2026 Ford Territory Trend 1.5 Turbo Hybrid

Locked and (re)loaded

Along with the Ranger and Everest, the Territory is one of the models that contribute a large volume of sales for Ford in the country. At one point, the first-generation even became its best-selling model.

Time flies very quickly in this industry though. As electrification grew in popularity, the second-generation Territory with its 1.5 turbo engine, faced an uphill battle in keeping up with the competition, especially with the influx of (fellow) Chinese crossovers with hybrid and plug-in powertrains at more or less the same prices as the Territory. That meant the Blue Oval had to respond – and quickly.

Just two years after the introduction of the second-generation Territory, Ford came out with an electrified version. And unlike (other) Chinese branded models that selected a plug-in hybrid, Ford Philippines chose to its first hybrid powertrain. Let’s see if they made the right call.

In the looks department, I still have the impression that the second-gen Territory looks a lot “Ford-er” than its predecessor. It’s still made by the JMC-Ford joint venture in China, but the design from the ground up was done in the Blue Oval studio. For 2026, the Territory hybrid gets a few updates as well, courtesy of a new front fascia.

The old one used to have a split design on the headlights and the DRL, but this refreshed version now has the main beam and DRL together, connecting the lights to the likewise revised front grille. The new Territory, even in this Trend variant, also came equipped with the optional illuminated Ford badge, which makes it look more sophisticated and futuristic.

The rest of the body, on the other hand, is mostly the same as before. Ground clearance is still at 185mm, a new 18-inch wheel design on the Trend, which is a step smaller than the 19s on the Titanium X, a new hybrid typeface on the side garnish, and a darker shade of red for the rear taillight lenses.

Stepping inside the new Territory hybrid brings the familiar theme of cars coming from China – large screens, very minimal buttons, and a nice blend of contrasting colors on the trims. For the Trend, it has black with silver accents and green contrast stitching. It’s less striking, but a lot easier to maintain than the Titanium X, which has the gray on the seats.

A smaller 7-inch display serves as the instrument cluster for the Trend, but it nicely combines with the LCD panel that flanks it, which displays the fuel and temperature readings. The 12-inch infotainment touchscreen is the same as the top-of-the-line Titanium X, and has more or less the same features, like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 360 degree monitor. The only notable omission on the screen is the lack of adjustment for ADAS since the Trend does not come equipped with it.

Space is very much a strong suit for the Territory, as there’s a generous amount of legroom, elbow room, and headroom for a guy my size (5’9”) for both the first and second row seats. For the cargo, you can still put in things up to 32 inches in length, 58 inches wide, and about 31 inches tall without an issue. Surprisingly, the hybrid powertrain did not take up much space inside the Territory, and Ford was still able to fit in a spare tire in case of an emergency.

Powering the new Territory hybrid is a 1.5-liter turbo four cylinder and an electric motor connected to a 1.8 kWh lithium-ion battery.  The engine alone makes 150 PS with 230 Nm of torque, while the electric motor produces 218 PS and 315 Nm. All those ponies are then put into the ground through the front wheels via a two-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).

Truth be told, Ford has already made significant strides in making the dual clutch transmission smooth in the non-hybrid Territory. But what it made up for in smoothness, you were left wanting more in terms of response. It had the tendency to seek the highest gear to maximize fuel economy at the expense of kickdown response when doing overtakes.

For the new Territory hybrid with its DHT, however, that will be none of your worries. Aside from the smoothness, a quick hard step on the throttle can give you the oomph that you’ll need for swift acceleration. It’s a lively hybrid motor to say the least, with emphasis on both giving efficiency and good pulling power.

Speaking of the former, my time with the Territory hybrid netted me an average of 17.8 km/l, even while just doing average city speeds at 17 km/h. On the expressways, it even went up to 19.2 km/l at a 65 km/h average speed. Mind you, I was unable to reach those fuel efficiency numbers in the non-hybrid Territory three years ago, even on the highways. Ford has also kept the 60-liter fuel tank, so when you do the math, doing 1000 km on a single tank can actually be achievable.

As for the rest of the driving aspect, the Territory feels as if it is a large-ish crossover that has proportions quite close to a PPV. It’s not the easiest car to weave in and out of traffic with its size, but of course, the tradeoff to that is a composed ride at any speed.

The Territory remains geared towards comfort, with generally good body control to not be too wallowy when absorbing bumps and taking road imperfections. The new acoustic glass for the windshield has also made the cabin much quieter. Steering is light at low speeds, which then progressively becomes more weighted as the speedometer rises.

With this being the Trend variant, that means it does not have ADAS. Personally, it’s not much of a big deal since I prefer to do the driving myself, while the standard cruise control is there as a nice bonus whenever doing long distances on the expressways.

In many ways, the decision to bring in the Territory HEV instead of a PHEV in the country is quite a justifiable one. With many places in the country yet to have charging infrastructure, the self-charging solution makes it simpler to own one. In the product aspect, the PHEV could have dramatically changed some of the Territory’s strong suits, which are its large cargo area and its supple ride.

The HEV powertrain has definitely transformed the overall driving experience of the Territory, and based on our time with this crossover, Ford can still work on a few areas for improvement, such as the screen-reliant setup on the cabin’s basic controls, but those we reckon wouldn’t be such deal breakers.

At PHP 1,399,000, the Territory Trend is just a few thousand pesos more expensive than the non-hybrid Territory Titanium, which makes it more enticing to switch over to the electrified side of things when you’re a buyer. Likewise, the price point is at a spot where most Chinese crossovers play, so it’s definitely Ford’s way of saying game on against its rivals.