Once upon a time, sedans and hatchbacks were Ford’s bread and butter. That’s no longer what most buyers want, though — especially in our region. So the Blue Oval brand has morphed into a purveyor of primarily SUVs and pickups; the Taurus and Mustang are the only exceptions in its UAE line-up.
Ford’s SUV range has been further fortified in recent months by the addition of the all-new Territory, which is not to be confused with the model of the same name built and sold by Ford Australia from 2004 to 2016. The newcomer shares nothing with its defunct Antipodean namesake as it’s manufactured in China and underpinned by a front-wheel-drive platform, unlike the rear-drive-based Aussie.
The new Territory fills the void left by the discontinued Escape, and its mid-sized dimensions and pricing (which starts at Dh111k) puts it up against the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and an ever-increasing number of Chinese SUVs.
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In case you have any preconceived negative notions about Chinese-built cars, you can lay them to rest as the Territory is impressively well screwed together, and it’s hard to fault its fit and finish. What’s more, Ford Middle East put the vehicle through exhaustive heat and durability tests locally before bringing it to our market.
Ford ME says the Territory prototypes coped well with harsh climate conditions, but upgrades were made to the air-conditioning system, as well as the power train to ensure it could maintain a high-speed cruise in scorching temperatures without any issues. The infotainment system was also revised to cater to local customers.
Visually, the Territory is as generic as it gets. If you removed the Ford badges, it could be an offering from virtually any manufacturer. The National’s test car looked particularly anonymous in its fridge-white paintwork. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, as many buyers prefer to fit in with the norm.
The Territory’s propulsion is provided by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo EcoBoost motor that’s hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Although it might seem a small engine for a vehicle of this size, the 190hp/320Nm power plant serves up decent acceleration, and it’s well complemented by the smooth-shifting dual-clutch auto.
More impressive still is how well the Ford’s suspension has been calibrated. Contrary to expectations of slightly soggy dynamics, the Territory has crisp steering and it stays commendably flat even when flung through corners at much higher velocities than most owners are ever likely to replicate.
The Territory’s dynamic competence doesn’t come at the cost of ride or refinement levels, as it cruises in relative silence while its all-independent suspension (comprising MacPherson struts up front and a multilink set-up at the rear) soaks up most road-surface imperfections.
The Territory is offered in a choice of three trim levels — Ambiente, Trend and Titanium — and we sampled the mid-spec version, which gets 18-inch alloys, partial leather trim, front and side airbags, virtual instrument gauges, a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, six-speaker stereo, rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, LED headlights and taillights, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist.
The cabin has a welcoming ambience as the cockpit is attractively laid out and there are soft-touch materials wherever the gaze falls. Even the shiny plastic surfaces on the centre console look OK.
The driver’s seat has adequate adjustment and rear-seat dwellers have loads of space to sprawl out in. Even taller occupants are likely to find knee and headroom to their liking. Luggage space measures a respectable 448 litres (enough for two large suitcases), although it can be extended substantially by folding down the rear seats.
As is the norm with most vehicles in this category, the Territory isn’t really designed to go off-road. Although it has reasonable ground clearance (190mm), there’s no all-wheel-drive version — the Territory is offered solely in front-drive configuration — so the Ford is conceived more for the school run and inner-city schlepping.
All in all, there’s not much to dislike about the Territory. It’s a capable, well-built crossover that ticks most boxes for what buyers in this segment want. Yes, the looks are a bit ho-hum, but that could be alleviated to some degree by choosing a colour other than white. The other bugbear is the Territory’s Dh111,195 entry price, which seems a bit steep when all its competitors start below Dh100k.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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LOVE%20AGAIN
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
57%20Seconds
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Specs
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Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
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