Ford Transit Courier van review
Although the Ford Transit Courier is the baby of Blue Oval's van line-up, it's now bigger and more competent than ever
Our opinion on the Ford Transit Courier
A growth spurt for the latest model sees the Ford Transit Courier offer more space than ever. Its prices still look relatively keen when compared with rivals but they’ve jumped up compared with the old model’s. Still, this is a capable small van with a useful load bay, a well-judged range of powertrains and a cabin that has all of the tech you might need.
About the Ford Transit Courier
Everyone has to grow up sometime, right? That’s clearly the case for the Ford Transit Courier; the baby of the Blue Oval’s commercial vehicle line-up was treated to a whole new look for 2024, with fresh technology, an all-electric version (the e Transit Courier) and, yes, an increase in size.
Ford’s rationale behind the size increase is that buyers of really small vans frequently want a bit more space – to the point where it’s more important to cover a larger percentage of the middle ground than the ultra-compact area at the bottom of the market where models such as the Fiesta SportVan once dwelled. So here, then, is the new Transit Courier – with a larger load bay in every appreciable dimension than the vehicle it replaced. Oh, and a higher price.
Underneath it all is Ford’s Global B platform, the same tech that supports the Puma small SUV (and, of course, the Transit Courier’s passenger-car sister, the Ford Tourneo Courier).
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The electric E-Transit Courier looks like it could be a good option for urban use. The technical offering on the rest of the range is a pretty simple one; there’s a single diesel offering, a 1.5-litre EcoBlue producing 99bhp and 250Nm of torque, plus a pair of 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrols with either 99bhp/170Nm or 123bhp/170Nm. The standard gearbox is a six-speed manual, but the higher-powered EcoBoost can be ordered with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The van-specific numbers all look positive enough – assuming, that is, you fall into Ford’s list of customers who’ve been craving more load capacity from their Courier. The overall cargo length grows by more than 18cm, to 1,820mm, and an additional 200mm between the rear wheelarches means that the vehicle can now swallow two Euro pallets. The total cargo volume increases by a full 25 per cent, in fact, to 2.9 cubic metres, and while the maximum load length is now 1,802mm, you can extend this to 2,667mm by speccing the optional load-through bulkhead – handy for longer bits of timber or pipes.
Access to the cargo area is via a single sliding side door (a second door on the opposite side is available as an option) or twin barn doors, while the cab is a strict two-seater - the Courier is still fairly narrow, so adding a third centre chair was never going to be an option.
You may have noted that the Transit Courier only comes in one body style, where slightly larger rivals come with standard or long options. Those rivals include the Renault Kangoo/Nissan Townstar/Mercedes Citan trio, the Citroen Berlingo/Fiat Doblo/Peugeot Partner/Vauxhall Combo/Toyota Proace City quintet, plus there’s the slightly larger (and a bit pricier) Ford Transit Connect, which shares tech with the Volkswagen Caddy. However, the Courier’s positioning as a bumped-up entry-level model means that it is ever so slightly cheaper than the alternatives here.
MPG and running costs
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The line-up comprises four trim levels, starting with Leader. Available with all but the higher-powered manual petrol powertrain, it costs from around £18,000 (excluding VAT) and is, Ford rather charitably suggests, designed primarily for large fleet purchases. It still gets a decent level of basic kit, with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up, electric windows, heated and powered folding door mirrors, and a steel bulkhead. But it makes do without air conditioning or any side access to the load bay.
Trend brings those features plus a single sliding side door, with a second on the other side as an option. It also adds heating for the seats, steering wheel and windscreen – plus the chance to have 123bhp petrol power with the manual gearbox.
Then there’s Limited, with climate control, 16-inch alloys, more body-coloured exterior parts, keyless go and a rear-view camera.
The range peaks with Active, which has many of the same features as Limited, but gets styling tweaks, including larger 17-inch alloy wheels. The upper two editions aren’t available with the 99bhp petrol.
The engine with the best fuel economy is the diesel, which has a WLTP figure of 55.4mpg when fitted to the Leader model, this drifts out to 51.2mpg for the Active version, with the other two models somewhere in between.
Choose a petrol, and the drop off in the official fuel economy figures isn’t severe, but you’re looking at 43.5 to 42.8mpg for the manual models, and 42.8 to 41.5mpg for the Powershift automatic models.
An electric model is on the way soon, called the Ford E-Transit Courier. It’s powered by a 43kWh battery with a range of up to 186 miles and a front-mounted electric motor producing 134bhp and 290Nm of torque. Ford claims a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes from 23 minutes at a rapid charge point.
Load space and practicality
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There are two payload versions on combustion-engined Transit Couriers - 680kg as standard, and as a £150 (ex VAT) option, 845kg with dual-rate springs - this, Ford claims, is a 45 per cent increase over the outgoing Courier’s maximum. The forthcoming EV will manage 700kg, incidentally.
The Transit Courier’s numbers are decent enough in isolation, and the single standard sliding door opens an aperture that’s more than half a metre wide. But that cargo volume is smaller than you’ll find in the Renault Kangoo or even the smaller of Citroen’s Berlingo offerings, while the Ford’s max payload is also trumped by both of these competitors.
There’s a cargo volume of 2.9 cubic metres, which is only 0.2 cubic metres behind the capacity for Ford’s own Transit Connect in its standard length, while the load floor measures 1,802mm long and 1,535mm wide (or 1,220mm between the wheelarches). Add the through-loading option, and the load length at the floor increases to 2,667mm, which will be handy for longer items such as pipes or ducting.
