new2ford

New review in Drive at: http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/ar...f=7&bg=27&pp=0

 

outback_ute

Not bad. It would have been interesting to see what fuel consumption the other vehicles achieved, as they only gave the Territory’s 13.4L/100km. It’s interesting that in SX6 trim the interior of the Adventra seems to be basically straight Commodore. That makes sense for fleet sales so it looks like Holden is trying to beat out the Territory here.

They said in the off-road bit that the rwd Territorys “aren't really offroaders of any sort” – are they available with traction control? If so they would be reasonably close to the awd on surfaces that aren’t too slippery. Remember on the Car Show test when they had the RTV ute it went further up the sand dune than any of the vehicles actually on test!

One thing I picked up was the following… “Holden even cut the price by $4000 mid-2004 and reimbursed the few thousand existing customers as it battled for sales.” Few thousand customers??? They only sold 2500 to the end of 2004 including all the demos, so try “few hundred”… (before we laugh too hard that is still more than the Fairlane sold)

new2ford

I take our RWD TX up some pretty hairy bush tracks no problem. Traction control sorts anything out if necessary. The worst thing I could visualise vs AWD is getting bogged - and I back down boat ramps with caution! On the other hand it looks as though the AWD Kluger has a problem if it hangs a wheel.

Curls

Except if Ford had of spent an "Adventra-sized" budget on the Fairlaine it would have been better featured and hence sold better.

Curls

Finally Drive road-tested a Territory and its oppostion they way Ford envisaged 95% of buyers would actually use the thing and guess what...it left them in its wake....By the way I would like a height adjustable version they way a Range Rover operates....down low for high speed work and parking and raised when required, and RR is within the Ford family...so you never know.

outback_ute

Curls that is true, I wonder how much of the BA 500-odd million went on the Fairlane as although there wasn't much change, the rear panel work and roof is not cheap to do. Not to mention the difference in marketing.

New2ford without the traction control on the Kluger it would be possible to use the brakes (lightly) as a substitute and achieve the same thing, on the military Hummers they call it “brake-throttle modulation” or BTM.

AussieCJ7

poor mans lockers and is a skill taught on the better 4x4 courses

a limited slip diff and good brake and throtle control will see you over very slippery surfaces

traction cotrol is based on this exact theroy but as always a skilled driver will out do the computer driver but for the 80% of the population the computer version is much better than nothing.

The RTV has a slectable locked rear diff so I would infact expect it to perform better off road than a rwd territory

for a lot of people off road it is only really 1 pair of driven wheels (rwd or fwd) that does most of the work it is the tricky sections that having the extra axle driven helps you out so yes you can get a rwd a long way but if the weather turns nasty or the track conditions change you may not get back out so easy

new2ford

Yes I'm talking about dry conditions and tracks I know. Then again where did I put that old block and tackle (remember them before snatch straps?). The point is, given its presumably urban buyer profile the Kluger should have the traction control for those who get too ambitious without having the skills. But for the sake of Territory's sales its a good thing it doesn't.