This time we got to try out Ford’s van-like minivan, which has room for both family and belongings.
The car looks like a van, as the basic version of the car is a van. So the Ford Tourneo Courier has a rakish look, which has its pros and cons.
On the plus side, the rear end of the car is straight, which means that the boot is high.
In practice, however, the Tourneo is a passenger car and does not feel like a van when driven. The car seems larger than its size.
The car’s passenger-car-like qualities are underlined, among other things, by the low noise level on the new tarmac. On a poorly surfaced road, however, there is plenty of tyre noise.
All Tourneo Courier models have a standard three-seat rear bench seat, with more head and shoulder room than the outgoing model. The rear seat is split 60/40. The seat backs can be folded or the entire seat can be folded upright to accommodate items up to 1.4 metres in length.
The Tourneo Courier Active is designed for outdoor activities, right down to the seats. They are partially upholstered in soft technical fabric that is easy to clean.
The Tourneo Courier is equipped with a host of driver assistance systems, including lane-keeping assist, collision avoidance assist, intelligent speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, driver alertness monitoring, wrong turn warning and cruise control.
Other features include blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, cruise control with active lane departure warning and intersection assist.
Cargo space
The cabin has a glove box and a few other storage compartments. There is also a small shelf in the roofline that runs the width of the car.
The luggage compartment is 1 300 litres and, with the seats folded down, as much as a couple of cubic metres.
The sliding doors in the cabin make the car more accessible, which many will appreciate in a tight parking space.
The tailgate is hinged at the top, so you can open the hatch to create a small rain cover, for example. However, opening the tailgate requires a fair amount of space, which is something to consider when parking close to a wall, for example. The tailgate is also quite heavy.
The roof rails on the roof and the small storage compartments on the sides of the boot make it easier to transport the car’s goods.
The Tourneo Courier has gone digital thanks to the standard FordPass Connect modem. This allows wireless updates to multiple modules.
On the Tourneo Courier, these functions can be controlled via an eight-inch touchscreen in the centre.
The digital instrumentation replaces traditional analogue gauges. The instrument cluster displays speed, traffic signs, navigation alerts and other vehicle information.
The cabin features a wireless charging platform, usb ports and phone mirroring as standard via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The phone can be attached to a fixed phone cradle in the car. This allows people using their phone for navigation, music or hands-free calls to securely mount their phone in a visible place.
The Tourneo Courier is produced at the Ford Otosan plant in Craiova, Romania. The plant also makes the Ford Cougar, Ford’s best-selling model in Europe.
A comfortable drive
The driving position is very good and visibility is good in all directions. The body shape and large windows make visibility much easier. Parking is made easier by the parking sensors at the front and the rear reversing camera at the rear.
Ford’s Sync4 infotainment system takes a little getting used to at first, but then works fairly consistently.
The car is no rocket ship, especially when fully loaded.
There’s only one engine on offer, a single-litre Ford Ecoboost petrol engine with 125bhp. That’s 25 per cent more than the outgoing model. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is the only powertrain available.
Fuel economy is enhanced by an automatic start-stop function.
The car’s lane departure warning system operates smoothly without quick changes of direction. Sometimes you just have to hold the steering wheel firmly if the lane markers are a little further away from the car. Similarly, the cruise control works well.
The car’s cruise control is a little too effective. It even reminded me right after the break that I should take a break.
At the start, the car’s slightly odd instrument panel was confusing. For example, interpreting the fuel gauge required staff assistance. But once that was cleared up, the logic of the instrumentation was unlocked. The car’s traffic sign display indicates speed signs and, among other things, no overtaking.
Due to its body shape, you have to be prepared for higher fuel consumption than a conventional passenger car. In normal use, consumption is less than 8 litres per hundred, especially on the road. But at motorway speeds, consumption easily rises to over 8 litres per hour.
For whom?
The car has a base price of €33 204 and the test-driven Active version costs €35 308. The test-driven car had the optional metallic paint, white roof, automatic air conditioning and LED daytime running lights. These brought the total price to around €39 000.
The car is guaranteed for 5 years or 100 000 km.
Far from being a substitute for a traditional family car, this car is aimed at the user who frequently travels with several people and needs a fair amount of luggage space. For example, you could imagine a family where the children play hockey and you need a big bag.
Ford Tourneo Courier Active 1.0 EcoBoost 125 hp A7 automatic
- Engine: 3-cyl. petrol 0.999 l
- Transmission: 7-speed automatic
- Power: 125 hp, 170 Nm
- WLTP consumption 7.3 l/100km
- CO 2 emissions 167 g/km
- Length: 4 343 mm
- Width: 1 791 mm
- Height: 1 836 mm
- Wheelbase: 2 692 mm
- Cargo space: 1300 – 2400 l
- Warranty: 5 years / 100 000 km
