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A proper family space shuttle, but never quite manages to shake the fact that it’s a van

Good stuff

Looks smart, easy driving manners, updated cabin offers more flexibility than ever before

Bad stuff

Expensive, never quite manages to shake its van underpinnings, the VW Multivan and ID.Buzz exist

Overview

What is it?

All the car you could ever need. Perhaps. Because this is the Ford Tourneo Custom, and the numbers on paper speak for themselves: seating for eight, up to 5,908 litres of luggage space, and capable of towing 2.5 tonnes. Seriously, who needs more?

We’ll get into all that shortly. First thing to know is it’s based on the Ford Transit Custom, a van we like very much. This second generation version arrived in 2023, and is available with diesel, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains. Something for everyone, see.

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And it actually has more rivals than you might think. Close to home there’s the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle (itself based on the Transporter van), with which it shares the same underpinnings. Then there’s the car-based Multivan, as well as the retrotastic all-electric ID.Buzz.

Elsewhere, you’ve the Citroen Berlingo and e-SpaceTourer, Vauxhall Combo Life and Vivaro Life, and Toyota Proace Verso, all from the Stellantis megacorp. Fancy something a little posher? How about the Merc V-Class or EQV?

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE, THEN?

Well, first thing to know is it’s grown slightly compared to its predecessor. Again it comes in standard or long wheelbase variants, the former measuring just over five metres, the latter adding an extra 40cm. But a lower floor and reduced height means improved access to any low-roofed garages and multi-storey car parks.

There’s space for up to eight bums, with the middlemost row able to face forward or back, while the seats themselves are now on sliding tracks. The three second-row seats can move independently, while the third row offers a two seat/one seat split, and Ford says they’re all now lighter than before to make removing them easier.

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Whatever version you go for you’ll get sliding doors on both sides, and a top-hinged tailgate to the rear. With all rear seats in place you’re looking at up to 1,152 litres of space in the L1 and 1,534 litres of space in the L2, which extends to a whopping 4,460 and 5,908 litres respectively with all the rear seats removed.

CAN I HAVE SOME POWERTRAIN SPECIFICS, PLEASE?

Right, at base level you’ve got a choice of EcoBlue diesel engines in 134bhp, 148bhp or 168bhp power outputs, optionally available with all-wheel drive and combined with either an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox.

Next up is the plug-in hybrid, which mates a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and 11.8kWh battery for a combined 230bhp total output and up to 32 miles of e-range. That’s very handy for the school run particularly if you need to slip into any urban low emission zones and you can charge at home.

But if you’re really looking to show off your eco credentials, there’s the e-Transit Custom. It features a 215bhp motor and 64kWh useable battery for up to 202 miles of running. A 10-80 per cent recharge takes just shy of 40mins on a fast charger.

COME ON THEN, WHAT’S ALL THIS GOING TO COST ME?

Yeah… not cheap. Prices start from £59,710 for the diesels, £60,795 for the plug-in hybrid, and £61,265 for the fully electric variant.

What's the verdict?

A proper family space shuttle, but never quite manages to shake the fact that it’s a van

At the top of this page, we mentioned the Ford Tourneo Custom could be all the car you could ever need. We stand by that. It’s a proper family space shuttle, the perfect antidote to all those posh SUVs that dominate our roads.

It’s now better looking than ever, better to drive than ever, and better to passenger in than ever. And yet, it never quite manages to shake the fact that, well, it’s a van (as good as the Transit Custom is). It’s there in the driving manners, the cabin, the ride quality. And therein lies the biggest problem of all.

Because fact is, the VW Multivan is a better MPV (and considerably cheaper too), the ID.Buzz more desirable (for only a little more money). Turn a blind eye to those though, and this can do little wrong.

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