Ford SZ Territory range in the round
Visitors to the Australian International Motor Show can check out the full range for the first time at an international motor show, where the TX and TS SZ Territory will be joined by the range-topping Territory Titanium.
When the Ford Territory first went on sale in April 2004 it redefined the mid-size SUV segment. Since its showroom arrival it has proved a popular choice for families and customers seeking a vehicle more adaptable to their lifestyle.
It proved so popular with customers and enthusiasts alike, it achieved the pinnacle of motoring success by taking out the coveted Wheels magazine Car of the Year award in 2004.
Since then, the Territory carpark has grown to more than 107,000 strong. In fact, its first nine months on sale saw more than 15,000 SUV buyers make Territory their first choice. Its peak sales year was 2005 when 23,454 were sold.
Despite Australia's ever-expanding SUV segment and the ongoing arrival of new competitors, last year Territory sales were up more than six per cent compared to 2009*.
New Territory model range
The new SZ Territory succeeds the outgoing SY MkII model. The new model series comprises three variants:
TX
The new Territory TX offers excellent value for entry-level SUV buyers.
The TX comes fitted with an extensively updated 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine as standard. This revised power plant now offers a maximum power rating of 195kW, an increase of 5kW compared to the previous model. Peak torque increases by 8Nm and is now 391Nm. Fuel consumption falls to 10.6l/100km3, down a full 1.0-l/100km compared to the outgoing Territory. As a result, CO2 exhaust output falls 27g/km to 249g/km.
Partnering this proven I6 engine is the smooth-shifting ZF six-speed automatic transmission. All models fitted with the petrol six-cylinder engine are only available in rear-wheel drive.
Alternatively, customers can opt for an all-new 2.7-litre TDCi V6 turbo-diesel engine, available in both rear- and all-wheel drive. This highly efficient power unit produces 140kW of maximum power and a peak torque of 440Nm. It achieves excellent combined-cycle fuel economy: 8.2-litres per 100km in rear-wheel drive configuration and 8.8-litres per 100km3 in all-wheel drive (9.0-litres per 100km for the all-wheel drive Titanium model).
Contributing to this impressive fuel economy is Ford's efficient 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission.
All models in the new Territory range come fitted with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) as standard equipment, which now features Roll-Over Mitigation (ROM). This new function helps to prevent a roll-over accident under certain conditions. The new Territory also comes fitted with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), driver and front passenger airbags, side curtain airbags (for the front and second row only) and, in a Territory-first, a driver's knee airbag.
Standard appointments in the TX are generous. They include: automatic climate control with single-zone temperature control; four-way power-adjustable driver's seat; power windows and side mirrors; reverse sensing system and an Interior Command Centre (ICC) fitted with a 5.8-inch monochromatic LCD screen. The ICC includes integrated controls for a single-CD audio system which supports both iPods7 and Bluetooth®5-operated mobile telephones and audio devices. An in-built USB port also allows music files to be played from a USB device. A 3.5-millimetre audio jack is also fitted. The Territory TX also comes fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels and features 30 interior storage compartments.
TS
The mid-series Territory TS gains additional equipment on top of the comprehensive equipment package fitted to the TX. These items include: machined-face 18-inch alloy wheels; reverse camera; front fog lamps; a unique TS front bumper; and a front grille painted in satin silver. The TS is fitted with a premium Interior Command Centre which features a premium seven-speaker audio system with a 150-Watt amplifier and subwoofer along with - in a Territory first - an eight-inch colour touch screen. This new touch screen is stylish and intuitive to operate and allows both front-seat occupants to control a variety of audio, communication and vehicle settings by simply touching the appropriate on-screen symbol.
The TS offers customers a variety of entertainment options. Integrated iPod7 functionality means customers can operate their iPod7 or iPhone using the steering wheel, the ICC's buttons or the new touch screen. An in-built USB port and 3.5-millimetre auxiliary audio jack adds to the range of audio devices that can be operated in the new Territory TS. Bluetooth®5 integration also means both mobile telephones and other devices can be connected to the audio system in the Territory TS.
