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Partial Territory replacement locked in but not until a year after current model clears out.
Ford Australia has announced that the SUV known as the Edge overseas will join its line-up in 2018, but said it won't be a direct replacement for the Australian-made Territory which ceases production on October 7.
Speaking at the Ford Design Centre in Melbourne, Ford boss Graeme Whickman confirmed the mid-large sized SUV will have a high-end feel and sit towards the top of Ford's SUV range.
"Given its design orientation and its execution particular in other markets say in Europe it has a good high-end luxury application," he said.
At 4777mm long and 1742mm high the Edge is only 100mm shorter than the Territory and stands just 25mm taller. Despite the size similarities Whickman said it won't take the place of the Territory. In 2013 Ford declared the Territory would be replaced by another SUV, however, the Ford boss said this would no longer be happening due to a change in customer buying habits.
The more SUVs that you have, the more customers that you have the opportunity to connect with...
"Back in 2013 we used the words 'Territory replacement' and that's changed. Over that period of time we've seen consumers morph to a degree that we needed to make sure the vehicle we were bringing in could actually do the job. What I'm trying to say is there are a lot more flavours in the showroom that can accommodate somebody who is after a Territory-like vehicle."
Ford Australia Marketing Director Lew Echlin said that a one-size-fits-all approach to an SUV like the Territory doesn't work in a market which is loaded with such a huge number of offerings.
"The days of having one SUV that is relevant to a whole bunch of people is over. It takes a proliferation of SUVs. The math is simple – the more SUVs that you have, the more customers that you have the opportunity to connect with...
"What we're attempting to get right now is shelf space. Edge we think will span several different consumer segments.
In its native United States, the Edge is a five seater and comes in front and all-wheel drive with a range of petrol engines. A right-hand drive version of the five seater is built in Canada for the UK.
There is a seven seat version built in China for its own domestic market, but Whickman would not confirm where the Australian Edge would be sourced from or whether it will be a five or seven-seater.
Ford supplied the images shown here of a five-seat UK-spec Edge to accompany this announcement, which could be an indication of the Blue Oval's plans.
Australian pricing is also yet to be confirmed, but the new SUV will overlap with the Kuga and Everest. The Kuga currently spans $29,250-$47,190, while the Everest ranges from $54,990-$76,705.
Ford has doubled the number of SUVs in its range since 2012.
Whickman said the new SUV will go on sale in 2018 - one year after the last of the Territories have been sold. This will leave a sizeable gap in the car-based large SUV segment that Territory has managed to keep a foothold in despite its basic design now being 12 years old.
"For us this was the most opportune time to procure the vehicle. We're part of a big global entity and there are challenges in terms of where we source vehicles from and how we tool up, so this was the best time for us to launch the product."
As for the name, Whickman said Ford is in the process of deciding what to call it. He refused to speculate on whether the Territory nameplate would be used or if Ford would opt for the global name of the Edge.
There could, however, be legal issues over usage of the Edge name in Australia. A search of the Federal Government's Intellectual Property database reveals Toyota trademarked the name Toyota Edge in 2002 and owns the rights to it until renewal in 2022. In 2009 Toyota released the Corolla Edge, Rav4 Edge and Yaris Edge special editions.
Ford has doubled the number of SUVs in its range since 2012. Ford also used this week's press conference to announce that a five-seat model will join the Everest line-up along with a facelift for the mid-size Kuga in early 2017. A special edition EcoSport Shadow is also now in showrooms.
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