FULL REVIEW: 2023 Ford Territory Titanium -- The 'Blue Oval' hits the bulls-eye!

Disclosure: Ford Philippines kindly lent me a 2023 Ford Territory Titanium for three days. It arrived with a full tank of gas and loaded RFID cards. AutoFun Philippines paid for a car wash.

Taking risks is an inevitable part of life, although there are not always hard and fast rules for it.

For one of my friends, it was the risk involved in playing the game of love. I remember him being despondent over how he was seeing a girl that he really liked, but he wasn’t sure how to propel the relationship forward.

His biggest quandary was where he would take her out on a date. My other friend and I, both veterans in the art of wooing hearts, told him not to overthink it and just go somewhere fun.

Lo and behold, months later, they became a couple – sanaol.

In my case, it was the risk of going to graduate school some three years after I dropped out of law school. Would I be able to balance my career and my studies? Could my brain still voluminous readings and papers?

In the end, I enrolled as a full-time English M.A. student, and I’ve finished nearly all of my coursework. At the moment, I’m stuck in the grad student’s idea of purgatory – that stage before writing the thesis (but that’s another tale for another time).

Ford Philippines, I feel, took a considerable risk by launching the first-generation Territory crossover on August 2020. The American carmaker dropped the rather successful EcoSport, which was manufactured in Thailand, for a larger vehicle that was made in China.

Yes – in case you’ve been living under a rock all this time, the Territory is made in the People’s Republic. The previous-generation model is actually a rebadged Yusheng S330, which is produced by Ford’s joint-venture partner JMC.

But the risk seems to have paid off, with the old Territory selling like hotcakes in the Philippines. The all-new Territory is still made in China by JMC, now as a rebadged Ford Equator Sport.

The risk isn’t quite as high as it used to be, but the latest Territory has big shoes to fill. Can this entry-level Territory Titanium do just that?

Enormous body

One thing that strikes you when you check out the Territory in the metal is how huge it is.

The old model was sized closer to the likes of another Chinese import, the Geely Coolray. But the all-new Territory could give the likes of the all-new Honda CR-V a run for its money.

And it helps that its handsome styling evens out the boxiness of the thing. The boomerang-style LED daytime running lights sit up high on the hoodline, with the LED headlights right underneath flanking a large (but not showy) front grill.

The side of the Territory avoids being slab-sided by having a variety of character lines on the beltline and over the rear fenders. A slight upward kink on the window line gives a bit more dynamism at the rear quarters, although the 18-inch alloy wheels could have done with a bit more flair.

At the rear, the crossover has a subtle tailgate spoiler, boomerang-style LED taillights, and a pert lower bumper. On the whole, it is an attractive package, but the Lustrous Gray paint color doesn’t really accentuate the Territory’s looks.

Cavernous 5-seat cabin

Because the all-new Territory is quite large for a compact crossover, the interior offers almost palatial amounts of room for five.

There are neat touches carried over from the previous model, such as the matte-ash woodgrain trim that offsets the two-tone, black and navy blue leather upholstery well.

Ford has also selected its nice soft-touch materials, giving the Territory Titanium a more premium feel than what its modest price tag would suggest.

On the tech side, the base-model Territory comes standard with a wireless charger, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (other Chinese carmakers should take note of this) and a 7-inch digital gauge cluster that offers a clear readout.

All Territory variants also have a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system that has excellent resolution and good response, although it does hang once in a while. It also requires you to dig through a variety of menus and submenus to get to certain settings.

Nonetheless, another nice feature is the 360-degree camera, which happily captures pictures that are fit for human sight (again, other Chinese carmakers should take note of this).

This works in tandem with the Ford Park Assist, which can help the clumsiest drivers with parking in tough spots (as long as you have time to burn).

There is also a bevy of storage spaces, while the cargo area has 448 liters of space with the rear seats up. Once the second row is folded down, you get a flat loadspace that’s fit for appliances and furniture.

Speaking of seats, the driver’s seat is comfortable, but could do with more thigh support.

Something laudable about the Territory is the strong dual-zone climate control system, which could beat off even the most severe midday heat even though my test unit had no tint. Rear passengers likewise get their own air-con vents.

Fit for Philippine roads

Whereas the overpriced Chevrolet Trax Redline that I tested was a more driver-oriented compact crossover, the Territory Titanium has more sedate driving feel.

The suspension is well-tuned for our country’s pockmarked roads, working with the good soundproofing to offer a supple and refined ride that even more expensive rivals can’t match. Body roll is unsurprisingly considerable, but if you want a Ford that hustles, buy a Mustang.

The brakes on the Territory Titanium are strong, although the pedal lacks firmness for easier modulation. And while the steering has a good ratio, it could do with more feel.

Brisk performance

This big Ford is also rather quick, thanks to a turbocharged 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine producing 160 PS and 248 Nm of torque. 

This is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) that, happily, doesn’t reenact the abject misery that we all experienced with the jerky and breakage-prone Powershift DCTs of yore.

The Territory accelerates with a linear powerband and has a particularly strong low-end grunt, while the new DCT provides smooth and decisive shifts.

What isn’t quite so decisive is the standard stop-start system, which can cut the engine at rather awkward moments like turning at intersections, thus deactivating the electric power steering.

Nonetheless, fuel economy is fine for a compact crossover – I got 7 to 10 km/l in the city (even with the intrusive stop-start system turned off) and 15 to 18 km/l on the expressway. Cruising at 100 km/h is at a steady 1,900 rpm in 7th gear.

Everything just works

So, the all-new Ford Territory is considerably better than the previous model that AutoFun Philippines Content Head Mikko David reviewed, offering far more space and even better tech.

But if you’ve been looking on our roads recently, this base-model Territory Titanium seems to be all over the place. And that’s because of its price – ₱1,335,000.

Put another way, the Territory is ₱37,000 more than the GAC Emkoo GE that AutoFun Philippines Junior Writer Joey Deriquito tested and ₱765,000 cheaper than its direct rival from Japan, the all-new Honda CR-V V. 

And for those who are choosing between a compact sedan or a compact crossover, the Ford is just ₱30,000 more than the GAC Empow GB that Joey tested and ₱248,000 cheaper than a Honda Civic V.

In effect, the entry-level Territory Titanium is stunningly good value for money. Perhaps the only way it could be better is if it had seven seats – there's certainly more than enough space for a third row.

And for those who aren’t ready to take the risk of buying a Chinese-made car from a Chinese brand quite yet, you can at least bank on Ford’s long-standing reputation and relatively better aftersales.

Are you willing to take the plunge?

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