Aside from the refreshed interior and exterior styling that was revealed in depth last month, the diesel engine is the biggest story of the new Territory range.

As previously reported, the Territory’s diesel is a 2.7-litre Duratorq TDCi V6 engine sourced from Ford’s Dagenham plant in the UK. It was first sold in 2004 has previously been used in Peugeot, Citroen, Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles.

In the Territory, the diesel engine produces 140kW of power and 440Nm of torque between 1900rpm and 2500rpm.

It will be available in all three model lines – TX, TS and Titanium – and in both rear- and all-wheel drive configuration.

All three rear-wheel drive models consume 8.2 litres/100km on the combined cycle and emit 217g/km CO2.

The all-wheel drive variants of the TX and TS use 8.8 litres/100km combined (232g/km CO2), while the range-topping diesel Titanium AWD will use 9.0 litres/100km and emit 236g/km CO2.

The addition of the diesel engine makes the rear-wheel drive TDCi models 32 percent more fuel efficient than their outgoing petrol counterparts, and the all-wheel drive vehicles 30 percent more efficient than their comparative models.

Ford predicts the diesel option will lead to a significant improvement in the Territory’s market share in the medium SUV segment, which by the end of the 2011 is expected to be split 50/50 petrol-to-diesel.

All diesel-powered Territory vehicles will be equipped with a six-speed 6R80 automatic transmission that is featured in the F-Series truck and the Mustang in the US. The diesel Territory’s new drivetrain combination was tested extensively in Australia and in the US, with conditions ranging from -20 degrees Celsius in Detroit to 52 degrees Celsius in Death Valley.

The all-wheel drive diesel has a maximum towing capacity of 2700kg, which is 400kg more than the petrol models.

The all-wheel drive also incorporates an active transfer case, which is a clutch-operated control for the front driveline. When the driver is stationary in ‘drive’ and has their foot on the brake, a clutch mechanism within the active transfer case decouples the driving forces, which according to Ford leads to a noticeable impact on vehicle refinement and a minor improvement in fuel economy.

Petrol-powered Territory models will now only be available in rear-wheel drive.

The inline six-cylinder petrol engine has been tweaked, with a new fast-burn alloy cylinder head with Dual Independent Variable Camshaft Timing and a new dual-resonance intake manifold.

Performance now matches the naturally aspirated FG Falcon, with power up 5kW to 195kW and torque increasing 8Nm to 391Nm.

Combined cycle fuel consumption in the new model is 10.6 litres/100km, an improvement of 12 percent over the outgoing model’s 11.6 litres/100km in rear-wheel drive form.

All petrol-powered Territory models will feature the ZF six-speed automatic transmission, which was only available with the all-wheel drive petrol model in the SY II range. The advanced ZF unit replaces the old four-speed automatic of the previous rear-wheel drive petrol.

All models have five airbags (dual front, curtains and a driver’s knee bag), and Ford’s engineers have also incorporated Roll-over Mitigation into the vehicle’s upgraded Bosch Generation 9 Dynamic Stability Control system.

Ford also revealed the new Territory’s trip information and fuel gauge has been reprogramed, with the new models to include a ‘cruise control set speed’ display and a ‘litres used’ counter on the instrument panel.

Dynamically, Ford aimed to make the new SZ Territory more agile and manoeuvrable, as well as more enjoyable to drive and more comfortable from a ride perspective. Ford Asia-Pacific and Africa vehicle dynamics manager, Alex de Vlugt, said making the Territory a “family car” outweighed all other considerations from a dynamics point of view.

Changes include a new front-end geometry; new suspension tune with new springs, dampers and stabiliser bars; new driveline and suspension bushes; new brake friction materials; and the introduction of Electric Assisted Power Steering (EPAS).

The EPAS system provides steering assistance by taking into account the driver input and other inputs like vehicle speed, road irregularities and tyre wear. It is speed sensitive, providing more assistance at low speeds, such as when parking.

Two features of the EPAS system – Drift-Pull Compensation and Active Nibble Compensation – are designed to ‘learn’ the conditions of the road and the front tyres. An imbalance as small as a stone in the tyre tread is enough to attract the system’s attention and adjust the steering set-up accordingly.

Replacing the conventional hydraulically operated power steering system, Ford says EPAS leads to fuel consumption savings of around 1.5 percent.

Significant engineering work has also been applied to the Territory from a refinement point of view.

Among the enhancements is the extensive new sound deadening package, laminated acoustic windscreen, improved body sealing, redesigned engine mounts, an all-new engine sub-frame, isolated cross member support and exterior enhancements leading to reduced wind noise.

Ford Australia is yet to reveal prices of the new 2011 Territory range or an exact on sale date. Some final technical details are also still to be revealed.

A drive event for the automotive press in April is expected to shed light on most of details that still remain a secret.