Ford Planning to Launch Territory in India Next Year to Rival Tata Harrier

Ford India was planning to develop a C-segment SUV for the Indian market in a joint venture with Mahindra. The SUV was going to be underpinned by the same platform as the upcoming Mahindra XUV500. Unfortunately, this JV was dissolved between the two automakers which have led to all ongoing projects being put on hold. Now, recent reports have revealed that Ford is looking to fill this void in its Indian lineup by introducing its Territory SUV in the near future. The Territory will sit between the EcoSport and the Explorer in Ford’s Indian lineup and is already on sale in select Asian markets like Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and China.

The Ford Territory is underpinned by a monocoque chassis and sits on fully independent suspension on both ends. The front-end gets a blacked-out grille, LED headlamps, LED DRLs and projector fog lamps, chiselled bonnet, and a silver skid plate. The side profile features roof rails, blacked-out B-pillars, ORVMs with integrated turn indicators, and 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. Over to the rear, the Territory gets wraparound LED taillights, a roof-mounted spoiler, and a silver skid plate flanked by faux exhausts on either side of it.

The interior of the Ford Territory comes loaded with the latest features like a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster, smart keyless entry, a push-button start, an electrically-adjustable driver’s seat, ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof and more. Safety features include ABS with EBD, parking assist, autonomous emergency braking, 360-degree camera, six airbags, blind-spot monitoring system, and so on.

The Ford Territory comes with a single powertrain choice, a 1.5-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol which churns out 143 PS and 225 Nm. It is mated to a CVT automatic as standard in the markets it is currently sold in, but it is uncertain if this transmission will make its way to India. To keep costs down, Ford will sell the Territory as a CKD unit and will sit between the EcoSport and the Endeavour in the automaker’s Indian line-up. The SUV will likely be offered in two trims, namely Trend and Titanium. The Territory’s prices start from an equivalent of Rs 22.56 lakh in Brazil, and the equivalent of Rs 19 lakh in the Philippines. Once launched, the Ford Territory will rival the Tata Harrier, MG Hector, and the upcoming Mahindra XUV500.