Following on from yesterday's exploration of the 2008 Ford Tourneo, I had the opportunity of driving its next-generation Turkish-built sister in 2016, the Ford Tourneo Custom. Launched in 2013, the Tourneo Custom (and its sister Transit Custom van model) replaced the lower end of the Tourneo/Transit line-up, whilst a larger model simply known as the Transit takes care of the higher end. The Tourneo Custom I drove was a nine seater high specification MPV with a feeling of a business class cabin on an aeroplane, and improved upon the previous generation in every way.
Just a few months old when I tried it in August 2016, the gold Tourneo Custom I drove felt more refined, more luxurious, more comfortable and safer in every respect. There was even a colour screen in the centre of the dashboard, Bluetooth built into the infotainment system and, something I have never seen on any other vehicle, a place on the dashboard specifically designed to hold a mobile phone securely. Having hired four of these vehicles over the years (three Transit Customs and the Tourneo Custom), I have some experience with trim levels, and the upper echelons of the range are the place to be. The lower variants, sometimes even lacking air conditioning, feel very stripped out in comparison, although for trips to building sites and other such tasks, I doubt this is much of a problem.
The Tourneo Custom, however, has niceties such as automatic headlights, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, alloy wheels and a multi-function steering wheel. It is very much like one of Ford's car models, although, depending on your point of view, this may not be as good news as it sounds. The previous generation Ford Fiesta (which I reviewed several months ago) had a very confusing array of buttons on the dashboard for controlling the infotainment system on the style of an old Nokia 6210 mobile phone. This has been universally hated by most testers, but was carried straight over into the cabin of the Tourneo and Transit Custom in 2013. Thankfully, with the new model Fiesta and the facelifted versions of the Tourneo and Transit Custom this has been significantly redesigned, but on this older Tourneo Custom, it would have taken some getting some getting used to had I not driven a Transit Custom before. The dashboard plastics, whilst much improved over the previous generation British-built Transit, are also not up to the best quality from something like a Volkswagen Transporter T6. The ride and handling, however, are very much up there with the best.
Continuing with the theme of being similar to one of Ford's passenger cars, the Tourneo Custom has no nasty surprises in the way that it drives if coming straight from a car with no experience of vans. The steering is remarkably accurate, the 2.2 diesel engine is relatively quiet and pulls well, and the ride, particularly with a load or passengers on board, is quite comfortable. True, the 100 bhp base version of the engine is not fast, but get the 123 bhp mid-spec unit (which is the one I have most experience of), and it turns the Tourneo Custom into more of a jet liner than one may want it to be. With a sweet six-speed gearbox, 70 mph comes up much sooner than one might expect, and means that the MPV settles down to a very comfortable motorway cruise. The driving position is definitely not as comfortable as a Volkswagen T6 Transporter, but most people should still be just fine.
The amount of room in the back is still vast, and the overall feeling of quality is massively improved over the previous generation. The luxury airport private hire vehicle is accentuated by plushly trimmed seats, nicely damped door handles and tinted glass at the rear. In the boot, the optional electric rear tailgate would certainly help in terms of closing what feels very much like a barn door unless one has the strength of Dwane Johnson, and reversing into parking bays may be out of the question. That said, the boot capacity remains absolutely huge for anyone short of a full symphony orchestra, certainly a five piece band would be just fine. The optional parking sensors, however, are a wise accompaniment to the standard dual aspect mirrors for ensuring that manoeuvring dents and scrapes are kept to a minimum.
The Tourneo Custom, particularly in the revised 2018 form, is a fine vehicle. Very spacious and well equipped, with a punchy engine, refined performance and easy to live with, it is no surprise to find that this van derived MPV is consistently at the top of the sales chart along with its van sibling. Available in a myriad of trims, body lengths, heights and specifications, this is one of the best of its type, and will continue to be so for some time to come.
