Ford renews its smallest Transit van and its MPV sibling using Puma underpinnings
ILLYA VERPRAET
TESTED 15.1.24, BARCELONA, SPAIN ON SALE NOW
Remember when the Citroën Berlingo was the hottest thing around? Manufacturers revelled in showing off the clever storage solutions in these compact van-based people carriers. The French even came up with a word for them: ludospace, meaning ‘space to play’. But SUVs came and made them less popular, and then emissions regulations came and killed off most of the combustion-engined versions. Ford reckons there’s still (or again) a market for them, though, and has come up with the new Tourneo Courier.
This one is supposed to be more than just a van with windows. To that end, it’s based on the platform of the Puma crossover and built on the same line in Craiova, Romania.
As with the Puma, an EV version is coming, but it has been launched with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine (without the Puma’s mild-hybrid assistance), attached to a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. A sporty ST version would technically be possible, but don’t bet on it.
With its Explorer-like face, blocky proportions, blacked-out pillars and optional contrasting roof, it even looks quite good – for the practical box on wheels that it obviously is.
Inside, it all looks a bit snazzier than your standard work van, with screens for the driver and a multimedia system as standard.
The not-a-van vibe is shattered somewhat when you actually cross the threshold, though, because hard, scratchy plastic abounds. The Puma and Fiesta (RIP) are hardly leather-lined cocoons of luxury in isolation, but they are in comparison to the Courier.
It’s also missing the wanton versatility of classic MPVs. Sure, the cubbies and trays are numerous, but most are quite shallow and oddly shaped. One neat feature is the hinge-out bin in the boot for odds and ends that would otherwise roam about the floor. It can be taken out to carry stuff inside or be cleaned.
The rear seats are set high to give ‘stadium seating’ and reduce the chance of carsickness but don’t slide and offer just two Isofix points.
They can be folded and flipped forwards to expand the 570-litre boot, which is pretty vast for a car with this footprint. If you need a third row, you have to upgrade to the larger, Volkswagen Caddy-based Tourneo Connect.
Usability-wise, the Courier is a mix of very good and very bad. The lane keeping assistance and speed limit
