fou_bleu Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Agreed - maybe Titanium for RWD and Titanium X for AWD??? Makes sense to me... (Rather than this RWD / AWD badging crap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 23, 2010 Author Share Posted December 23, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fou_bleu Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Am I missing something or did you just feel the need to keep posting pics of the sexy beast?! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 From you, that's a high compliment, I know that you deride almost every other Ford you have ever seen so I take great comfort in Territory being in good company. I've listed the Fords I like before, you just choose to remember the ones I don't like. I'm extremely critical, especially of MCEs which I seldom find successful because they tend to to clash badly with the carried over design elements...and this is a spectacular example of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 24, 2010 Author Share Posted December 24, 2010 (edited) I've listed the Fords I like before, you just choose to remember the ones I don't like. I'm extremely critical, especially of MCEs which I seldom find successful because they tend to to clash badly with the carried over design elements...and this is a spectacular example of that. I'll agree it's done on a tight budget but believe it will be a success and here's why: While this MCE may not be good enough for USA, it's enough to put Territory back at the head of our market. The biggest gripe in this market was not the exterior, it was in fact the lack of diesel option which even Ford estimates will be around 50% of sales. This MCE is good news because we get external and internal face lift as well as touchscreen updates adds to the total package -those elements will put territory back at the top of Mid sized SUVs in Australia, all it needs to do is double sales to 2,000/mth (which is highly likely) and it will street the competition. ZF 6-speed transmissions are now standard across the board, that is a huge selling point along with the class leading V6 diesel. Edited December 24, 2010 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 While this MCE may not be good enough for USA How is this MCE any less of an MCE than the MkX that BORG just bought [leased]?? Did it receive a new interior? Did it receive new powertrains? Did it get a new front clip? Was the rear revised? Did the greenhouse and doors remain largely unchanged? Does it look hot in black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 How is this MCE any less of an MCE than the MkX that BORG just bought [leased]?? Did it receive a new interior? Did it receive new powertrains? Did it get a new front clip? Was the rear revised? Did the greenhouse and doors remain largely unchanged? Does it look hot in black? The Edge and MKX were always great designs IMO, way ahead of their class and I think they still are. The MCEs are largely successful, although the MKX front clip does clash with the existing body more than that on the Edge. The Edge is also a more modern vehicle than the Territory, which is a few MYs older than the Edge/MKX. It would be like Ford still carrying the Freestyle on with with a facelift, it would always look bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetang Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 How is this MCE any less of an MCE than the MkX that BORG just bought [leased]?? Did it receive a new interior? Did it receive new powertrains? Did it get a new front clip? Was the rear revised? Did the greenhouse and doors remain largely unchanged? Does it look hot in black? The thoroughness of the MCE is not what's at issue, the fact that the base vehicle still looks like a Wagon with a lift kit is. MKX's update took it from good to pretty damn good for the US market, Territory's update appears to have done the same for it in the Oz market. That doesn't make either yet suited for the other market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainp4 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 (edited) I know it's all said and done at this point, but I have to wonder if Ford NA and FoA had worked together on updating this thing more thoroughly if this could have been the new explorer. This is on the T6 platform, right? Then they could have saved the ranger as well. With some work on modernizing it I would thing that it would be just as comfortable as the new explorer, but still have the capabilities of the old one. With the platform sharing and sharing the costs, maybe they could even bring a bronco back as a two door version of it. All in the past now, I guess. Does anyone think it is possible that this will come over as a bronco in two and four door versions, and ranger too or would it be too much overlapping the same segment? Edited December 24, 2010 by Captainp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 This is on the T6 platform, right? No. T6 is an all new truck platform. The Territory is a MCE of an existing vehicle based on the unibody platform shared with the Falcon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainp4 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Oh, even better - a good way to get the falcon over here and make it a thunderbird, mustang, mkr, lincoln suv, etc etc :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 24, 2010 Author Share Posted December 24, 2010 (edited) The original Territory was developed for US$280 million in 2004, this MCE is about the same. The amounts FoA works with are pidling compared to what was spent on the new Explorer, the chief aims of this MCE was to supply diesel variant and to refresh exterior and interior. Those three elements will enable Territory to sell in the same numbers originally seen in 2005. Unlike D3 variants, Falcon and Territory have different floor pans to suit their intended use. Edited December 24, 2010 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 ...It would be like Ford still carrying the Freestyle on with with a facelift, it would always look bad. oh wait . . . Oh, even better - a good way to get the falcon over here and make it a thunderbird, mustang, mkr, lincoln suv, etc etc :D :yup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 oh wait . . . :yup: The new Explorer is hardly a facelifted Freestyle or Taurus X. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 25, 2010 Author Share Posted December 25, 2010 (edited) The new Explorer is hardly a facelifted Freestyle or Taurus X. Not a criticism of the new Explorer but the shell has a very familiar shape to it and this is what we're basically getting at, when buyers look at a refreshed or totally new vehicle, sure they recognizes what's similar but their eye runs to what's different. That's the whole aim of most MCEs is to make buyers believe that the vehicle has changed enough to be considered a new vehicle. manufacturers do that by choosing styling changes that catch the eye, new power trains that are desirable (Territory needs V6 Diesel to compete) and upgraded interiors, dash and IP. ^^^^^^ and this is where the harsh critism of Territory's MCE falls down because it centres on the critics own opinion instead of taking the outside perspective of what actual buyers are looking for. Edited December 25, 2010 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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