On the face of it, Ford’s decision to roll out the new Transit Courier is a little surprising.
The big blue oval has got the latest Transit Connect in its portfolio, and a
deal done with Volkswagen means that VW will market its own version as the all-new Caddy. The Courier and Connect are close in size – the former has a 2.9m3 cargo area, the short-wheelbase Connect offers 3.1m3 – yet the Courier will remain unique to Ford. Volkswagen executives could be forgiven for feeling a little bemused by this near-overlap, and for wondering if Ford is trying to have its cake and eat it.
Ford argues, however, that there is no need for any puzzlement. It does not deny that there is incipient overlapping, but points out that a long-wheelbase 3.7m3 Connect is also available.
There is no Courier equivalent. Furthermore, the Courier is produced in battery-electric guise. The Connect is not but, unlike the Courier, you can order it in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and in all-wheel-drive versions.
Diesel variants of both the Connect and the Courier are on sale and you can choose a petrol Courier. The only way to obtain a petrol Connect is to go PHEV.
The front-wheel-drive Courier’s 1.0l three-cylinder turbo EcoBoost petrol engine is up for grabs at either 100hp or 125p. A 100hp 1.5l EcoBlue diesel turbo is on offer as an alternative, while the electric variant comes with a 100kW electric motor.
A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on internal combustion models, with the petrol model also available with a new seven-speed dual clutch automated transmission.
Four different specification levels are listed – Leader, Trend, Limited and Active.We got to grips with the diesel in basic Leader trim and covered over a thousand miles. Here’s how we fared.
Load bay
Rear access to the 2.9m3 cargo area is provided by asymmetric twin doors – the narrower of the two is on the offside – which can be swung through 90º , or through 180º if you release the easy to liberate stays. A sliding nearside door is optional on Leader models, and our test van had one.
The doors open to reveal a pair of remarkably slim wheel-boxes and six load tie-down points. If a load isn’t restrained then the full-height steel bulkhead will hopefully protect the cab’s occupants if it shifts forwards.
Plastic panels provide the doors and the cargo box’s sides with a modicum of protection against scratches and scrapes, and our demonstrator’s cargo bed was covered with a tailored rubber mat, which is optional.
Gross payload is 672kg, but a kit is available with dual-rate springs that allows you to boost it to 839kg.
Interior and equipment
A manual handbrake lever and a conventional ignition key are becoming unusual sights on light commercials. Our Courier had both, however, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Not that we are technological Luddites, as we became huge fans of the 8in touchscreen that dominates the Courier’s dashboard, finding it to be a model
of clarity.
There is no need to hunt around endlessly for even the most basic functions. Everything is remarkably easy to find, and that includes the settings for the heating and ventilation systems and the optional air-conditioning.
At the same time, we liked having a conventional on/off and volume switch for the DAB radio and a bank of buttons which among other things allows the driver to switch off the Traction Control and Auto Start/Stop functions if necessary. Ford seems to have struck just the right balance between the modern and the traditional.
That said, we became a little annoyed by the frequency with which the driver fatigue alert kept flashing up, including five minutes after the start of our journey on one occasion. Eventually, we managed to switch it off.
Reversing sensors are fitted, but the front parking sensors are extra-cost options, as is the reversing camera, with the image displayed on the touchscreen. A useful feature is the bird’s-eye view which alerts you to obstacles all around the vehicle. The front fog lights will cost you extra too.
The Courier is equipped with Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment package along with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 12V power point and two USB ports are located at the bottom of the fascia.
A FordPass Connect modem is installed which includes a 4G WiFi hotspot for
up to 10 devices and is designed to work with the FordPass Pro smartphone app. It allows small business users to, among other things, unlock the van remotely and to pinpoint its whereabouts.
We like the Courier’s cleverly-conceived smartphone holder.
Bigger fleets can avail themselves of Ford Pro Telematics, and the modem
also powers a connection to FORDLiive. It allows the dealer network’s Transit Centres to use vehicle data to cut workshop turnaround time through faster diagnosis and arranging for any parts required to be available immediately.
Electric windows and electrically-adjustable exterior mirrors are included in the Courier Leader deal as are driver, passenger and side airbags.