Titanium
Leading the model range is the Territory Titanium. This new model nameplate replaces the Ghia badge fitted to the previous model's range-leader. The Territory Titanium emphasises its position as the high-series model with a rich mix of unique styling details, interior appointments and a generous standard equipment list. Included here are: machined-face 18-inch alloy wheels painted in accent colour; unique front bumper styling; chrome-detailed upper and lower grille; LED front position lamps; Alpine rear DVD entertainment system; leather seat trim; and an integrated satellite navigation system with a Traffic Message Channel (TMC)6.
New Territory: extensive development
The new SZ Territory is part of Ford's $230 million investment in sustainability. The company's goal: improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of its Australian-made models. Others include the forthcoming 2.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost Falcon as well as the introduction of Liquefied Phase Injection (LPI) technology for the Falcon, the highly advanced and efficient liquid phase injection technology which replaces its previous traditional and now-outdated gaseous fumigation (LPG) system.
The first Territory was four years in the making and Ford Australia spent $500 million on exhaustive research, design, engineering and testing to deliver an SUV Australian customers wanted.
In an effort to match - and in some cases exceed - the comfort levels of rival SUVs, the designers and engineers benchmarked the new SZ Territory's development against a number of luxury European models.
Apart from the obvious plan to fit its Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel technology to the Territory, Ford Australia's designers and engineers set tough new goals for improving the model - among them enhancing the performance and efficiency of its proven I6 engine, improving refinement, increasing crash safety and crafting a stylish and contemporary new look that aligns with the signature styles of other Ford products.
The development path
The new Territory's road to Ford showrooms has been long and gruelling. It has involved around 800,000km of harsh testing in some of the world's toughest locations: from the NSW Snowy Mountains region to the Victorian high country and various Australian capital cities the new Territory has proved itself time and again. High-altitude testing up to 2500m was conducted in the US, as was extreme hot-weather testing in California's 50-plus-degrees Celsius Death Valley, Arizona's deserts and, naturally, the harsh Australian outback.
Other development locations included New Zealand, Sweden, and Alaska.
The effort has been worthwhile. Like its first-generation sibling, the SZ Territory has been developed to be perfectly at home in both the city and country. Its flexible interior offers versatility for up to seven-people without any compromise in either style or comfort.
Ford Australia's experience in building and designing vehicles that deliver innovative real-world customer benefits for performance, safety and economy has been further enhanced with the development of the new Territory.
"The Territory appeals to the SUV customer heartland of Australia; it's a car designed and engineered in Australia for local customers and conditions," Graziano said.
A number of important practical user-related features, many of which made Territory so popular with local customers, have been retained in the new SZ model. Many of these have been enhanced to support current-day customer needs and new technologies but an extensive number of changes have been made to improve Territory in all areas.
The amount of work done by Ford's skilled designers and engineers has been vast and includes changes to engines and transmissions, safety, suspension, refinement, and technology.
Engines and transmissions
Both petrol and common-rail turbo-diesel engines are available in the new Territory.
NEW: Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel V6 engine (rear- and all-wheel drive)
Headlining new Territory's drivetrain enhancements is the introduction of a turbo-diesel V6 engine, available in both rear- and all-wheel drive. The addition of this torque-rich, high-efficiency power unit alongside its proven petrol six-cylinder sibling takes the popular Territory to new levels of performance, capability and refinement.
Its numbers are impressive: a maximum power rating of 140kW, peak torque of 440Nm from 1900RPM and a combined-cycle fuel consumption rate of only 8.2-litres per 100km (rear-wheel drive)3. In fact, the new TDCi-powered Territory's rate of fuel use for the highway cycle is an outstanding 6.5-litres per 100km1, giving customers a potential range during highway driving of more than 1000km from a single tank (75-litres) of diesel fuel.
The TDCi power unit is an intercooled single-turbo 60-degree V6. The engine has a Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) cylinder block, which is an important element for strength and for good NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) properties.
It also has alloy cylinder heads in a double-overhead camshaft design with four valves per cylinder. Induction is via common-rail high-pressure diesel injection with Piezo injectors, including the single variable geometry turbocharger (VGT).
Ford Australia engineers have made several improvements to the TDCi engine in the areas of its fuel system, engine oil sump, induction system and transfer case in AWD models.
