LONG-TERM UPDATE 5 | Does our Ford Territory beat the bends?

In last month’s update I regaled you about a weekend drive through the Swartberg Pass and how our trusty Ford Territory — despite slippery, muddy conditions — proved a competent soft-roader. Since then I’ve been exploring how it performs on the other end of the spectrum. 

Residing in the Cape Winelands means I have a plethora of driving roads on my doorstep. In the time it takes most Joburgers to drive from Parktown to Bryanston, I can arrive at the bottom of Bain’s Kloof or Du Toitskloof Pass.

Heck, if I’m feeling lazy I can simply steer up my secret “tōge track” that ascends the steep slopes up to a famous monument. No matter which I choose, all three routes offer an easy assessment of a vehicle’s dynamic aptitude.

Though charging through tight mountain roads is not why the Ford Territory exists, there might well be a percentage of the target market, albeit small, wondering how this C-segment warrior fares when pointed away from a life of urban drudgery and grocery runs.

Especially since there’s a Blue Oval tacked to its grille — and let’s face it, this is a company that knows how to engineer a fair level of driving enjoyment into any vehicle it makes, be it a small city runabout (the old Fiesta was always a joy pilot) or even a sensible compact panel van (go spend some time in a Transit Connect and you'll see what I mean).

How does this 1,630kg SUV get on then? Well, off the bat I must give some kudos to the cockpit that offers a decent amount of adjustment — critical for feeling at one with a car. While the steering column offers generous amounts of rake and reach, the driver’s seat features 10-way electrical adjustment. Sure, even in its lowest setting the seat cushion could still drop a bit lower towards terra firma (another 10mm would suffice) but on the whole I have been pleased at how one can tailor the Territory Titanium to fit your body.

Bonus points must also be awarded to the seat design as there’s ample side bolstering to keep your torso in check during lateral loading. Ditto the leather steering wheel, which is compact in diameter and nice to hold with pronounced thumb indents. 

So far so good, but does this Chinese built/engineered family-sized load-lugger perform when you throw it through the twisty bits?

Despite lacking in feedback, particularly around the centre point, the steering is pleasingly quick and direct for an SUV with satisfying weighting to boot — not too heavy, not too light, just right. As such the Territory feels surprisingly nimble for what it is and changes direction with relative enthusiasm.

This is matched by a sufficient amount of mechanical grip. Large 19" alloys shod with generous 235/50 rubber offer more asphalt adhesion than one might think. The factory-fitted Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance tyres are noisy when pushed — there’s an annoying amount of squeal even during low speed manoeuvring — but once you learn to ignore their diva-like operatics, you’ll find you can push the Territory through most bends with confidence.

Though tighter, more technical passages can make it feel flustered, this Ford’s happy place is carving through more open and less aggressively radiused corners such as the ones that meander from Ashton to Swellendam. I took a spirited drive on this road — the R60 — a few weeks ago and was impressed at how well this machine flowed.

Body control is also commendable, with minimal roly-poly histrionics to distract you from the task at hand. 

What does put you off — and I’ve mentioned this in posts before — is the inability to change gears manually. When dealing with corners I want to be in control of my cog-swapping actions and I also want to be able to hold a gear to aid with engine braking and tractional stability. There’s no way to do this in the Territory and even when you’re running in “Sport” driving mode, the ECU will still try to shift you up a gear as soon as possible to help boost efficiency.

This has a big effect on driver involvement. Again, not so much through a series of fast sweepers but diving into a technical stretch of asphalt — such as the back-end of Bain’s Kloof — and not having the faculty to control the gearbox gets frustrating fast. 

Another niggle worth mentioning is the brakes. They stop just fine, don’t get me wrong — but they are incredibly grabby (read over-servoed) and require a light touch to avoid being flung towards the windscreen. Ford would do well to rethink the calibration in this regard.

Complaints aside, the Territory has proved a relatively adept dance partner when exploring the Cape’s best driving roads. It’s no hot hatch on stilts, but dynamically it’s one of the more engaging vehicles available in this segment and one that lives up to Ford’s long-earned reputation of building a degree of handling fun into accessible daily drivers.

2024 Ford Territory 1.8 Titanium | Update 5

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 5,654km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 14,240km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 8.3l/100km 

PRICE AS TESTED: R721,000

PRAISES: Tidy handling means the Territory Titanium is one of the better steers in the C-segment class

GRIPES: Lack of manual override on the auto ‘box continues to frustrate. Overly sensitive brakes.