Ford Territory (Australia)
The Ford Territory is a mid-size crossover SUV built by Ford Australia that was introduced in April 2004 and produced until 7 October 2016. It was the only SUV built in Australia and Ford's first large three-row crossover SUV. It was originally based on the EA169 platform introduced by the EA Falcon and its internal project codename was E265. It won various automotive awards and was the first SUV to win the Australian title of Wheels Car of the Year in 2004, due to its acceptable handling and child carrying capacity.
| Ford Territory | |
|---|---|
2013 Ford Territory (SZ) Titanium TDCi | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Australia |
| Production | April 2004 – October 2016 (178,214 produced) |
| Assembly | Broadmeadows Assembly Plant, Australia |
| Designer | Simon Butterworth (exterior) Marcus Hotblack (interior) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size crossover |
| Body style | 5-door wagon |
| Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive / all-wheel drive |
| Platform | Ford EA169 (2004-2011) Ford E8 (2011-2016) |
| Related | Ford Falcon (AU) Ford Falcon (BA) Ford Falcon (BF) Ford Falcon (FG) Ford Falcon (FG X) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4-speed M93LE automatic (SX; SY RWD, AWD) 6-speed 6HP 21 automatic (SZ II petrol) 6-speed 6HP 26 automatic (SY AWD; SZ petrol) 6-speed 6R80 (diesel) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,842 mm (111.9 in) |
| Length | 4,856 mm (191.2 in) |
| Width | 1,898 mm (74.7 in) |
| Height | 1,714 mm (67.5 in) |
| Curb weight | 2,015–2,045 kg (4,442–4,508 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Explorer Ford Falcon wagon |
| Successor | Ford Endura (2018-2020) Ford Everest (2015–present) |
Ford Australia reportedly spent A$500 million on developing this vehicle over a four-year period. Many Australian toolmakers were lauded for their cost competitiveness in keeping this cost so low, not as cheap as the Japanese, but much lower than Detroit-based cars. Apart from being the first and only Australian-made SUV, it was also the first local vehicle to feature electronic stability control.