Ford previews 2011 Territory with official illustration

While we get ready to announce our Car to Be Seen in for 2011, Ford has released a surprise drawing for the next Territory SUV.
   This was an SUV we were prepared to hate in the early 2000s, till we got behind the wheel of the very earliest models in 2004. And we instantly fell for the versatility and the driveability of the big Ford.
   The 2010 model, as we noted, began to fall behind the times, so Ford’s announcement that there will be a new Territory—presumably revamped as the Falcon has recently been—is well timed.
   While Ford Australia proclaims that the Territory kicks off an unprecedented new-model onslaught—which will include the EcoBoost E240 Falcon, the new Ranger and the third-generation Focus—there’s one interesting detail about the illustration we were sent.
   The filename is Nima_E265A, Nima for the stylist, and E265A for the model code.
   As the current Territory is E265, the sharing of the same development code means that the platform won’t change. It’s something the Australian motoring media have speculated for some time.
   Whether this is a reskin or a facelift is not clear, based on Ford’s released quotation from Bob Graziano, President and CEO of Ford Australia: ‘This is an exceptional SUV. It wears an exciting new look and will boast an extensive list of technical highlights. The Ford Australia team is taking the Territory to an all-new level of performance, refinement and quality, and customers will definitely experience these advancements when they drive it.’
   There will be a new turbodiesel engine, related to the 2·7-litre V6 from Land Rover, and an ‘overhaul’ of the Territory’s exterior and interior design.
   The model will likely be released at the 2011 Melbourne Motor Show in July.