new2ford

Territory sales for February were 2072, slightly more than Prado and Kluger combined. Largest selling SUV as usual. Seventh largest selling marque overall for the month. Keeping things in perspective when you see huge beat-ups about vehicles like the Honda Odessey, BMW X5, Pajero, Jeep etc, Territory vastly outsells any of these. In fact far more Territorys are sold than all the "people movers" combined. A lot of publicity weighting is given to vehicles that don't count for much in the sales figures. Territory has become one of the big volume sellers and the 4WD magazines/fraternity sure don't like it - all the knives are out.

 

johnydep

Watching a Pajero drive past me, I was wondering what it's future will be. As everyone knows, most 4WD's purchased never left the bitumen, people wanted something like a Territory but all there was were 4WD's like Pajero, Prado, etc. Now with the Territory on the scene those 4WD models are going to have a hard time keeping sales volumes high, just look around at the sales they are having at the moment; I've seen the Pajero for $39,990 with all the eccessary options.
In the long term, less 4WD sales will mean less choice for what you call the "4WD magazines/fraternity".
And is that really a bad thing?

I love the Territory.

new2ford

The other mental bridge that 4WD buyers are going to have to cross is that even when you need one for offroading you need to travel along a highway to get there unless you live in the bush. Only one manufacturer of these larger 4WD vehicles (Land Rover) has addressed on-road dynamics and safety in any way (new Discovery, and Range Rover for the past several years). The rest contribute to that chilling statistic of rollovers being 38 percent of their accidents - and the rest of us have to live with the prospect of such a mishap coming towards us as we drive along the highway.

I can't help observing when some bit of Jap crap is labelled the best offroader that, firstly, these are not the ones that the Army relies on to go to war in and, secondly, you don't see them still driving around after decades like the Land Rover (wonder where that elephant's graveyard is that the Japanese 4WDs go to after 20 years?). Point is, a lot of people have also been conned into buying very unsafe, unrugged, short-lived vehicles for off-roading. Hopefully the Territory will trigger a revolution that moves the whole thing onto a better, safer plane.

Ouzo

I think you're being a bit tough lumping all Japanese 4WD's into the "unsafe on road category". I test drove a Prado and thought it was fine to drive on the road. I settled on a Territory because it was superior on the road and offered more value for money but if I was going to do a reasonable amount of off roading then I would have gone for the Prado (which I thought drove better than the Kluger).

There's plenty of old Landcruisers on the road albeit a bit rustier than old Land Rovers.

new2ford

Offroaders are OK on the road if you drive them carefully and know how to drive them carefully. Problem is most buyers are trained on ordinary cars and the Japanese manufacturers particularly package and market their 4WDs so they seem like ordinary cars (e.g irresponsible TV commercials showing high-speed driving along dirt roads). Unsuspecting owners drive them like that until one day they make that sudden instinctive correction at high speed and the centre of gravity moves outside the front wheels. The news stories of the results I find harrowing enough to think that something needs to be done either in design or driver education or both. We need a Ralph Nader here. At least the basic Land Rover is agricultural enough that people are not encouraged to drive them like Ferraris!

BTW our selling dealer Power Ford tells me they have sold their March stock of Territorys in the first five days and now have a waiting list for April deliveries from the factory.

Ouzo

The only thing I dislike about my Territory is that there is now so many of them around that I no longer feel like I'm special. "They're getting as common as Camrys" to quote my 13 year old son. That's the problem when a vehicle is brilliantly designed and affordable - everybody wants one.

new2ford

You're not saying the Camry is brilliantly designed surely (joke, sorry - must be my anti Toyota streak!). I hope Ford has correctly predicted post COTY demand in their production targets. The problem with waiting lists is that people drop off them.

johnydep

Better get used to it.

Ford would like to see the Territory become it's main seller to the private buyer.

New Falcon's & Commie's are mainly sold to fleet & Government (with huge discounts), before eventually being sold into the private market, this helps destroy re-sale value.

Ouzo

Perish the thought! I'll get out of the hole I just dug for myself by using a classic IQ test problem of logic:

Lots of peple buy the Ford Territory because is a briliant design and affordable.
Lots of people buy the Toyota Camry, therefore the Toyota Camry is brilliantly designed and affordable. True or False?

The correct answer is False (of course)

radtek

One could argue that while the Camry is undoubtably boring (like virtually all Toyotas) it achieves its design function 100%.

It is designed to appeal to people who put function ahead of emotion, it will always start, it seats its passengers adequately, doesn't use much fuel, wont fall apart and will have a good resale when traded on a new boring Camry.

Obviously people like that because Toyota are hugely successful.

I drive a Territory and also have an NP Pajero, I like both but they are designed and used for different functions. The Pajero does go off road, rarely ventures into the city and is still more comfortable than the Terrtiory on longer journeys (I could also mention that its touring range is almost double that of the Territory, is a better tow vehicle and has been faultless for the 20,000kms it has travelled).

The Territory handles well is a smooth quiet ride but has had its minor faults which let it down (mainly trim issues). I like both vehicles but the Territory stays in the garage more often perhaps its a case of emotion over function or vice versa.