Ford Territory shipped to Thailand in low-volume export deal

By Tim Beissmann
August 17th, 2012

FIND DEALS

Ford Australia has shipped 100 top-spec Ford Territory Titanium SUVs to Thailand in an export deal the local manufacturer has described as “small but important”.

The low-volume export program follows strong public interest in the seven-seat diesel-powered Territory that was showcased at the 2012 Bangkok motor show in March as a toe-in-the-water exercise by Ford Australia.

Ford Australia president and CEO Bob Graziano says he expects the Territory to do well in Thailand, building on the large SUV’s success in Australia and New Zealand.

“This is an exciting day for everyone here at Ford Australia,” Graziano said. “This is a small but important deal and will provide an important base on which to potentially build further exports.”

“It’s clear Thai customers want the roominess of a seven-seater and the features available in the Territory Titanium,” Graziano said.

Some small specification tweaks have been made to the Thailand-bound vehicles, with the radio modified to tune in 50kHz increments rather than the 100kHz increments used in Australia, and the rear-seat entertainment system updated to read Thailand-spec DVDs.

All 100 Thai Territorys are equipped with the brand’s 140kW/440Nm 2.7-litre V6 TDCi diesel engine, which was added to the local line-up in 2011 and has led to a sales resurgence for the locally manufactured SUV.

Sales are up 35 per cent in Australia so far this year compared with the same period in 2011, with the Territory leading the Falcon sedan year-to-date for the first time in history (8779 versus 7787).

The new Thai export program is the second time Ford Australia has sold a small number of Territorys to the Southeast Asian nation. Approximately 20 first-generation models were sent over in 2005 following the signing of the free-trade agreement between the two countries, although high excises and changes to the details of the agreement by the Thai government meant the program collapsed almost immediately after it started.

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Mr Sparkle

So many imports from Thailand these days I bet other than these Territories the ship would be empty!
- Jacob
  
  Maybe it goes around the world and picks up + drops off cars as it goes:
  
  Japan > South East Asia > AUS/NZ > India > Middle East > Europe > USA > Latin America > Africa ?
  
  CarAdvice, we need an article on this!
Hortma

The name of the ship says it all… A gentle (loss) leader
- Andrew
  
  What makes you think it will be a loss leader?
  The equivalent Toyota (Fortuner) in Thailand is nearly au$40k.
  They are everywhere there, seems like 50% of the vehicles on the road.
  It’s just a Hilux wagon so the Territory would have to be seen as more luxurious.
  It should sell well unless the Thai Government stick their mitts in again.
  - James Cortez
    
    Territory has no low range gear so it’s a sissy 4WD where hilux does have ow range so it’s a genuine 4 WD.!
    - Foxfire
      
      Two different vehicle…dipshit!…
Michael Lock

Great deal, we have now sent them in total 120 cars and return they have sent us 120,000. Who that is a fantastic agreement, which government idiot inked this and thought it was good for Australia?
- kazuo
  
  our government taxed a lot for imports to protect local industry, but the tax is not high enough to protect local industry and make all imports expensive. Idiot government.
  - Jacob
    
    More importantly, what have those billions of $ collected from LCT and Import Tax been used for?
KJ

Sorry Thailand!
Gibwater

I’d like to know how big the tarriff is they need to jump over? Here its 5%?. The retards in Canberra should get tarriffs back up if they want Ford and Holden to stay……not patch them up with taxpayers money. Low tarriffs,unionised workforces,high taxes,endless ADR’s……of course Ford want to leave Australia.If you were them,wouldn’t you?
Mash85

a big congratulations to Ford Australia! Whilst only a small number of cars its refreshing to see a good news story instead of all the doom and gloom lately. I hope this continues to grow for them.
Carn’t believe it

Jesus Christ what is happening here, I don’t believe it obviously there must be some new blood or someone had a brain fart at Ford Australia otherwise this wouldn’t be happening.
mark

good to see, ford does need every sale it can get right now as well
JD

hmmm….wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a new territory from Thailand and ship it back to Australia than buy one outright from a dealer…
JD

hmmm….wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a new territory from Thailand and ship it back to Australia than buy one outright from a dealer…
- Patrick
  
  not really when you consider 300% tax
Eaglefry

Its great to see Ford export, hope they do well good one Ford..
Gibwater

The best Fords in the world are made in Australia…..if only the world had access to them.
- JamesB
  
  Retard
  - Gibwater
    
    Well I think they are.Compared with many others,Fords are much,much more gooder.Know wot I mean? Fords are the goodest. You have no disregard for quality machinery.And I sense you were using unkind tones. Bloke I once knowed-he had three Fords and all proved unbreakable.
    - Gibwater
      
      No REGARD for quality machinary.
  - Schah7
    
    You’re the RETARD JamesB.!
Shak

Well it is only a small number, but its a start. Any exports for any of the locals are a good thing if they are profitable.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass

As people have already said, its not much but its a good start. Also they’re top of the range AWD models to there’s a bigger margin on them compared to the TX.
I believe the Thai government taxes anything over 3.0 litres, so I wonder if they’d go for a Territory with an ecoboost?
- Gibwater
  
  Karl,I think the ecoboost 4 is the all-round best engine to buy in Falcon right now.I also think the Territory should have it available as well.Think about it……a four that has performance thats nudging GTHO standing quarter times. A Falcon or Territory ecoboost would do well anywhere in the world.
Laurie

Still amazes me Ford was able to put a diesel in the Territory but was unable to put one in the Falcon?
- Modern Man
  
  height of the engine is a major factor.
  
