is not likely any time soon, according to Ford Australia chief, Marin Burela.  Burela says Ford is looking at LPG for the Territory but "we want to make sure we get the petrol and diesel right first".  "The LPG becomes another opportunity for us," he says.  "But it will be market driven."The Falcon will be the first Ford to get the new liquid-injection LPG engine from early next year.  The engine comes as a significantly revised six-cylinder petrol engine and new V8 arrive later this year to comply with Euro IV emission standards that come into effect from July 1.The more fuel efficient engines are part of a $230 million investment by Ford into sustainability initiatives.  The newer liquid-injection LPG Falcon will deliver better fuel economy, lower C02 emissions and significantly improved performance over the existing engine.Ford has not revealed numbers, but engineers expect better performance and driveability than the current 156kW/371Nm E-Gas Falcon.  By comparison Holden's dual-fuel LPG 3.6-litre Commodore delivers 175kW/318Nm.Apart from the six-cylinder petrol upgrade, the new V8 is expected to provide a performance shot in the arm for enthusiasts.  The current "Boss" 5.4-litre V8 is expected to be replaced by a hot supercharged 5.0-litre V8 - codenamed Coyote - when the existing engine is put out to pasture.Ford is in the final engineering stages with its turbo-diesel Territory, which arrives next year.  The diesel promises significant fuel economy gains over the petrol six.Apart from economy, the diesel is expected to get a particulate filter to reduce harmful emissions.  Ford says the "clean" diesel version of the 2.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel, shared with Land Rover, will reduce C02 emissions by 25 per cent compared to the existing six-cylinder petrol engine.Burela is not talking Territory diesel sales numbers but he is confident it will be successful, particularly given an expected output similar to the Land Rover engine, which develops 140kW/440Nm.  "We haven't refined the numbers but clearly the whole concept behind the diesel Territory is to have an uplift in volume on the total Terrtory vehicle line," he says."We're very confident we'll achieve that.  "We'll have a petrol Territory, a diesel Territory and we can hardly wait."

Ball joints are under the spotlight with a promise that suspect parts will be replaced, free of charge, if there is significant wear.  Ford Australia stresses that the new move is not a recall, or a pointer to a recall, but comes as it continues an engineering investigation into customer complaints about front-suspension failures.Every Territory built from early 2004 until the introduction of a revised model at the start of 2009, which has a different ball joint design, is covered. "If anyone has concerns they should take the car into a dealership for inspection and, if necessary, the ball joints will be replaced free-of-charge," says Ford spokesperson, Sinead McAlary."This is so we can manage the wear. Obviously, if a new part is fitted there will not be any wear for some time." The difference with the new deal is there is no cost.  "Previously, if the car was under warranty it was covered, and if it was out of warranty it was taken case-by-case with a contribution of 50 to 100 per cent."  Ford has been investigating ball joint troubles on the Territory for more than a year and following a major campaign by the Carsguide on behalf of worried owners.The company says there is no recall but it is continuing its work on the problem.  It has been monitoring the Territory parts for some time on cars coming to dealerships for routine service work."This is not a recall. What we’re doing is making a lot of progress on our studies," says McAlary."We are getting to the root cause and looking for the long-term solution."But Ford now admits there is a significant problem.  "Ford is aware that some customers have experienced wear-and-tear issues with the ball joints on their Territory. The majority of instances of excessive wear on the ball joint have been discovered and rectified by Ford dealers during routine servicing," McAlary says."However, as a result of significant wear on the ball joint, a small number of customers have experienced ball joint separation while undertaking low-speed, high-steering-effort manoeuvres. This will only take place if the ball joint in question has worn to a significant degree."McAlary says a long-term solution is close and Ford is committed to doing the right thing by Territory owners.  "We take the safety and ongoing peace-of-mind of our customers very seriously and are undertaking a detailed engineering investigation to determine any potential root cause to the issue that has been reported."We have an engineering team working on the issue as quickly as possible and are investigating the issue thoroughly."

