Do you think the new Toyota Kluger will dent Territory sales?

[chevypower]

If people here believe driving on the snow isn't scary at times in RWD cars, they have never done it. Driving up Mt Buller doesn't count either.

[JBomb3000]

Originally Posted by chevypower

If people here believe driving on the snow isn't scary at times in RWD cars, they have never done it. Driving up Mt Buller doesn't count either.

Um ok, that has what to do with the new Kluger impacting the sales of the Territory?:

[hy_boi]

We have our intro on the new kluger next week, and i think it will make a slight dint in the terror sales, but i think we'll see more of a dint from the V6 rav4.

[Bosman]

Originally Posted by Venomous™

No way that thing sucks badly.

Guys seriously! If this is what we're comparing a Territory to , Ford has nothing to worry about. Mate that is UUGGLLYY!!! :togo:

[jdg]

That is the old model. New model pictured slightly above.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

Option of being able to make center row into 2 captains chairs when seating for 3 isnt needed.

Wait til people see the middle "seat". I'll be intrigued to see how they make it legal in Australia, no apparent seatbelt in US model and you need a backside no wider than a ferret's. So are we looking at a 4/6 seater competing with a 5/7 seater Territory?

[UNR8D]

No incorrect ever seat is a lap/sash and i would suggest you have a look/seat in the Australian version before reading over seas articles regarding the kluger.

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Quite agree Dave_au. And yet the Kluger's operating costs (which includes resale factor) is very similar to the Territory (and about $15 a week more than a RWD Territory). A lot of it is based on perception and emotion, and rammed home by marketing - rather than hard research.

A lot of typical Ford dealerships do a great job of selling cars for Toyota too. Heck my local Toyota dealer has recruited the best of the Ford salesman and made it official.

Dan

[Nappa]

So far the pre sale enquiry has been huge on the kluger, heaps of people know its comming even though Toyota hasnt aired a full ad campaign yet.
Having sold both territory and kluger i've found that the kluger buyer is more attracted to kluger only and not really interested in the competition.

[winovin]

Regarding rear wheel drive in the snow: I would point out that Chrysler has switched from a front wheel drive to rear wheel drive platform in their new large car in the USA, the 300C (and Dodge equivalent). Chrysler said that the advent of stability control made rear wheel drive equally competent to FWD in the snow. Note that this requires all season tyres, whereas a lot of people are ignorant about this and find their RWD cars with stability control are poor in the snow: this is because they have summer (performance) tyres fitted.

The big disadvantage Ford has is a very poor dealer network. I went to Jubilee Ford in Five Dock a few months ago and could not get a test drive in a Territory. Jubilee Ford subsequently closed down, and now there is no Ford dealer in the inner west of Sydney. The Toyota dealer across the street is still there! I bet they would be happy to give a test drive of a Kluger!

The problem with FWD cars now is that their engine power has grown faster than their ability to control torque steer. Drive any reasonably powerful FWD and it is riddled with torque steer. I bet a FWD Kluger with around 200kW will squirm around under hard acceleration.

[RAREV8]

Originally Posted by winovin

Regarding rear wheel drive in the snow: I would point out that Chrysler has switched from a front wheel drive to rear wheel drive platform in their new large car in the USA, the 300C (and Dodge equivalent). Chrysler said that the advent of stability control made rear wheel drive equally competent to FWD in the snow. Note that this requires all season tyres, whereas a lot of people are ignorant about this and find their RWD cars with stability control are poor in the snow: this is because they have summer (performance) tyres fitted.

The big disadvantage Ford has is a very poor dealer network. I went to Jubilee Ford in Five Dock a few months ago and could not get a test drive in a Territory. Jubilee Ford subsequently closed down, and now there is no Ford dealer in the inner west of Sydney. The Toyota dealer across the street is still there! I bet they would be happy to give a test drive of a Kluger!

The problem with FWD cars now is that their engine power has grown faster than their ability to control torque steer. Drive any reasonably powerful FWD and it is riddled with torque steer. I bet a FWD Kluger with around 200kW will squirm around under hard acceleration.

Having grown up in a snow bound environment (Scotland) and lived extensively in the French alps I can happily say that RWD is next to useless in snow- sure, someone might have spend a lot of money adding sophisticated electronics to a RWD car to improve its icy footholding but as an effective rule- FWD drags a car on snow and ice which maintains better weight distribution and traction than RWD.


I am a huge fan of RWD cars and have owned/driven both types and 4WD's- the latter being the best obviously!

You are dead right about the tyre choice- many holiday makers came up on the wrong tyres and enevitably ended up in trouble but even with the correct tyres and chains my 528i with an LSD was totally useless in snow!
As part of my job training I took and passed an extreme ice driving course in France- lots of fun and all the driver trainers there maintained the same view.

Sorry to hijack the thread, now back to the fascinating topic of Klugers.