Ford Territory is a crossover SUV designed to be a family car. It was built by Ford Australia from 2004 up until the end of production in October 2016. It was the first Australian-made SUV that featured electronic stability control, something no other local car had at the time. 

It was built on the EA169 platform, which was originally used in the AU series Ford Falcon in 1998. It succeeded the Ford Explorer in 2008. 

Ford Territory was popular and went on to win some Australian automotive awards including the much-coveted Wheels Car of the Year for its exceptional handling and child-carrying capacity. 

Curious fact: The Ford Territory was intended to replace the Falcon Wagon, which was popular with fleet buyers at the time. Ford thought that the Territory’s fleet sales would outnumber the Wagon’s, but this was not to be because the Territory appealed to families more than it did to fleet buyers.

Series & Model Range of the Ford Territory

There were five series in all and three models in each series – the TX, TS, and Ghia (replaced by Titanium for the SZ). They varied in prices, with the TX as the cheapest and the Ghia (the luxury model) as the most expensive. To the buyers’ glee, all the cars came with in-car entertainment and control system.

SX Series (2004)

The Ford Territory SX was the first of its kind in Australia. It was the first locally built vehicle to be fitted with an electronic stability control system and went on to win the 2004 Wheels Car of the Year award. It had a 4-speed automatic gearbox and a 4.0L DOHC straight-six Barra petrol engine (244 hp, 380 Nm). 

You could choose between an RWD or AWD, and it also came with a wide range of colours, including Offshore, Winter White, Zesty, Mandarine, Indiana, Envi, and Silhouette.

SY Series (2004-2005)

The SY was primarily a mechanical upgrade of the SX. It became the first Australian-made AWD to be fitted with an automatic transmission. You could also get your TS and Ghia equipped with a reverse parking camera and a reverse sensor for the TS. The engine also underwent an upgrade. It was still a 4.0L DOHC straight-six engine but was upgraded to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The now turbocharged engine produced 329 hp and 480 Nm.

In 2006, the first Territory TX-based limited editions (SR) were unveiled.

FPV F6X Series (2008-2009)

Ford Performance Vehicles released this model in 2008. The car featured a turbocharged engine with an output of 360 hp and 550 Nm. This, coupled with a 6-speed transmission, made the car a beast on the road. It was the most powerful SUV of its time, with a powerful engine that allowed it to accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 5.9 seconds. The car came with 18-inch wheels, an upgrade to Brembo brakes, and some fittings such as an optional third row sitting.

SY II Series (2009)

The SY II was an upgrade of the SY. It came with some minor interior changes like ditching upholstery colours and now using contemporary colours. The exterior also underwent some small changes like styling changes to the front end. The powertrains were not changed, except for the 360-hp FPV FX6 engine, which was excluded in the options for this series. Some of the weaknesses of the previous models, like a weak front suspension, were corrected in the SY II.

SZ Series (2011)

The model came with some significant design changes. It also included several additions including an electric power-assist steering system, a driver’s knee airbag, and anti-rollover function. It also came with an in-car entertainment and control system that featured an 8-inch touch screen. 

The RWD Territory engine was still a 4.0L DOHC straight-six, diesel engine but upgraded. You could also get a turbocharged 2.7L V6 diesel engine for the RWD and AWD Territory models, but the AWD models were no longer offered with petrol engines, only diesel.

SZ II Series (2014-2016)

The SZ II represented the Ford Territory in Australia before production was halted in 2016, ending its ten-year stint.

The production of the SZ II commenced in October 2014. The model was sold in Australia until December of the same year. It featured some additions including alloy wheels, WIFI connectivity, the in-car entertainment control system was upgraded to include voice command capabilities, and it also had an emergency call functionality. 

The engine remained the same as that of the SZ, except for some minor tweaks like a 5% improvement in fuel consumption and some aerodynamic upgrades.

Is It a Good Idea to Buy a Used Ford Territory?

Yes, it is, just make sure to buy Ford Territory model years 2010 and later. Before this year, Ford Territory scored only 4 stars from the ANCAP, while those built after 2010 stepped up to 5 stars in safety rating, which is a good indicator of the car’s reliability. I’d also like to advise you to read our tips about spotting a good-quality used vehicle.