A front passenger seatbelt reminder light will be added to all TS, TX and Ghia and Turbo Territorys from January 1, giving the car the best-possible Australasian New Car Assessment Program crash rating.When it was initially tested in 2006, the Broadmeadows-built crossover comfortably scored four stars and made do with dual front airbags on the base models.  Since the arrival of the Series II facelift earlier this year curtain airbags have become standard and the car has now been re-engineered for the seatbelt light.Since the facelift and other improvements there has been a modest resurgence in Territory sales, according to Ford president and CEO, Marin Burela.  Demand is such that Broadmeadows employees worked overtime earlier this month to build an extra 321 Territorys.It is the first time since July 2005 the factory has been on overtime.  "We've been planning to do that for a couple of months because there is a strong demand," Burela says.  Burela is confident that when the 2.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel arrives next year, Territory sales will ‘grow it back to where it was’.However, despite the Series II update, the car has remained largely unchanged, with the same interior and six-cylinder petrol engines it had at launch.  Newer rivals in the hotly contested medium off-roader segment, including diesels, are nibbling at the Territory's heartland.Sales have gone from a high of 23,454 in 2005 - its first full year on sale - down to just 9659 year-to-date.  Given its maturity, Burela is reluctant to confirm whether Ford is close to signing off on the next-generation version.  More immediately the future of the Falcon wagon is expected to be decided early next year."It's still doing its job," Burela says."We're clearly looking at a number of options.  "We'll probably come out sometime in the first quarter and advise you about what we're doing with the wagon."Given the arrival of the Mondeo wagon, Ford must decide whether to continue with two load-luggers.  "Right now we can because they appeal to different customers," Burela says.  Ford could further leverage Mondeo wagon sales by introducing a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel but Burela has refused to confirm it."It's too early to say," he says.  However he did acknowledge that a diesel wagon could have strong fleet appeal because of its economy.  "The big opportunity for us is how do we compete with the Holden Sportswagon?," he says "The customer for the Sportswagon is the same as the Mondeo wagon."

A staggering 225 out of the 243 private-plated cars chosen by MPs and Senators have six or eight-cylinder engines, in contrast to the national trend towards smaller, more fuel efficient models. Only a handful of MPs drive low-emission hybrids.The list, published today on The Punch, shows the most popular car among federal politicians is the Ford Territory, Australia’s answer to the SUV and possibly the heaviest Aussie-built passenger car ever made. It was chosen by 81 MPs, including many who live in suburban electorates. The Federal Government’s own Green Vehicle Guide gives the Territory a woeful 2.5 stars out of five.The details, released under Freedom of Information laws and current as of March 1 this year, show only 10 MPs drive low-emission hybrids. All MPs and Senators are entitled to at least one private-plated vehicle for personal use as part of their salary package. They can choose from a list of 35 cars valued at up to $48,990 or with approval from the Special Minister of State, select a “non-standard vehicle”.Apart from the Territory, other popular vehicles include the Holden Berlina and Calais vehicles or the Toyota Aurion V6. Some of the Toyota Landcrusiers, preferred among some country-based MPs, are diesel or in the case of one or two six cylinder cars, dual fuel LPG operated. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was embarrassed into swapping his private-plate Territory for a hybrid Toyota Prius in 2007 when, as Opposition Leader, it was revealed he was calling for action on greenhouse while driving a Territory.Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig, a Territory driver, said the government was examining “cleaning up” the parliamentary entitlements framework, including the private-plated vehicle scheme. An independent committee would report to him next year with some recommendations intended to “reduce cost and increase transparency”.A more in-depth report and the full list is available at The Punch            

We've now had three different presidents with three very different plans for the company's future and the latest one, reported in detail this week, has some significant holes.When Tom Gorman was in the big chair he was certain the Falcon should be switched to a V6 engine, then Bill Osborne arrived and changed the focus to local production of the baby Focus.Now we have Marin Burela and the Focus is dead, probably with production to move to Thailand for duty-free imports to Australia, and the new plan calls for a four-cylinder Falcon with much more work on diesel and LPG power for the Falcon and Territory."We have a lot planned," says Burela.Yet none of these plans have become a reality and the latest one shows very little of the detail needed to generate real enthusiasm. There is talk of a diesel engine for the Territory, but no confirmation of a second-generation model.The Falcon engine developments look good on paper, but do very little to make it more attractive as an export car. And that's the big question. How does Ford Australia now fit into the company's global strategy?The Focus plan would have linked Australia to the Asia-Pacific region but we now have to wait and see if the Falcon and Territory can survive only as locals, or if they can become export earners.The end of the Focus plan is bad news for the component suppliers who would have won fresh business, and could also hurt the other local carmakers - Toyota and GM Holden - who are relying on suppliers to keep their business models working.I always like to keep my glass half full and I'm hoping the Burela plan will work. But there are lots of questions still to be answered.