Since its debut, the Ford Territory has consistently piqued the interest of my peer group. Back in 2021, just after the first-generation Territory hit the Philippine market, my friends and I were fresh out of college and started fantasizing about what ‘adult life’ would be once the COVID-19 pandemic ran its course. Part of our fantasies was buying our first car, and driving a vehicle that was truly our own.
For the gearheads and non-gearheads alike, one of the vehicles that shared in our daydreams was the Ford Territory. It was a Blue Oval badge that had a decent sticker price, and it slid into the not-so-big, not-so-small size, balancing some road authority with maneuverability. While its silhouette divided my barkada, the second-generation Territory straightened out our differences with a classier look and feel.
Four years later, we’re all working in different disciplines, and the Territory is still brought up in our car conversations. It’s this type of consistent allure that has prompted the Territory’s aspirations as a lifestyle vehicle. It has the look and stature that could suit any city-based driver, while being offered in colors and trims that look good even beachfront or mountainside.
And these aesthetics do not downplay its performance. Ford Philippines took us on a trip to Asador Alfonso in a Territory Sport, and we really got a feel of just how flexible this lifestyle vehicle can be.
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Starting off at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, we were assigned a Ford Territory Sport. The vehicle itself has been in the Philippine market for almost two years now, and I got the chance to drive the Titanium X variant to Tagaytay a few months ago. The variants don’t have any differences when it comes to power and performance, making this drive familiar before it started. However, I was surprised to discover that I wouldn’t be driving for the first leg of the trip. I got to play passenger princess for a couple of hours, which was a welcome change for me.
I can now confirm that the front seat of the Ford Territory is comfortable, although the seat is just a tad bit short for my build. Longer-legged passengers might have a harder time finding a good seating position.
A line of Territory units then assembled in front of the divine structure that is Asador Alfonso. Among the trees, greenery, and with the awe-inspiring architecture in the background, the Territory visually shifted from an urban daily driver into an overland weekender. Sadly, we weren’t able to shift the car into its Mountain drive mode and put it through its paces. The neatly uneven terrain of the Asador Alfonso property looked too inviting, but perhaps that can be arranged for another time.
What Ford Philippines had arranged was a friendly cooking competition, but what they did inform us, motoring journalists, is that one of the judges was Asador Alfonso’s Michelin-seasoned head chef, Rodrigo Orosio. On the way to the restaurant, I joked about ‘cooking up’ my best variation of instant noodles (with a fried egg, of course), but I ended up eating my laughs as my teammates and I nervously prepared a hybrid version of Kinilaw and ceviche. We didn’t win, but I’m just thankful Chef Orosio didn’t hate what we prepared.
After the competition, we were treated to a diverse Spanish meal that featured traditional and modern recipes. One of our event leads, Georges Ramirez, who also judged on the Kinilaw competition, explained that the produce was grown on the property as he gestured to the wide plain of green behind him. Coincidentally, Chef Orosio then invited us all into that wide plain for a tour of the farm.
We hopped back into our Territory and drove to the farm area, just past the goats, chickens, and the massive art gallery. The line of Territory units moved to the side of the vegetable patch, and it oddly fit right in place. The Territory and compact crossovers aren’t generally promoted with the outdoors, say for the Mitsubishi XForce, but perhaps that Mountain mode has something real behind it.
We loaded up our trunk with bags of fresh produce from the farm and went on our way back to Manila—this time, I was in the driver’s seat. The open roads prompted us to put the car into Sport mode and zip through the highway. I’ll admit that the first push has a bit more bite, but then it fizzles back into its normal and familiar driving mode. Granted, we only spent a few hours in Sport mode.
Back in Manila, we ended the day at about 11.5km/L, and we decided not to engage its Eco mode entirely. It was a comfortable drive as we expected, though I may pick the Titanium X over this Sport variant just for those cooling seats.
Because if Territory owners indeed live dynamic lifestyles and require lifestyle vehicles, wouldn’t they want to keep their bottom cooled wherever they go?
