Ford Philippines continues to make waves in the compact crossover segment with the introduction of the 2023 Ford Territory Titanium and Titanium X variants. Since its initial launch in 2020, the Territory has established a substantial customer base in the Philippines, hitting the 20,000 customer milestone in less than three years. The next-gen 2023 Territory retains this appeal with its revamped interior, assertive exterior, and a more powerful 1.5-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine. I had an eventful four days spent in and around Metro Manila with the Next-Gen Ford Territory Titanium variant in a captivating lustrous grey shade. I turned our city's bustling traffic and diverse street conditions into my personal testing ground for this new compact crossover from Ford Philippines.

One of the standout features of the Next-Gen Territory, of course, is its impressive exterior makeover. The new muscular steel sculpture demands your attention with its presence. It is big and it knows it. The front end of the vehicle features a large hexagonal grille that exudes a confident and assertive look. The re-styled daytime running lights seamlessly connect to the large grille, and the reshaped headlamps add to the vehicle's bold front end.

The side profile has been given a tighter styling finish with simpler character lines and prominent wheel arches emphasized by black cladding. The Territory's rear end has a cleaner, toned-down design, and the LED taillights are more distinctive. The new model is 50mm longer and 32mm taller than its predecessor, with an increased wheelbase and ground clearance by 10mm, making it longer than the current Honda CR-V.

The interior of the 2023 Territory is where luxury meets practicality. The mostly leather interior is finished off in a beautiful shade of bluish gray that completely elevates the space. It's accented with light brown wood trims and black-chrome trimmings; the dashboard and door panels treated generously in soft-touch materials for a comfortable feel. The center console is adorned with piano black material, which houses the electronic knob-type shifter and an electronic parking brake among other features.

The 12-inch infotainment touchscreen has been updated with a simpler, modern interface that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the latter feature being a godsend. With the included wireless charger, you could just theoretically plop down your phone and do everything else on the bigger screen.

I did however run into a few issues with some of the interior design choices. Most notably the bottom cutout below the center console which houses extra USB ports and the 12v socket. This area of the vehicle is not the easiest of places to dig your hands through and will require a passenger to help out, or the driver doing a safe, full stop just to manage. The large digital instrument cluster is clear and crisp, although I feel a better user interface could have been designed as the spaces for the speedometer and tachometer are not fully utilized.

There's a 10-way power adjustable driver's seat that I found to be super convenient and comfortable, with the central storage pod serving as an armrest. The longer length and wheelbase of the 2023 Territory provides a spacious back seat, comfortably accommodating three average-sized adults. It also boasts generous cargo space, and though I never found a reason to fill it up, it was obvious it could gobble up a lot both vertically and longitudinally.

The 2023 Territory sports a revised 1.5-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine from its predecessor, with an increased power output of 158 hp (+17 hp) and 248 Nm of torque (+23 Nm). The engine is now paired with a Magna-sourced, seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. This enhanced configuration results in a more responsive power delivery and less sluggish acceleration. It's a very capable engine and transmission setup, as I discovered. Just switch the shifter knob to D, and drive away. And while I welcome the availability of 4-drive modes, namely: Normal, Eco, Sport and Mountain, I have to question the decision of not providing a physical switch for this function, and instead placing them into the infotainment menu under Vehicle Settings > Safety Settings. This means that for a driver to switch modes, he'd have to take his eyes off the road, or only switch it up when on a full-stop. Strange.

The next-gen Territory promises a more refined driving experience than its predecessor. The vehicle delivers power more smoothly, thanks to its 7-speed automatic transmission, resulting in a relaxed drive. The steering wheel feels a bit weighted, providing better control and road feedback. When switched to Sport mode, the vehicle's steering tightens at speed, and loosens up when you hit slower speeds. The new model also feels more stable, and despite the suspension being slightly firmer than the previous model, it still offers a comfortable ride.

The 2023 Territory doesn't compromise on safety. Standard features include six airbags, cruise control, front and rear sensors, a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitoring, a tire pressure monitoring system, a rear camera, and more. There is the option to turn on all the warning chimes which I tried for the first two days. I promptly turned those off when I realized they mostly got in the way of my own safety instincts.

Although the more upscale and more expensive Titanium X variant features more luxury amenities including a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, and ventilated front seats, or more advanced safety features such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency brake with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and collision mitigation system, I was never left wanting with the Titanium variant.

While the 2023 Ford Territory Titanium does come with a higher price tag (P1,355,000), the multitude of improvements and features arguably justify the cost. It's a compact crossover that offers an amazing blend of style, comfort, safety, and performance — making it a well-rounded vehicle that's ready to take on the urban jungle that is Metro Manila, or any other city for that matter​.