Ford and Toyota appear headed for a collision course in the crossover SUV segment, as each launched its own all-new unit in the segment this year: the Territory for the former, and Corolla Cross for the latter. Naturally, car buyers will want to know how these two new offerings fare against each other. We compare both cars for you, and see which one deserves your money more in terms of exterior, interior, powertrain, and options.
Appearance-wise, the Corolla Cross looks a lot similar to the RAV4, especially at the front where the trapezoidal grille and menacing slim headlights reside. Granted, the Corolla Cross exterior enjoys considerably less sculpting than its more refined sibling, but the front fender molds lend a beefier stance to the somewhat pedestrian look. Noteworthy exterior features include LED headlamps, rear lamps, and daytime running lights (hybrid only), power mirrors, and rain-sensing wipers (hybrid only).
A vehicle made for the urban setting, the all-new Ford Territory is fitted with elements that complement the overall design, which includes LED headlamps, tail lamps and daytime running lamps, auto on/off headlamps with follow-me home feature, front and rear fog lamps, panoramic moon roof, rear spoiler, and roof rails. A panoramic moonroof kind of makes it like a baby Ford Expedition.
Winner: Ford Territory
Interior-wise, the Corolla Cross boasts plenty of leather surfaces, at least for the hybrid version. The infotainment is housed in a floating touchscreen system, indicating the car’s upmarket leanings. In addition to its much-touted interior comfort, the Corolla Cross provides a spacious cabin, easy entry ingress and egress, a supposedly class-leading luggage space suitable for all scenarios, and safety equipment inherited from the Corolla series that includes the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of driver assistance technologies, available exclusively to the hybrid version.
For its interior, the all-new Ford Territory offers a refined riding experience, thanks to its perforated leather seat material, Smart Keyless Entry with Push Button Start, leather steering wheel with mounted controls, power door lock with central locking, speed sensing door locks, rear view mirror with auto-dimming and high-mount USB port, leather-covered center console with dual-lid opening, sunglasses holder, seven cup and bottle holders, wireless charging, and 12-volt power outlet. Infotainment is handled by a 10-inch touchscreen with multi-view function.
Winner: Ford Territory
The Corolla Cross comes in gasoline and hybrid variants, both powered by a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder, in-line, chain drive with VVT-I gasoline engine, with the latter being aided by a 53kW electric motor. The standard gas engine gives off 138hp and 172Nm. Meanwhile the hybrid yields a combined 168hp (97hp gas, 71hp electric) and 305Nm (142Nm gas, 163 Nm electric). Both powertrains rely on an electric continuously variable system (CVT) for shifting. Front and rear suspension comprises a MacPherson strut/torsion beam pairing, while the brake system puts a ventilated disc at the front and a basic disc at the rear.
The Ford Territory is equipped with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a CVT transmission with Sport mode that delivers more than 141 horsepower and 225Nm of torque. Chassis is supported by a MacPherson system at the front and a multi-link independent suspension at the back. As for brakes, the Territory uses a vented/solid front/rear disc pairing.
Winner: Toyota Corolla Cross
The Toyota Corolla Cross is available in two trims—a 1.8 G CVT and 1.8 V Hybrid, priced at PHP1.285 and PHP1.650 million, respectively. The same four paint options are offered on both trims: Red Mica Metallic, Metal Stream Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, and Platinum White Pearl Mica.
Ford Philippines’ mini-SUV model has two variants—Titanium+ and Trend. Retailed at an introductory price of PHP1.179 million for the Trend variant and PHP1.299 million for the Titanium+ variant, the Ford Territory is available in six hues including Ruby Red, Diffused Silver, and Panther Black for both variants, and exclusive colors including Star White for the Trend variant and Crystal Pearl White and Moonstone Blue for the Titanium+ trim.
Winner: Toyota Corolla Cross
Verdict
The Ford Territory looks to be the hands-down winner in terms of interior comfort and convenience. However, if you intend to save yourself from erratic fuel costs, then the hybrid Corolla Cross is the answer. The former also has the more stylish exterior appearance, if that’s a priority for you. That said, the lower price point of the Corolla Cross will be an enticing prospect for many.
Photo/s from TMP, Ford PH
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