Item: Ford Transit Courier
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

When it was launched, the Ford Transit Courier led the way in terms of safety equipment fitted to a van, thanks to the large number of airbag options available.&nbsp;

While only the driver’s airbag is standard (a legal requirement), the option of adding side airbags, curtain airbags and knee airbags means the Transit Courier can be specified with safety in mind.

On top of the airbag options, electronic stability control, Hill Start Assist, Roll-Over Mitigation and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution are all standard, along with Trailer Sway Control when a towbar is fitted.

A 36-month warranty is standard, covering you for up to 100,000 miles. However, a five-year warranty package is available. Servicing is required every 20,000 miles or every 12 months.

Fuel economy under the latest WLTP test regime shows the 75bhp diesel engine to have a fuel economy of 52.3mpg, that figure being significantly lower than the 65.7mpg recorded under the old NEDC testing. Nevertheless, the Courier is one of those vans that, if driven carefully, can come close to the official figures. Expect a high-40mpg fuel economy from the little Ford van across all three engine outputs.

Underlining just how sparse the kit list is on the entry-level Leader models, even Ford itself is left to highlight the A4 document storage and centre consoles with two cupholders among the main frills. That said, the storage in the door pockets and the provision of a decent sized glovebox for such a small van add moderate functionality.

Trend models give you underseat and overhead storage compartments, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, a locking glovebox, electric windows, automatic headlights and wipers, and that 4in screen with DAB radio. There’s also a 12v power point inside the rear loadspace, and a side loading door.

Limited trim adds to that with manual air-conditioning, rear-parking sensors and the 6.0in touchscreen. Limited vans also get body coloured bumpers, door handles and mirrors as well as 15in alloy wheels.

The Sport trim level doesn’t build on the Limited spec van kit list, but rather the Trend model, adding a leather gear knob and gaiter with contrast red stitching, plus manual air-conditioning. The rest of the alterations are to the exterior and include sports stripes, black-painted heated door mirrors, body coloured side mouldings and 16in alloys.

For the level of equipment on offer, we’d recommend the Trend as the best starting point. If you really feel the need to add the larger touchscreen, you’ll need around £1000 more to step up to Limited or specify it as an option. It’s a good system and will enhance the user experience over the sometimes-buggy SYNC 3 (although software updates have made it vastly more reliable).

Before you get overly excited about a van with a small petrol engine, heed this warning: the 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine is exceptionally impressive in its own right, but it is not always ideal for a commercial vehicle;&nbsp;its 125lb ft of torque falls short of what it takes&nbsp;for hauling&nbsp;a fully loaded van.

For more versatility, you’ll want the 1.5-litre Duratorq TDCi engine. Its two versions&nbsp;produce&nbsp;74bhp with 140lb ft of torque and 98bhp with 159lb ft.&nbsp;The difference between the petrol engine and the less powerful of the two diesels is like night and day, but so too is the jump between the 74 and 98bhp diesel. While the lower-powered unit needs to be worked hard to stay on song, the higher powered one has a far wider power and torque range.

As the Courier is based on the Ford Fiesta, it shares many of the small car's driving charms. The handling is sharp and the steering is really communicative – neither common traits of a commercial vehicle.

The front suspension uses independent MacPherson struts with coil springs and an anti-roll bar, while the rear setup is a torsion beam with coil springs. As is the way with Ford’s suspension settings, the ride is firm when unladen but&nbsp;with a small amount of weight on board the Courier settles nicely into the road. It does feel like quite a heavy van at times though, weighing in at nearly 1.2 tonnes.&nbsp;

The overall visibility is good, with narrow A-pillars and decent wing mirrors. What's more, very little road, wind or engine noise penetrates the cab, making for a van that's&nbsp;relaxing as well as fun&nbsp;to drive.

In the same way that your favourite piece of technology keeps getting smaller and more compact, the Ford Transit Courier is a small van with all the benefits of a bigger one.

Answering the call for a small van to help combat rising fuel costs, but which still had all the space a tradesperson might want, the Transit Courier is aptly named after the one of the most successful vans of all the time. It plugs a handy gap, too, slotting into Ford’s commercial vehicle range neatly between the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta-van/van/review/n22198">Fiesta Van</a> and the larger <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-connect/van/review/n18510">Transit Connect</a>.

Still based on the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta</a>, today’s Ford Transit Courier takes advantage of&nbsp;chassis, engine and component know-how that's been proven by the road car, to deliver a hugely enticing product that sits alongside rest of the Transit family – that’s the Transit Connect, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-custom/van/review/n18288">Transit Custom</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit/van/review/n18188">Transit</a>&nbsp;itself, if you were wondering.&nbsp;

However, unlike the rest of the Transit range, it is available in&nbsp;just one size and with just one&nbsp;weight. The Courier has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 1.8 tonnes, which gives it a maximum payload of up to&nbsp;595kg. Load volumes are set at 2.3m³.

