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These are two very different
vehicles, however their manufacturers had a number of
similarities in the way they started out. Ford introduced
mass production techniques with it's Model A and Model T and
Volkswagen introduced its easy to mass produce Beetle. Both
manufacturers had the aim to make their vehicles accessible
to the public 'en masse'. Today Volkswagen and Ford are
global producers who make a range of vehicles under their
own name and in addition, each also own a number of luxury
car brands. Which brings us to the models were are reviewing
here.
Volkswagen Beetle (Hardtop)
The retro styled Beetle has been
designed to recapture the looks and style of the original
Beetle in an up to date package. The car has no relation to
the old car mechanically, with a water cooled engine mounted
in the front and is front wheel driven as well. (The old
Beetle had a air-cooled engine in the rear and was
rear-wheel driven.)
Ford Territory
This is a ' crossover' vehicle
designed to combine the SUV qualities of slippery surface
grip and ruggedness with a car like driving experience.
So how do both vehicles perform
at their respective tasks?
Space
The Beetle's boot space is
adequate for the size of vehicle and will accept quite a lot
of 'soft' luggage, but larger or bulky items won't fit
(think slim-line pushchair rather than a mountain buggy).
However it has the added feature of a split folding rear
seats, for larger items if you don't need to accommodate
rear seated passengers. Front seating is comfortable with a
good driving position. the rear seats suit adults for short
journeys ( the leg space is at a bit of a premium) but ideal
for children. However one comment made by one of our younger
passengers was that the rear side windows didn't open and so
ventilation for rear seated passengers is via the cars
air-conditioning, which performed well.
The Territory is designed to
seat up to seven people or five and a load of gear. the
choice is yours. The rear most bench seats sits on the floor
with minimal leg space. This is a kids bench seat to get
hose extra couple of kids to the game on Saturday mornings.
This still leave enough room in the boot for all their
sporting gear. The down side is that it doesn't split and is
available as standard only on the Ghia model. the middle row
and front seats are very comfortable and the drivers
position is also good with an elevated SUV like outside
view. Our shorter leg drive found the Territory easy to
drive.
Safety
As with most new vehicles both
come with ABS (anti-lock brakes), seat belts pre-tensions and
front and side airbags. The NCAP (crash worthiness rating)
that are currently available on the
www.ltsa.govt.nz website
Beetle Volkswagen is based on the 1999 model (which has a
four star rating) and only the Ford Territory TS was rated,
this has a four star rating.
Driving
If you're old enough to remember
driving the old Beetle, as I am, then you probably also
remember its quirky handling. It wasn't hard to have the car
do an 'about face' if it was pushed to hard into a corner.
Not that I ever did that of course! There is no such worry
with the new car in that regards. It felt safe and
predicable and its good road manners are back up by ESP -
Wizztronic' to aid cornering stability.
I was pleasantly surprised by
the Territory driving experience with nicely weighted
steering and tidy cornering habits. This vehicle isn't at
all truck-like to drive and provides a good compromise
between all-road and highway driving (it doesn't have the
ground clearance for serious off-road driving) but for
day-to-day driving this isn't a problem.
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