Ford Territory Dark Edition: Stitched to embrace tradition

Ford launched the Territory Dark Edition in South Africa this week with some styling changes to what was already a worthy contender in a very crowded SUV segment. 

The Territory comes in three trims: Ambiente, Trend and now the Dark Edition, which replaces the Titanium variant that I tested last month.

The Titanium variant felt in sync with competitors as it has a bold exterior mixed with a fancy interior that felt very accomplished. 

The one thing I did notice with the Titanium variant is that both inside and out, it doesn’t have the usual characteristics of a Ford SUV. Whether it was the broad, squared headlights, or other unique styling features that allow you to distinguish a Ford from other SUVs out there, something was just missing. 

Not that it was bad, but it feels good to step into a vehicle that understands its identity. 

With the Territory Dark Edition, Ford has made the exterior more stylish and athletic. 

In the front, the grille has been upgraded to satin black, combined with high-gloss black treatment for the skid plate, fog lamp accents and mirror caps. 

This bold and assertive exterior styling certainly does allow the vehicle to express itself a bit more. The black 19-inch alloy wheels also add to the visual presence of the vehicle and the “Territory” branding has been changed to black at the rear of the vehicle.

However, it is the interior of the Dark Edition that really uplifts the vehicle and gives it its own identity. 

Ford has ditched the wooden finish underneath the dashboard that was present in the Titanium variant. Instead, the vehicle has a high-gloss, black-painted strip for the instrument panel that feeds perfectly into the cyber-orange stitching that is lined along the dashboard and on the super comfortable leather seats. 

The orange stitching is also used in Ford’s Wildtrak variants of the Ranger and Everest. This small touch is one of the highlights of the Territory Dark Edition because it gives you the feeling that you are sitting in a Ford. 

It’s amazing how lines of stitching can make a vehicle feel complete.

The spacious interior is the other highlight. Backseat passengers are treated to an immense amount of headroom and legroom — and that is standard, no matter which variant you choose.

Under the bonnet, the Territory Dark Edition still comes with the 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine that delivers 138kW of power and 318Nm of torque. 

That means that the ride quality on the Dark Edition and Titanium models are exactly the same — a smooth drive with a solid suspension and more than enough power to get you by. 

In terms of safety, the Dark Edition has all the features that were present in the Titanium variant such as a blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert; adaptive cruise control with stop and go; pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking; lane keep assist; lane departure warning and lane change assist.

The Dark Edition gains a 360-degree camera that provides all-round visibility — a boon when getting into tight parking spaces and manoeuvring around obstacles.

Ford maintains that the Territory is all about family. The bold, exceptional styling that you get with the Dark Edition is an added bonus. 

Pricing starts at R593 500 for the Ambiente, the Trend comes in at R650 500 and the Dark Edition is priced at R733 000. 

The Dark Edition has kept it fresh, like the Titanium model that it replaces, but it embodies the brand.

However, it is still a very competitive segment and Ford has produced an all-round quality vehicle at a reasonable price for what you are getting.