The cargo area measures 1,253mm tall, while the load lip is 602mm, which is nice and low. The rear door opening measures 1,235mm wide and 1,120mm tall, while the sliding door has a gap measuring 528mm wide and 1,069mm tall.
Reliability, safety and security
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Since it’s based on the Ford Puma’s platform, there has been plenty of time for any issues to have been ironed out ahead of the Courier’s launch. Of course, life as a working vehicle will be tougher than as a small SUV, but there shouldn’t be much to go wrong - and if it does, there will be a Ford dealer close by.
Safety kit is strong for a van. The usual ABS, stability control and traction control systems are included, plus there’s roll stability control, tyre pressure monitors, driver and passenger airbags (not all small vans have a passenger bag as standard), driver alertness warning, lane assist, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, cruise control with intelligent speed limiter and a wrong-way assist. Optionally buyers can add blind-spot warning and lane-change assist, rear cross traffic alert, a rear-view camera, front parking sensors and adaptive cruise control.
One word of advice that we’d give is to make sure that the correct oil is used in the EcoBoost petrol engine when the Courier is serviced. The 1.0-litre motor features a so-called ‘wet belt’ cambelt, where it runs in the engine oil, and it has been known that using the wrong oil can cause the cambelt to deteriorate and break up, leaving you with the potential for costly repairs.
Euro NCAP’s tests showed a five-star safety rating for the Ford, including strong results for the tech on-board with over 80 per cent in all categories.
Driving and performance
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Since the Transit Courier is based on the Puma platform, it can lay claim to being one of the best-handling vans on the market, while the driving position and big windows give you a clear view of your surroundings.
The diesel engine is the only one we’ve tried so far, and it’s a gutsy performer, with 250Nm of torque available from around 2,000rpm – enough to make it feel brisk at times. There’s a bit of a rasping rattle if you push the motor into the higher reaches of its rev range, but in general there’s enough shove on tap for this to prove unnecessary.
Away from cruising, it’s easy to flick between gears, thanks to a slick shift mechanism on the manual transmission. Perhaps it’s here where the Transit Courier feels closest to Ford’s passenger-car offerings, although there’s a familiar weight and accuracy to the steering, too.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The Transit Courier is an easy vehicle to place, both in faster corners and tight urban streets. With around half the maximum payload on board, the ride felt comfortable yet composed (sticking with 16-inch wheels may help a little with this) during our test drives.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
The gruff engine noise at a motorway cruise is comfortably drowned out by the rush of a van-shaped front end being shoved through the air. It does not feel like the last word in luxury; it does feel like a vehicle that you could point at a motorway and drive for many miles. And that’s probably bang on its brief.
Cab, interior and technology
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There’s a wide range of adjustment for the driver’s seat, so it’s easy to get comfortable, while the switchgear is shared with Ford’s passenger cars, so it’s good to use. There are plenty of hard-wearing plastics on board, and rubber flooring for hard use, although the higher spec versions feature carpets for added comfort and sound insulation.
There’s overhead storage, plus a central bin for A4-sized folders and door pockets big enough to hold 1.5-litre bottles.
Back-up matters in commercial vehicles, and the Transit Courier has always-on connectivity, allowing it to be integrated into and managed through the Ford Pro digital ‘fleet ecosystem’. In truth, most of the big van retailers offer similar back-up, although the sheer scale of Ford’s UK dealer network does give it a small advantage.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
The cabin has a fully digital instrument cluster and, more usefully for van users, a functional dash that includes an eight-inch infotainment system, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, plus a built-in mount that’s designed to house a variety of aftermarket smartphone holders. It looks modern and is easy enough to use, although time can only tell how well it stands up to sustained daily use. You would hope Ford had thought of that when designing it, though.
Buying and owning
All Transit Courier models come with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, electric windows, heated door mirrors and a steel bulkhead but air conditioning and side access to the load bay are not included, so unless you’re a large fleet buyer you probably won’t want the base version.
Trend adds a single sliding side door, with a second as an option plus air-con, heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a heated windscreen. Limited adds climate control, 16-inch alloys, keyless go and a rear-view camera.
Active is the top spec car but it only really gets cosmetic add-ons like larger 17-inch alloy wheels, so the mid-spec models are the best value. We’d stick with a diesel engine if possible, but the petrol versions will make more sense for vans that stay around town (although the upcoming EV may suit those users even better).
Alternatives
Rivals include the Renault Kangoo/Nissan Townstar/Mercedes Citan, which all use the same platform and tech. Then there’s the Citroen Berlingo/Fiat Doblo/Peugeot Partner/Vauxhall Combo/Toyota Proace City, which again all share the same underpinnings. You might also consider the Ford Transit Connect or Volkswagen Caddy, which are larger and a bit pricier but aimed at a similar market.
Van dimensions | |||
| Body style | Height | Width | Length |
| Panel van | 1,827mm | 1,800mm | 4,337mm |
Load area dimensions | ||||
| Body style | Height | Width | Length | Volume |
| Standard | 1,253mm | 1,535mm | 1,802mm | 2.9m3 |
| Thru load | 1,253mm | 1,535mm | 2,667mm | N/a |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it’s one of the best small vans around. If you don’t mind the slightly smaller load bay than rival vans, it does everything else - including comfort, efficiency and reliability - very well.
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