LONG-TERM UPDATE 4 | Our Ford Territory tackles the Swartberg Pass

The Ford Territory has lived a rather boring existence over the last few weeks. Other than an occasional jaunt to the Paarl wine lands, the most action it’s seen has been on the daily work commute — a task at which it excels.

With this in mind, I decided it was time to take it out of its comfort zone and see how it coped with a"soft-roading" excursion up the Swartberg Pass. 

Getting there involves a trek up the N1 to Worcester, followed by a quick scythe down the R60 en route to the legendary R62 that takes you through fine Karoo institutions such as Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith and Calitzdorp. It’s an incredible piece of road, one that reminds me how well the Territory serves as a long-distance cruiser.

Much of this is down to the vehicle’s impressive 1.8l four-cylinder EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine tuned to provide ample amounts of torque lower down the rev range. Indeed, take a peek at the spec sheet and you’ll see the full complement — 318 Nm — is available between 1,750rpm and 3,000rpm.

With the national speed limit achieved in seventh gear at around 2,300rpm, this means you’re pretty much always in this motor’s sweet spot when cruising on the open road; a characteristic that makes overtaking slow moving traffic a reassuringly painless exercise. 

I wish it was a wee bit more economical though. Even with my considerate right foot and the engine set to Eco mode, I have not been able to get a fuel consumption figure lower than 8.0l/100km. Again, the spec sheet claims a combined fuel economy figure of 7.0l/100km — good luck to anybody trying to replicate this in the real world.

While I’m on my soapbox, I’d like to express my lament that Ford didn’t equip the automatic transmission with any form of manual intervention. I know paddle shifters would no doubt add to the SUV’s list price but they’d significantly improve the experience behind the wheel; particularly during bouts of enthusiast driving or when seeking the effects of engine braking while negotiating a steep descent.

After arriving in Oudtshoorn I follow Google Maps up the R328: a lonely back road that not soon after passing the entrance to the Cango Caves morphs into the fabled Swartberg Pass. A national monument and perhaps the most famous dirt road in South Africa, this 23.8km institution meanders up and over a portion of the Swartberg Mountain range en route to Prince Albert. The views it offers along the way are legendary but today the weather is against me with cloud cover, pockets of mist and a steady drizzle trapping me inside a swirling tunnel of white. And so, with tar giving way to a slippery gravel slurry, I engage Mountain Mode in the hope of maximising traction as I start my ascent.

According to Ford this setting optimises the mapping of the accelerator and traction control system for better progress across greasy terrains. I can immediately feel my throttle inputs are transformed with greater travel and softer response. This ensures smoother inputs and reduces the risk of a sudden torque spike — something you don’t want driving through mud.

Ride quality across certain corrugations gets unpleasant at times but on the whole I’m surprised at how the big SUV is coping with the uneven surface. Going on my previous experiences I imagined it would have felt a lot more flustered. One could probably improve things further by adjusting the tyre pressures slightly — dropping them from 2.4 bar to 2.1 bar would not only add more compliance but probably extra grip too. 

Keeping a slow and steady pace the Territory and I snake our way up the narrow pass, occasionally giving way to approaching traffic or more rugged 4x4 vehicles suddenly emerging from the fog in our rear-view mirror. Towards the mountain’s peak the road gets rougher with numerous potholes and ridges of exposed rock (no doubt uncovered by the recent winter rainfall) running across the surface. In a regular hatchback or saloon you’d do well to not make contact with the latter but thanks to the Ford’s 190mm of ground clearance, I can traverse them without worry of harming the vehicle’s undercarriage. 

After an obligatory and very fast — the outside temperature has plummeted to 6ºC — photo stop at the summit (in front of the well graffitied "Die Top" sign), it’s time for the descent that sees us trading icy rain for clear skies and warm Karoo sunshine. Four seasons in one day and all that jazz.

The drive down the valley to Tweede Water proves a highlight of the adventure with breathtaking vistas and a dusty road that folds back on itself many times through treacherous hairpin bends lined with primitive stone walls, which on a good day might stop a bicycle let alone a 1,630kg SUV. It's a place trapped in time; a thoroughfare of antiquity that reminds you what a massive undertaking it once was simply getting from point A to B.

After splashing through some minor water crossings and kicking up another lengthy plume of dust, we finally get back onto the asphalt and arrive in Prince Albert via the R407 where a hearty steak dinner and a few well-deserved beers this weary traveller await. 

While my maiden voyage across the Swartberg Pass has been a memorable one, the Territory has proved itself a worthy tool for such a job. Other than slathering its shapely flanks in a messy coating of mud and grime it’s lapped it all up with zero protest. Though no bundu-basher by any stretch of the imagination, its elevated ground clearance and considered Mountain drive mode setting make it perfectly adept at tackling the odd gravel excursion — even in challenging and unpredictable Western Cape conditions.

2024 Ford Territory 1.8 Titanium | Update 4

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 5,654km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 13,129km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 8.2l/100km 

PRICE AS TESTED: R721,000

PRAISES: Proves itself as a capable "soft-roader"

GRIPES: Automatic gearbox would benefit from some form of manual intervention