  R&D vs current engine bay sizes would mean a a massive cost for little return.
  
  i still think they should do a VW and put every available engine in every available variant from the same plant. i.e. ecoboost territory and ute, and diesel falcon sedan and ute.
  let the public decide what they want and not the manufacturer.
  
  BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.
Eric V

It’s only a toe-in-the-water exercise at this point but it is good to see some positive news coming from Ford.
Go back a decade and look at Holden’s decision to create the Adventra rather than a proper clean-sheet SUV like the Territory and it’s hard not to admire what Ford have done with the Territory.
Eric V

It’s only a toe-in-the-water exercise at this point but it is good to see some positive news coming from Ford.
Go back a decade and look at Holden’s decision to create the Adventra rather than a proper clean-sheet SUV like the Territory and it’s hard not to admire what Ford have done with the Territory.
Gibbut

they will get copied in thailand and sold back to us as some cheap brand.

on a serious note… FORD actually selling something they made here??? better not do that guys, big bro in the us might see!!!
- GT
  
  You’re confusing Thailand with China.
Kris

It’s a good start, but Thailand place a registration excise on foreign vehicles of between 50-60% of the purchase price, from memory. So the territory will be much more expensive than the other locally built Fortuner, Ranger and DMax etc and only a niche model for Ford. This trade agreement seems very one sided in my eyes..
- GT
  
  I forget the details, but I believe the trade agreement especially targeted vehicles with an engine capacity over 3.0L. So it’s the arrival of the diesel that’s suddenly made Thailand an export market again. Perhaps Ecoboost Falcons could be sent next?
- Laurie
  
  Not if Government officials are driving them!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
  
  Correct. A Very strange “Free Trade agreement”
PIZZA

Thailand ship us for more then 100,000 vehichles every year…and we ship 100 units for them! FAIR Trade….stupid labour govt industrial policy….
- Geez
  
  Pizza it was the Howard Gov’t tyat signed the free trade agreement with Thailand. You need to stop listening to talk back radio and Abbott blaming everything on the current Gov’t. you have a brain use it occasionally.
  - PIZZA
    
    The Greens will put up 10000% up in car rego…send everyone one of us back to stone age
    - GEEZ
      
      So in summary, you make incorrect statements, get called out on it and follow with more likely incorrect statements. I am not well versed in green policies, do you have a credible link to support your latest contribution or is it more crap?
Sigma7

Yep, the one-sided ‘free’ trade agreements signed with wild abandon by the ‘hero’ Liberal government that did no wrong and 60% of Australian voters can’t wait to get back to.

Beyond those grossly uneven playing fields, it probably doesn’t help that people from overseas might look at Australian car sites (like this one) and see endless negative commentary on anything made in Australia…
- Garrywhopper
  
  Yes and all the racist comments calling them fishheads, Ching chongs etc don’t help, disgusting
Gibwater

How about the delegation visiting from Thailand recently urging companies operating here to relocate to Thailand and enjoy ‘cheaper manufacturing costs’-meaning using slave labor? They really have no morality,putting every Australian out of work,and making their own people work for a pittance.We have unions here,for better or worse……..why don’t Thailand or China? Its time they started playing fairly. They’d happily steal all our manufacturing and think nothing of it.Expect that tap on the shoulder any time……..
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan
  
  Morality does not exist, making huge profits out of slave labour conditions does.
  - Gibwater
    
    Too true mate.Too true.Where are we heading??
Luke Brinsmead

It’s about time we exported something back, just hope the Thai government doesn’t change the conditions yet again.
kazuo

If those Territories selling well in Thailand, then Thai factory investors and Ford will be thinking: Ok, lets move manufacture to Thailand to make it cheaper and import it back to Australia. What industry we will have left????
Legnab

Not good news for thailand , i hope they have off shore processing for these upstarts trying to gate crash into the thai market , should have flown in on a jumbo , send them back .
- Robin_Graves
  
  With any luck your dingey saucepan shop in Radelaide goes broke and you learn what it’s like to be without an income. Problem is you probably defraud the government for welfare as it is, you do live in Davoren Park after all.
  - Legnab
    
    BOBIN having a bad day, such venom , always self funded , always bought cars that have good retained value unlike some .
    - Garrywhopper
      
      I just don’t understand, how is calling him bobin funny, forgive me if I’ve missed something, maybe throbin, knobin, assgoblin are half funny, not great but you know what I’m saying , you ain’t got much of an imagination have you
      - Legnab
        
        Interesting , i have no fascination like you for the nether regions , dobin and i understand each others humour .
      - Garrywhopper
        
        Well why do yo call me garryfloppy, don’t make excuses for having the personality of a house brick. You are very unfunny, just deal with it