7 February 2011
Since its April 2004 release, Ford's Territory has received widespread critical acclaim both here and in its native Australia. Its two-year winning streak at the stringent AA Motoring Excellence Awards is testament to its on-road ability and commendable practicality.
It's fair to assume then, few would ever make the comparison with this capable SUV and say, a cheap motel; but Ford have now equipped the latest addition to the Territory line-up with a hairdryer, just to be on the safe side.
For the unitiated to motor noter terminology, the hair-dryer in this instance isn't the Wahl Whispertek your stylist might recognize, instead it's a Garret GT-40 turbo that forces air at a pressure of 6.5psi into the heart of the Territory's 4.0 litre straight sixes internals.
This boosts the output to 245kW, the same as the Falcon XR6 from where the power unit is derived, the entry-level turbo now also takes on the XR nameplate (Ghia Turbo nameplate for the range topper). But, there has been some engine management programming changes made to suit the demands of an SUV. Most notable is the turbo's intercooler now resides on top of the engine, rather behind the bumper on the XR6.
Ford's designers found thermal targets for intake air temperature were not possible with the intercooler up front.
The engine's oil cooler is 50% larger on the Territory application too. The silky six-speed automatic transmission has been re-programmed to give a custom 'performance luxury' shift, the calibration sits somewhere between the XR6 and naturally aspirated Territory shift patterning.
This programming incorporates an up shift inhibitor, so the transmission can recognise throttle lift off and brake inputs and hold it's gear to give optimum power delivery out of corners.
Attractive 18-inch wheels, and a gaping bonnet scoop distinguish the turbo from the rest of the Territory range externally.
With the added hardware, weight over the front suspension has increased marginally (about 50kgs). To compensate, longer springs are fitted to soak up the weight without losing any of the Territory's impressive handling. Our brief drive confirmed the Territory is still head and shoulders above it class compeers in its level of refinement and athleticism on the road. Now more than ever, with the extra thrust under foot with the howling turbo-charger.
Inside, the seats have enhanced lateral support to clasp occupants tighter, in either nice micro-suede type upholstery in the XR, or full leather in the Ghia. 'So hot right now' black onyx treatments accent the cabin, but its not quite enough to raise the Territory's cabin to five-star status, there's still a lot of hard plastic surfaces that fail to excite. The meaty Ford Performance Vehicle steering wheel on the Ghia model goes some way in compensating for this.
If you have the hankering for more power, and who doesn't? The XR Territory demonstrates a lot of bang for your buck, adding only $3500 over the current TS AWD Territory. Territory Turbo Ghia is now the flagship of the territory range at $72,490.