In-cab storage facilities include a bin in each door with a moulding for a 1.5-litre bottle of water or a flask, a roomy lidded glovebox with a shelf above it, and a console between the seats with three trays of different sizes and a couple of cup-holders. You’ll find a small shelf next to the touchscreen and a pocket on the passenger side of the moulding that accommodates the gear stick.
Look up, and you will spot a shelf running the full width of the cab positioned just above the windscreen.
The driver’s seat and steering wheel are both height-adjustable, with the latter accommodating remote controls for the radio.
Onboard safety systems abound and explain why the Courier received a platinum award from safety organisation Euro NCAP.
The list embraces ABS, Electronic Stability Control and Roll Stability Control as well as Traction Control and Hill Launch Assist (stops you rolling backwards during hill starts). Included too are Lane Keeping System, Cruise Control, Wrong Way Alert (stops you going the wrong way down a motorway) and Intersection Assist.
The last-named applies the brakes if you are turning right and in danger of colliding with oncoming traffic.
Pre-Collision Assist 1.5 warns you if you are at risk of running into the vehicle in front, or hitting a cyclist or pedestrian. If you ignore the warning, then the Courier brakes.
Independent suspension with MacPherson struts helps support the front of the vehicle along with a stabiliser bar while a twist-beam set-up with angled shock-absorbers does duty at the rear. The rack-and-pinion steering benefits from electric power assistance and delivers a 10.7m kerb-to-kerb turning circle.
Disc brakes are fitted at the front, drums at the back, and our Courier’s 15in steel wheels were shod with Hankook Kinergy Eco 195/65 R15 tyres. They are watched over by a pressure monitoring system.
Powertrain
The Courier’s four-cylinder 16-valve diesel is equipped with 2,000 bar high-pressure common rail direct fuel injection plus a variable-geometry turbocharger with electronic actuation. The timing belt is reinforced with Kevlar.
Top power kicks in at 3,500rpm while maximum torque of 250Nm makes its presence felt across a 2,000rpm-to-2,500rpm plateau. AdBlue is required to ensure Euro 6 exhaust emission compliance, and is held in a 13.3-litre reservoir.
Driving
The Courier’s manual gearbox features the usual high-quality gearchange we’ve come to expect from Ford, making cog-swapping a pleasure. The smallest van in Ford’s line-up is highly-manoeuvrable too – a boon if you are delivering parcels and packages to awkward-to-access locations.
We’ve no quarrels with the handling other than to remark that the steering could perhaps stand to be tighter when you are pushing the vehicle hard through bends; but that is a matter of personal preference as much as anything else.
While there were occasions when the suspension struggled to cope with the UK’s frankly-appalling road surfaces, it acquitted itself well most of the time, delivering a competent, albeit firm, ride. In-cab noise levels need addressing though, with excessive tyre noise one of the biggest issues.
Turning to on-the-road performance, we would like to see Ford offer a diesel
that packs a bit more punch and doesn’t run out of breath so quickly. We found
that every time we tackled even a moderate incline half-laden, we were having to drop down one, if not two, gears to maintain momentum.
The solidly-constructed Courier is fuel-frugal, however. The onboard computer told us we were averaging a, wholly-creditable 57.7mpg and we are sure that was an accurate figure.
It was slightly more than the quoted WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) combined figure of 55.3mpg.
Traffic Sign Recognition means that the speed limit prevailing on the road you are travelling down is displayed on the instrument panel and a warning sounds if you exceed it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always get the limit right and we heard rather too many unnecessary beeps.
It made us a little wary of activating Intelligent Speed Assist, which automatically adjusts the van’s speed to the prevailing limit.
Operating
The Courier is protected by a three-year/62,500-mile warranty (which could stand to be more generous) with service intervals set at two years/25,000 miles.
The owner’s manual is accessed through the touchscreen. On the face of it, that’s a good idea, but falls down if the fault on your vehicle that you are trying to sort out prevents you from getting at it. On balance, therefore, we would prefer a printed version.
