Territory worth exploring

A turbo-diesel engine from Land Rover makes the Ford Territory the perfect SUV for Australia.

Story By Matt Raudonikis

Aussie-built four-wheel-drives have been pretty thin on the ground as local manufacturers have never got behind the concept. Ridiculous, really, in a country that embraces 4WDs and SUVs for their cabin space and go-anywhere ability. There was the Holden Overlander and the XY Falcon 4WD back in the ’70s but they were low-volume conversions that didn’t have the backing and mass production of the big companies.
The only recent vehicle that fits the bill is Ford’s Territory. It is the most successful SUV ever built here and it just got better with a major upgrade and the introduction of a turbo-diesel engine.

The original SY Territory was launched in 2004 and was a huge success. In seven years, including an Mk II upgrade, more than 105,000 units were sold. It was close to being the perfect Aussie family car, offering versatility, performance, space and all-wheel-drive. It was the space and versatility that buyers flocked to; two-wheel-drive models outsold AWD and the Territory’s success contributed to the demise of the Ford Falcon station wagon.

However the original Territory was getting long in the tooth and buyers were looking for more fuel-efficient alternatives to the petrol inline six-cylinder-powered Ford. A more economical drive train, such as a diesel engine, was overdue and long rumoured to be in the making, and it has finally arrived.

Ford didn’t have to look far for a diesel engine. At the time of development, the company owned Land Rover and the 2.7-litre TDV6 powerplant from the much-awarded Discovery 3 was the logical choice. This engine has been relegated to entry-level model only in the Discovery 4, surpassed by the 3.0L TDV6. Land Rover is now under the ownership of Tata, but the engine is still made at Ford’s Dagenham, UK, plant. Ironically this is the first time the ‘Lion’ TDV6 engine has been used in a Ford-badged vehicle, although it has previously been used in Land Rover, Jaguar, Peugeot and Citroën vehicles.

Ford Australia calls the mill the Duratorq TDCi engine and it continues with the same modern design using common rail direct-fuel injection, single turbocharger and intercooling. In the Territory it produces 140kW at 4000rpm and 440Nm at 1900rpm, the same as it makes in the base model Discovery 4. These are modest specific output figures when compared to some of the latest diesel engines to come out of Europe, but it is perfectly matched to the Territory.