The SX Ford Territory is a crossover SUV built by Ford Australia and based on the EA169 platform of the Ford Falcon, released in April 2004. Its code name inside Ford was E265. It won the prestigious 2004 Wheels Car of the Year award, the reviewers praising car-like handling and practicality as reasons for its win. Ford had reportedly spent A$500 million on developing the range over four years. It is built on the same production line as the Australian made Ford BA series Falcon.

A basic rear-wheel-drive model is offered with an All Wheel Drive (AWD) variant, either in the basic TX trim or the more luxurious TS and Ghia models that feature extra appointments. A DVD player is available as an option on all models. The Ford Territory offers as standard (on the TS and Ghia, and optional on the base TX model), side curtain airbags, which are a first for an Australian made car.

Options of five seats (in two rows) or seven seats (in three rows) are available. The rows of seats are arranged in a "theatre style", with the back row highest. They fold down smoothly into the floor.

The base engine is a 3,984 cm³ straight-six-cylinder DOHC unit from the Falcon, developing 245hp (182kW).

Four-wheel-drive models have an optional Hill Descent Control system, using the ABS braking to control the car's motion downhill, inherited from Land Rover.

Australian and New Zealand models are slightly different visually: all models sold in New Zealand have body-colour bumpers and alloy wheels, including the base model. Front light detail resembles that of jewellery in a black box. In New Zealand, the only RWD sold model is the base version and all other models have AWD; while in Australia, all models are available with either RWD or AWD.

Appearance-wise, the Territory resembles the smaller Volvo S80-based Ford Freestyle sold in North America. Both cars have similar styling—it was this that sold the Territory to Ford executives at the head office in Dearborn, Michigan. Simon Butterworth, who was behind the Ford Falcon facelift of 2003, styled the Territory but had worked with his American counterpart, J Mays, in working in the global Ford "DNA". Marcus Hotblack worked on the Territory's interior, with a Swiss army knife as a metaphor. Consequently, the car has touches such as flexible cup-holders and a handbag holder to the side of the seat for female drivers, recognizing that many SUV buyers are women.

South African sales for the Territory began in 2005.
 
2004 Ford TerritoryAn updated SY model arrived in October 2005, bringing with it a ZF six-speed automatic transmission on all AWD models and an increase in power to 255hp (190kW). The model also comes with a Rear Parking Camera (optional on the TS and standard on the Ghia), another first for an Australian made vehicle.