The sills get protection against minor damage, but there are no side rubbing strips to protect the body higher up. It was good to see a spare wheel in place, but it was an extra-cost option, and a skinny spare limited to 50mph at that.
| Model | Ford Transit Courier Leader 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel |
| Price (ex VAT) | £17,450 |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £16,200–£22,900 |
| Gross payload | 672kg |
| Load length | 1,802mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,220mm/1,535mm |
| Load bay height | 1,253mm |
| Load volume | 2.9m3 |
| Loading height | 602mm |
| Rear door aperture | 1,235mm x 1,120mm |
| Side door aperture | 528mm x 1,069mm |
| Gross vehicle weight | 1,965kg |
| Braked trailer towing weight | 1,100kg |
| Engine size/power | 1,499cc, 100hp @ 3,500rpm |
| Torque | 250Nm @ 2,000–2,500rpm |
| Gearbox | Six-speed manual |
| Fuel economy (combined WLTP) | 55.3mpg |
| Fuel tank | 44 litres |
| CO2 | 137g/km |
| Warranty | 3yrs/62,500 miles |
| Service intervals | 2yrs/25,000miles |
| Insurance group | TBA |
| Price as tested | £20,050 |
Rivals
Ford Transit Connect
It is unusual for us to highlight another model of the same make as a rival to the van we are testing, but in this case we believe it is justified. The Courier and the latest Connect come close to overlapping, although the latter is available with significantly more load space if you opt for the long-wheelbase model, and with a beefier diesel engine.
| Price range (ex VAT) | £23,500–£33,050 |
| Load volume | 3.1-3.7m3 |
| Gross payload | 706-792kg |
| Engines | 102hp, 122hp 2.0 diesel, 150hp 1.5 petrol/PHEV |
Peugeot Partner
Earlier this year, Stellantis announced that it was revamping its entire van line-up, and that included a refresh for Peugeot’s Partner. The Stellantis empire embraces rebadged versions of the Partner marketed for its other brands as the Berlingo, Doblo Cargo and Combo respectively. What you get in each case is a well-built, sturdy workhorse, with the electric versions in particular worth checking out.
| Price range (ex VAT) | £20,555–£31,005 |
| Load volume | 3.3-3.9m3 |
| Gross payload | 642-984kg |
| Engines | 102hp, 131hp 1.5 diesel, 100kW electric |
Renault Kangoo/Kangoo E-Tech
Winner of the 2024 What Van? Compact Van and Electric Van of the Year awards, the Kangoo/Kangoo E-Tech enjoyed a refresh a few months ago, with a new front grille incorporating Renault’s latest visual identity plus more kit provided as standard. Every derivative gets an electric parking brake and a reversing camera among other goodies.
| Price range (ex VAT) | £20,750-£34,850 |
| Load volume | 3.3-4.2m3 |
| Gross payload | 608-975kg |
| Engines | 100hp 1.3 petrol, 95hp, 115hp 1.5 diesel, 90kW electric |
The Final Verdict
| Design | 9/10 | Square-cut van with a compact footprint that could be ideal for local delivery work, especially in battery-electric guise. The award-winning stress on onboard safety devices has to be applauded. |
| Cabin | 8/10 | Pleasant, well-equipped, comfortable working environment, with a touch-screen that is a model of clarity. No shortage of storage space. |
| Ride | 7/10 | Suspension copes well enough with the UK’s utterly-appalling road surfaces, delivering a competent, albeit rather firm (perhaps too firm) ride. |
| Refinement | 6/10 | In-cab noise levels are too high and more sound insulation is needed. On the positive side, a lack of squeaks and rattles indicates a high standard of build quality. |
| Load area | 7/10 | Does what it says on the tin, but bear in mind that with Leader trim you pay extra for the sliding nearside door. |
| Handling/performance | 7/10 | No real quarrels with the standard of handling, but Courier could do with a diesel engine that packs more punch. |
| Engine/transmission | 8/10 | Performance from the former could be better, but the latter delivers an exemplary gearchange. It is a joy to use. |
| Standard equipment | 7/10 | While it includes a lot of the kit that van owners need, not to mention increasingly-important connectivity features, unadorned entry-level Leader trim is probably too basic for most businesses these days. We would advise a step up to Trend, or even Limited. |
| Operating costs | 7/10 | Diesel Courier is impressively frugal, and the service intervals seem sensible enough, but the warranty could stand to be more generous. The Ford badge ensures strong residuals. |
| What Van? subjective rating | 7/10 | A capable working tool without a doubt, but one that needs tweaking in a couple of areas to realise its full potential. |
| Overall rating | 8/10 |
