The new China-only Ford Territory SUV will soon be sold in South America, with Brazil and Argentina named as first recipients of the affordable midsize SUV. In the republic, the Territory is powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine making 140 hp, with power channeled to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

A mild-hybrid version with a 48-volt starter/generator is also available, but there’s no all-wheel drive option. There’s also a plug-in hybrid and all-electric variant of the Territory, but the latter will likely not be offered on South American soil.

The thing is, the Ford Territory is not a One Ford product. In fact, it was developed by the Blue Oval’s joint venture partner Jiangling Motors Corporation and produced at a manufacturing plant in Xiao Lan.

Despite that, it still comes with some of Ford’s key features, such as Ford’s 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Mandarin voice-command function, FordPass Connect with embedded modem that enables 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as Ford-tuned suspension and visual styling.

In terms of safety, the SUV gets Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assistance systems, which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Information System, Lane Departure Warning, Active Park Assist System, 360-degree camera and Hill Start Assist.

Design-wise, the Territory gets the signature Ford mesh grille flanked by LED lights with LED DRLs and turn indicators, whereas the rear is highlighted by strong horizontal lines to emphasise width. The SUV’s ride, handling and NVH have been rigorously tested at Ford’s testing centres in China and Australia to ensure it meets Ford’s stringent engineering and quality standards.

-paultan