The TDCi engine is one of a host of exciting new features on the SZ Territory; helping cement the SUV's hard-won reputation as the country's only locally designed and engineered SUV.
Petrol six-cylinder engine (rear-wheel drive only)
Territory's proven 4.0-litre I6 petrol engine has been massaged to provide more power and torque but lower fuel consumption. This power unit is now only available in rear-wheel drive.
The petrol Territory develops a maximum power level of 195kW at 6000RPM, an increase of 5kW with peak torque now 391Nm at 3250RPM, an increase of 8Nm.
Achieving these improvements was the result of using FG Falcon-level I6 engine technology in the new Territory. This means the new-model Territory benefits from FG's fast-burn cylinder head design, new light-weight dual-resonance intake manifold, new electronic throttle body and new fuel rail system.
Calibration work for both the I6 and all-new TDCi V6 engines was done in Australia for local conditions.
Six-speed automatic transmissions: standard equipment
The new Territory range comes fitted with six-speed automatic transmissions across rear- and all-wheel-drive models.
New Territory models powered by the improved six-cylinder petrol engine (rear-wheel drive only) are partnered with the ZF 6HP26 six-speed automatic transmission. All TDCi turbo-diesel models (rear- and all-wheel drive) will be fitted with Ford's ZF-based 6R80 gearbox.
Active transfer case
Introducing the new Duratorq TDCi V6 engine to the new Territory required a number of important technical changes. To ensure all required product attribute targets were met Ford went to significant lengths. One example was re-engineering the front differential to be mounted on the engine sump in all-wheel drive models, as opposed to mounting it to the chassis which was the method used on the outgoing model.
This new diff-on-sump architecture provides a number of excellent attributes, including the management of any driveline imbalance-related NVH effects. This is achieved in a simple but clever manner.
When the driver is stationary in DRIVE and has their foot on the brake while the engine is idling, a clutch mechanism within the active transfer case decouples any driving forces applied to the front drive shafts to cancel out this structure-borne noise path.
These invisible forces can have a noticeable impact on a vehicle's refinement, so Ford has ensured that even when sitting at a set of traffic lights our customers enjoyed the best possible ride.
Fuel economy
One of the top priorities in the development programme for the new Territory was delivering excellent fuel economy for customers. In the case of the all-new TDCi V6 a combined-cycle fuel consumption rate of 8.2-litres per 100km3 was achieved (TDCi-powered rear-wheel drive models).
Impressively, the new Territory returns an outstanding 6.5-litres per 100km1 on the highway cycle, giving customers exceptional driving range from the new TDCi Territory's 75-litre tank (TDCi-powered rear-wheel drive models). All-wheel drive models of the new TDCi-powered Territory return combined-cycle fuel consumption rates of only 8.8-litres (TX and TS) and 9.0-litres (Titanium) per 100km3.
Enhancements to the petrol I6 engine in the new Territory have resulted in fuel consumption reductions. The new model now uses 10.6-litres per 100km3, a reduction of one litre compared to the previous model.
Safety
New Territory benefits from the latest-generation safety features. This includes an advanced Bosch-developed Generation 9 Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system - now incorporating Roll Over Mitigation (ROM) - Traction Control System and Anti-lock Braking System, a new front crash structure and a new driver's-side knee airbag, a first for Territory.
ROM acts by constantly monitoring the vehicle's behaviour and inducing additional understeer when it detects an increased propensity of rollover during extreme handling manoeuvres.
As part of the control actions, ROM brakes individual wheels and reduces the driving torque to prevent a
rollover as well as reduce vehicle speed for greater stability.
The driver's-side knee airbag will be standard across the Territory range, bringing the new model's airbag count to five (dual front airbags complemented by curtain airbags4 now partnered with the new driver's knee airbag).
Already accomplished with an Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) 5-star crash rating, the latest safety advances on the Territory are designed to enhance the vehicle's safety attributes.
Apart from its contemporary design, the Territory's new face also has an enhanced crash safety structure.
Dynamics
Several dynamic goals were set for the new Territory. In terms of handling, the objective was to enhance its dynamic driving flavour.
