On my most recent trip to the UAE I happened to test drive the Ford Territory. Here’s my review on it as Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI owner.
One of the benefits of travelling to the UAE consistently is that one gets to see and experience different cars across different price brackets. My experience was no different. On my most recent trip to the UAE, I happened to test drive the Ford Territory. Here’s how I felt about it as the owner of a Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI back home in India.
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Pricing of Ford Territory and Skoda Kushaq
The pricing of the Ford Territory is one of the reasons why I am comparing the two cars in the first place. The Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG is currently priced at 20 lakh Rupees (98000 AED approx) while the Ford Territory is priced at 105,000 AED (22 Lakh Rupees Approx). This is one of first points where the two cars come close to each other.
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Engines and Driving Experience
The Kushaq that I happen to own is the 1.5 TSI with the 7-speed DSG that puts out 150 BHP and 250 Nm. While the Ford Territory that I happened to drive was powered by a 1.8 litre EcoBoost unit that puts out 186 BHP and 320 Nm. This engine is also mated to a 7-speed Dual clutch gearbox.
While the Ford does seem to have an edge on paper, the Kushaq feels peppier. This is probably down to the fact that the Kushaq is a smaller and a lighter car. Also the DQ200 gearbox on the Kushaq is a quicker gearbox and helps to put down the power in a better manner compared to the gearbox on the Territory.
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Interiors of Ford Territory and Skoda Kushaq
The interiors of the Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI and the Ford Territory sold in UAE are fairly well loaded. However the colour schemes used on the Territory make the cabin feel airy. Both cars get leather upholstered seats but the white colour on the Ford gives it a more luxurious feel. And while the speedo gauge on the Kushaq and Territory are small digital units, the twin screen setup (resembling the XUV7OO) on the Territory makes the latter look upmarket. Seat adjustment on both vehicles is manually controlled though.
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What could have been the scope?
Honestly if Ford would have been around in India now, the Territory would have been solid product. With the huge gap between the EcoSport and the Endeavour, there was space for atleast two if not three products. The Territory would have definitely given the German twins and even the Korean twins a run for their money given the brand image of Ford in India as an OEM that makes tough, fun to drive and easy to maintain vehicles. While it is wishful thinking, I hope some day Ford announces it’s return to the Indian market with it’s value for money offerings.