The shortfall in body size choice&nbsp;is definitely made up for when it comes to engines though, with both petrol and diesel units available. Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost – still something of a benchmark for small three-cylinder petrol engines – is joined by a 1.5-litre diesel engine, and&nbsp;both&nbsp;engines are&nbsp;available with the option of a stop/start system.

Competition for the smallest “proper van” in the Ford range is limited. Smaller models from rivals have long since been discontinued, and today the Fiat Fiorino is the Transit Courier’s main challenger.

The Ford Transit Courier comes in four trim levels, starting with Leader (also known as Base), Trend, Limited and Sport.

The Transit Courier also owes a debt of gratitude to the Fiesta small car for its interior. While the materials used are a little more focused on commercial needs, with fewer chrome and piano black highlights, the basic shape and function of the Courier's dashboard is almost identical to the Fiesta’s.

Equipment from the car range is also carried over; most importantly for a small van, the Fiesta's rake and reach adjustable steering wheel and a four-way adjustable seat are present in the Courier. A basic radio is fitted as standard; a unit with a 4.0in screen is the next option up, followed by a 6.0in touchscreen on higher-trim models.

Both systems run Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment software,&nbsp;but only the latter offers <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> compatibility. The 6.0in system is standard on Limited trim vans. Strangely, Sport trim – which many would consider to be the top specification – does not get the bigger screen as standard.

No matter which Transit Courier verion you go for, you’ll find the interior to be comfortable, well designed and well-made, with quality which frankly astonishes for the price.

The seats in the Courier are particularly supportive and the extra adjustment of the seat on Trend trim and above is an added benefit. The steering wheel is also a pleasantly sporty shape; that's an odd point of praise for a van, but thumb notches at the nine and three positions make it quite relaxing to grip and control the telephone or infotainment controls.

Space isn’t the most plentiful, but this is a small van. You can get comfortable, but the more adaptable seat of Trend models and above is highly recommended to help you do so.

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

Transit Courier

The Ford Transit Courier is a class leader with few rivals, excelling for its handling and practicality and strong everywhere else

Given the scarcity of competition from rivals, the Fiesta Van is probably the Transit Courier’s closest rival. The Transit Courier measures 4.16m in length, just 200mm longer than the Fiesta van, but the major difference is in the height and width.

The Courier has an internal height of 1244mm and a width of 1488mm, creating a maximum load volume of 2.3m3, compared with just 1m3 in the Fiesta. Payloads on individual models vary from 519kg to 595kg, which also compares favourably to the Fiesta Van’s 485kg maximum.

A side loading door only becomes standard on Trend models but can be specified on Base vans. A solid steel bulkhead is standard fitment when a side door is specified, otherwise Base vans receive a moulded plastic bulkhead.

A window can also be added to the steel bulkhead, but of more interest will be the folding mesh bulkhead that combines with a “fold and dive” seating pack to allow the passenger seat to fold completely flat.

This creates a level loadspace floor, allowing the total space to increase from 1620mm to an enormous 2593mm. It also adds an additional 0.3m3 of storage space, while safely separating the driver from the load.

Loading height is generous for a small van, at 564mm, while door apertures are wide at 1104mm for the rear and 453mm through the side door – although access is hampered a little by the slope of the bulkhead. Six lashing points are standard, while protective flooring is an option. Trend models get a 12v power socket in the loadspace as standard.

Small vans like the Courier don’t sell in big numbers, which is evident by the lack of competition in the market. If you’re set on a Courier though, you won’t be disappointed. All Ford vans are good to drive, but the Transit Courier is among the company's finest work.

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Ford Transit Courier review

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Read review covering Ford Transit Courier boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

Given the scarcity of competition from rivals, the Fiesta Van is probably the Transit Courier’s closest rival. The Transit Courier measures 4.16m in length, just 200mm longer than the Fiesta van, but the major difference is in the height and width.,The Courier has an internal height of 1244mm and a width of 1488mm, creating a maximum load volume of 2.3m3, compared with just 1m3 in the Fiesta. Payloads on individual models vary from 519kg to 595kg, which also compares favourably to the Fiesta Van’s 485kg maximum.,A side loading door only becomes standard on Trend models but can be specified on Base vans. A solid steel bulkhead is standard fitment when a side door is specified, otherwise Base vans receive a moulded plastic bulkhead.A window can also be added to the steel bulkhead, but of more interest will be the folding mesh bulkhead that combines with a “fold and dive” seating pack to allow the passenger seat to fold completely flat.This creates a level loadspace floor, allowing the total space to increase from 1620mm to an enormous 2593mm. It also adds an additional 0.3m3 of storage space, while safely separating the driver from the load.,Loading height is generous for a small van, at 564mm, while door apertures are wide at 1104mm for the rear and 453mm through the side door – although access is hampered a little by the slope of the bulkhead. Six lashing points are standard, while protective flooring is an option. Trend models get a 12v power socket in the loadspace as standard.,

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