Ford announces pricing for Territory

$38,990. That’s how much a base-model rear-wheel drive Ford Territory cross-over will cost.

Ford Australia president Geoff Polites announced the pricing at the Melbourne International Motor Show, as the June 1 on-sale date for the vital new $500 million locally-built wagon grows ever nearer.

Mr Polites also revealed Territory would initially go on sale as two models, the TX and Ghia, but that a mid-spec TS version would be added late in the year.

At $38,990, the TX rear-wheel drive Territory is $2455 above the base model Falcon XT wagon.

The pricing reveal is the latest step in the extended roll-out of Territory. This week Ford presents the safety and accessories story, followed in April by the media launch drives in New Zealand.

Mr Polites also confirmed that by early May every Ford dealer in Australia would have at least one Territory available for extended overnight test drives for potential customers.

But he was not prepared to go into further detail than the base price for the Territory. The complete story will probably not be announced before June 1.

However, the cost of adding all-wheel drive is expected to be no more than $3000, and a top-out price under $60,000 has been mooted for the range.

Mr Polites said it was important to communicate the starting price of Territory well ahead of the on-sale date to potential buyers.

"We wanted customers to be able to start qualifying themselves," he said at his last local motor show before takes up his new post at Ford of Europe in April.

"Once you say where your start point is, then the customers can say ‘gee I can afford that’.

"I think a lot of people would have thought this would have started in the $50,000s – that would be a not unreasonable expectation given where these sort of vehicles start in the market.

"So we wanted people to understand this was really, really affordable, because we want 2000 signed retail buyers' orders on launch day. That’s our plan and to do that you’ve got to have people qualifying themselves now.

"You can’t have a launch date and say ‘okay, we are on sale’ and hope the buyers come in. The buying process takes time and so you want people qualifying themselves early, so that was part of the process."All three Territory versions will have the same Barra 182/four-speed automatic drivetrain mated to either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations.

The TX comes complete with dual front airbags, traction control, air-conditioning, power windows and seats and power adjustable pedals.

The TS will add climate control air-conditioning, premium sound, alloy rims and side curtain airbags.

Ghia adds leather seat trim, reverse sensor system, alloy rims, front fog-lights, body coloured bumpers, cladding, rockers, liftgate moulding and mirrors.

Mr Polites is predicting 13,000 sales for Territory in the second half of 2004 and then over 20,000 sales in its first full year.

Ford is expecting a sales split of 60 per cent all-wheel drive and 40 per cent rear-wheel drive.

Treading on the Falcon wagon's territory

THE Territory TX's $38,990 price could spell the death knell for the traditional Falcon wagon, something often mooted since Ford revealed its Territory plans, and now tacitly conceded by Mr Polites.

"When we get to the all-new Falcon we will take a look at what is happening with this (Territory) and take a conscious decision on whether we need the Falcon wagon or not," he said last Friday morning.

"But you’d have to say Territory will do everything a wagon will do, so that might have some impact on our wagon – and everybody else's."Wagons are primarily in demand from fleet buyers and Mr Polites said there was already some evidence that they would be making the shift to Territory from Falcon.

"What we are finding is there is an increasing interest from fleet customers saying ‘gee, one of those makes a bit of sense to me’.

"And if you think about it from a fleet customers' perspective, a two-wheel drive Territory may cost a bit more than a wagon, but you sure as hell know that going out at the other end the residual is going to be a lot more because it is going to have a lot bigger appeal to used car customers than a used wagon."

HOW FORD'S TERRITORY LINES UP

	Price	Engine	Power	Torque	Gearbox	Drive
Ford Territory TX	$38,990	4.0 I6	182kW	380Nm	4-auto	Rear
Ford Falcon XT wagon	$36,445	4.0 I6	182kW	380Nm	4-auto	Rear
Holden Commodore Executive wagon	$34,360	3.8 V6	152kW	305Nm	4-auto	Rear
Holden Adventra CX8	$52,990	5.7 V8	235kW	460Nm	4-auto	All
Mitsubishi Magna ES wagon	$36,020	3.5 V6	155kW	316Nm	4-auto	Front
Toyota Kluger CV	$43,990	3.3 V6	172kW	328Nm	5-auto	All