A big cavernous van with windows, eight seats as standard, with a ninth seat available as an optional extra. Rivals include the Opel Vivaro, Peugeot Traveller, Citroen Space Tourer, VW’s Caravelle as well as the Mercedes V-Class. The Tourneo Custom offers plenty of space, seating flexibility and a modern-feeling dashboard.
Special mention : It may be based on a transit, they’ve done enough to the interior comfort to distance itself enough for a family MPV. More positions than the Karma Sutra for seats.
Needs work : While Sync 3 is good, the graphics could be a bit more modern. Because it’s not a commercial vehicle, it means the tax is a whopping €1,250. Seats are cumbersome to fully remove.
| BHP 130 ps | Diesel / Manual |
| 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds | Road Tax €1,250 |
| Price: from €46,961.00 As specc’d €77,100.00 | Boot Space 1,200 – 1,180 litres |
The difference between the engines in a standard van and the Tourneo is that you can get it as a petrol plug-in hybrid (PHEV) mild hybrids as well as the 2.0-litre diesel engines to choose from, with power ranging from 104bhp to 182bhp. The PHEV has a three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine as well as an electric motor. In total it equates to around 300 miles from a full tank and a full charge. The Tourneo Custom is available as an EcoBlue Hybrid. This technology helps to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions, with a small battery-powered electric motor providing extra support to the combustion engine when needed. Kinetic energy and regenerative braking recharges the 48-volt hybrid battery while you drive. Here we have the 2.0 EcoBlue diesel engine with six-speed automatic gearbox. The four-cylinder diesel now gets more power and lower emissions, while motorway refinement is also enhanced with less noise and more mid-gear acceleration.
No matter where you sit, you’ll be pleased with the amount of space. It has an eight-seat layout with two up front, three in the middle row facing the back and three in the third row facing forwards. You can, for a reasonable cost, get an extra seat up front (making it three in the first row) to have nine seats in total, although top-spec Sport trim doesn’t have a nine-seat option. The driver’s seat is manually adjustable and the steering wheel is easy enough to fix in a comfortable position. For the passengers you can manoeuvre the seats into 30 different positions by folding and tumbling them. And when you need to use it for cargo you can remove all the seats to turn the Tourneo Custom into a Transit Custom, It’s not an easy job as they are heavy and cumbersome. It’s fully trimmed with carpeting throughout and the seats are comfortable with durable material. On top models they come with leather upholstery and usefully there are three sets of Isofix mounts. There are handy extras too like integrated rear sunblinds and separate ventilation for those in the back.
There’s an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system using Ford’s latest Sync 3 software. It’s a crisp and clear display,the graphics could be nicer but the important thing is that it’s easy to use and one of the better systems among van-based MPVs. Anyone who’s driven a recent Ford will recognise the layout.
Just like SUVs but without the criticism, the Tourneo has a high driving position which gives a brilliant view out of the front and some handy features make visibility out of the rear easier to manoeuvre with fewer blind spots. front and rear parking sensors are standard but you’ll have to upgrade to get the rear view camera which I would recommend doing. Other driver assistance systems include Hill Start Assist, Torque Vectoring Control and Side Wind Mitigation. You also get Adaptive Cruise, Active Park Assist and a couple of different driving modes;m: Normal, Slippery, Mud/Rut, Tow and EcoMode.
The driver’s seat in standard form gets eight-way manually adjustable settings and if you upgrade to Sport and Titanium X trims you get 10-way electrical adjustment. All rear seats are foldable and detachable as standard. And if you’re going to be carrying this many people, is there much space for all their junk? Well yes and no. If you fill the full 9 seats, there isn’t much room left for luggage but there are plenty of small cubbies dotted around the cabin for phones, bottles of water and other accessories. But if you’re not filling all those seats you can lower or remove the rears.
Even with all the seats in place, the boot is quite large, and if you fill it to the top of the high roof, you get around 1200 litres. And how exactly do you get that many people in and out of it? Well it has sliding rear doors of course. They make access to the back seats simple, especially in those smaller parking spaces. Once opened the doors lead to another large load-lugging area. And if you really need to you can strip out all of the seats to turn it momentarily back into a van.
Once you’ve loaded it up with people and luggage, how is it to drive? Well this 130 ps version feels nippy enough around town and of course on the motorway once it gets going it can sit at 120 kms an hour all day long. It’s available in three power outputs altogether including the 104 and 128 bhp versions in the 2.0 diesel. The 128 bhp doesn’t have all the grunt it needs however. You get a choice of auto or a manual six-speed gearbox. There’s an optional mechanical Limited-Slip Differential which reduces any unwanted wheel spin, especially on loose or uneven surfaces. The gear changes are smooth if not fast. The Tourneo Custom Titanium starts from €46,961 and the Active starts from €48,978 and it goes all the way up to €77,100.
A nine-seater that comes in standard or long wheelbase, the Tourneo Custom has what it takes to cut it as a private van hire, but there’s also appeal for family buyers with several kids who want a big and practical mover.
