While the Ford Territory has been an undeniable sales success, you could accuse Ford of somewhat neglecting its successful Falcon-based SUV (albeit unavoidably thanks to the obvious budgetary constraints) with it only ever receiving a few cursory facelifts.

But you certainly can’t argue that what Ford has done a marvellous job of bringing the Territory back up to the pointy end of the ultra-competitive segment it plays in.

A number of obvious revisions and redesigns around the front and rear are the most noticeable, with the new nose bringing the Territory back into line with the FG Falcon’s family look, while the new interior also plays a big part in massively improving things.

But the big star is, of course, the new (to Territory at least) 2.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel that Ford has finally seen fit to install under the bonnet.

While the venerable 4-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine is still available in the Territory, the diesel is all you can get if you want 4WD. And quite frankly, after spending a week in a diesel-powered Territory TS (the mid-spec option), there is only a tiny part of me that could see why you would still want a petrol version.

While the engine is hardly the last word in quiet, refined operation, it is barely audible in the cabin at idle and exudes a satisfyingly thick growl under acceleration. Outside, you are in no doubt it is a diesel; inside you would have cause to wonder.

Ford’s claimed combined average fuel consumption figure of 8.8L/100km is stupidly easy to achieve in the Territory, even with a lot of urban commuting and some quite enthusiastic open road fun thrown into the mix.

Off the line the 140kW/440Nm diesel V6 lacks the initial punch of the petrol six, but more than makes up for this with a massive swell of mid-range torque. This means that while you may have to be a little bit reticent in going for that gap in traffic around town, out on the open road the chunky mid-range makes things truly effortless, especially as it is teamed up with a wonderfully slick and smooth six-speed automatic transmission.

Add this to the chassis and suspension changes that compliment the Territory’s already impressive dynamics and you have a car that is extraordinarily refined in terms of ride and yet still a remarkably capable handler.

The new interior is also pretty impressive for the price, with a lot of attention paid to making sure everything you come into contact with is either soft or of high quality or both. There are some hard plastics in evidence, betraying Ford Australia’s necessary attention to saving money wherever possible, but nothing that offends.

The Territory gets the Falcon’s new eight-inch touchscreen which controls vehicle settings, HVAC and audio. It works well and is intuitively laid out.

As usual, the seats in the Territory are spectacularly comfortable while also managing to be decently supportive. Combine the seats with the rest of the interior and the overwhelming impression from the interior is one of being in a high-riding Falcon, which is, of course, exactly what the Territory is. And that is not a bad thing at all.

In all, the Territory is remarkably adept at being what it was designed to be. A comfortable, refined car-like SUV with seven seats, a small amount of off road ability, a large amount of towing ability (with the appropriate towing package fitted, that is) all wrapped up in a handsome, well-appointed and extremely impressive package.

Specifications:

Body type  Five-door wagon
Drive   Four-wheel-drive
Engine Type  Six-cylinder
Engine Capacity 2710 cc
Max power  140kW/4000 rpm
Max torque  440Nm/1900 rpm

Fuel Consumption 8.8L/100km
C02 emission  232g/km
0 to 100kph  10.1 seconds
Front suspension McPherson strut
Rear suspension Multi-link
Roof Rack  No
ABS Brakes  Yes
Air Bags  5
ESP   Yes
Air Conditioning Yes
Lap/diagonal belts 7
Satellite Navigation No
Electric seats  No
Burglar Alarm  Yes
Panic Button  No
Boot release  Yes
Cargo Cover  Yes
Boot Capacity  1,153L
Wheel type  18-inch alloy
Spare Tyre  Full-size steel

Through Life Cost Report
36 Months 60000km
Price   $64,990
WOF   $120
Registration  $1,397
Servicing to 60k $1,763
Total tyre cost  $1,751
Residual  $26,646
Indicative final figure $43,375