The MPV market has been all but obliterated in recent years, to the point where even Ford’s S-Max and Galaxy models have vanished from the price lists, joining the likes of the B-Max and C-Max models in the automotive graveyard. And Ford’s MPVs aren’t the only casualties. But Ford isn’t getting rid of people movers altogether, preferring to repurpose its Transit van platforms with seats and windows to create ultra-practical Tourneo models with which to tempt customers away from SUVs.
The latest in the line is the new Tourneo Courier, based on the Transit Courier and offered with a choice of petrol and electric powertrains. Our first taste of this new MPV model - on UK roads - is in petrol form, and in rugged-looking Active trim, which pushes the SUV-inspired styling in a bid to increase the car’s appeal. So, will the Tourneo Courier Active prove a much-needed shot in the arm for the practical MPV market?
What does the new Ford Tourneo Courier look like?
The Tourneo Courier takes much of its style from the larger Ford Tourneo Connect, which means it has a rather boxy style. That’s usually a criticism, but in the case of the Ford, it’s kind of modern and cool. The rear end looks a bit abrupt with its vertical tailgate, but with the two-tone roof design there’s a bit of knock-off Defender about it. And for once, that isn’t an insult.
That’s kind of the point of this Active version, which has slightly different standard equipment from the basic Titanium model but comes with a bit more body cladding and a more off-road-orientated aesthetic. Not that either car is especially brilliant off-road, given neither has the benefit of all-wheel drive. Still, the same was true of the Ford Fiesta Active and that sold fairly well.
A look inside the Ford Tourneo Courier
With its origins in the world of vans, the Tourneo Courier has a few hangovers from its commercial roots, but they are almost all positive things for family life. Most obviously, there’s the sense of space. The roof is miles above your head - you could put your kids on your shoulders, and they still might not touch the roof lining with their heads - and the windscreen is huge. Space in the rear is incredibly generous, too, and though there’s no seven-seat option, which is a shame, the boot space is large.
So big, in fact, that there’s 570 litres of it when all five seats are upright, and that’s only if you measure to the luggage cover. Fill the car to the roof and there’s much more space than that. Fold the back seats away and you can free up almost 2,200 litres of total cargo capacity, so there’s plenty to be said for the van life.
The slight catch is that access is via a massive tailgate, which means you won’t be able to open it if you park too close to a wall or another vehicle, and you might have to watch it on the beams of a multi-storey carpark. But the sliding doors at the rear make access to the back seats easier if you’re in a tight space, so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts.
The other advantage of the van heritage is the sheer amount of storage. There are cubby holes all over the shop, and there’s a big shelf above the windscreen that you might not notice at first. It’s a seriously practical car.
But it isn’t what you’d call premium. Some hard and cheap-feeling plastics are on show in the cabin, and it doesn’t quite feel as upmarket as, say, a Ford Puma. But it still feels relatively well made and the steering wheel, which is inherited from a Ford passenger car, feels very pleasant in your hands. In short, it isn’t quite as posh as a family car probably should be, but it’s much more pleasant than a van.
It gets plenty of features, though, including a digital instrument display and a touchscreen infotainment system, and though there’s a strange hole in the dashboard for which we haven’t yet found a use, Ford has at least tried to make it feel a bit more stylish and more modern than your common-or-garden white van.
The Ford Tourneo Courier’s on-board technology
Though the Tourneo Courier’s cabin somewhat betrays its van origins story, the big Ford has reasonable in-car technology. As standard, you get a digital instrument display that, like the rest of the car, is more useful than fancy, but it does the job well. It’s clear, easy to read and sensibly laid out, all of which stand it in good stead, although customisation options aren’t what you’d call numerous.
Similarly, the eight-inch central touchscreen is more functional than fashionable, despite having Ford’s latest software installed. The display looks a bit grainy by modern standards, but the layout is clear and easy to navigate, while the lack of functions compared with premium models means you don’t have too many menus to wade through. With only a brief period of familiarisation, it becomes easy to use.
The only catch is that you must use the touchscreen to control the heater, which is a bit of an ergonomic issue, especially if you’re using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Doing that, you see, necessitates a slog through the menu to return to the proprietary system, from which you can access the temperature settings. In fairness, this is less of a problem if you have climate control, which was fitted as an option to our UK-spec car, but it’s still a pain in the you-know-what.
How economical is the Ford Tourneo Courier?
The Tourneo Courier is offered with either a 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine or with an electric motor, in which case it wears the E-Tourneo Courier badge. Naturally, that’ll be the one to go for among buyers who prioritise running costs, but it’s the 1.0-litre petrol engine we’re testing here.
It sounds like rather a compact powerplant for a big MPV, and the figures suggest it isn’t the most potent powertrain on the market. However, 125hp is more than adequate in this car, and though it isn’t sporty in any sense, it never feels too slow, either. Keeping up with traffic is no problem, and even joining motorways doesn’t feel like taking your life in your hands.
That’s testament to how good the EcoBoost range of engines is. The 1.0-litre versions have been powering all sorts from Fiestas to Pumas and from Mondeos to Focuses, and they’ve never felt out of their depth. They may be small, but they’re mighty too, and they offer decent economy on the official test. Use the regulators’ measure, and the Tourneo Courier will burn through less than seven litres of unleaded every 100km, and though you’ll struggle to achieve that around town, it might even beat that figure on a long run. It’s refined, too, and even when pushed, the little three-cylinder engine makes an eager, endearing noise.
That said, it will partly depend on which gearbox you choose. Ford has fitted a brilliant six-speed manual as standard, which is light and slick and very easy to use, but some will likely prefer the seven-speed automatic, which is easier in traffic but slightly less efficient on the open road.
Driving the Ford Tourneo Courier
Given its roots in commercial operations, you might expect the Tourneo Courier to be a little agricultural on the road, but you’d be wrong. Mainly because it’s based on the Puma compact SUV, which is a) a car, and b) brilliant to drive. Yes, the Tourneo leans a bit in corners, but the steering feels precise and smooth and there’s plenty of grip, while the lean is reasonably well controlled. It’s much more like driving a family hatchback or compact SUV than a traditional commercial vehicle. But then Ford’s vans have always been quite good to drive, and the Courier is just continuing that trend.
The Tourneo is quite easy to manoeuvre and see out of, too, which makes it feel more at home in town than you might expect it to be. And despite the immense space, its footprint isn’t all that enormous, so it doesn’t feel too unwieldy in tight spaces. It’s even easy to park.
The one bit that does feel a little van-like is the ride, but even that is comparable with other family cars. The front suspension is particularly good, but the rear, presumably designed to deal with lots of weight over the axle, feels a little unforgiving at times. But even that isn’t disastrous, and there are far more uncomfortable hatchbacks out there, let alone MPVs.
How safe is the Ford Tourneo Courier?
The new Tourneo Courier has not yet been assessed by the European independent safety body, Euro NCAP. However, the Transit Courier, on which it’s based, has been tested as a commercial vehicle. Although the scores aren’t comparable for any number of reasons, the Transit Courier scored highly, achieving a ‘Platinum’ rating. Whether that means the Tourneo Courier would achieve five stars is unknown, but it suggests the passenger-carrying car will be safe.
It certainly comes with a fair amount of safety technology. Autonomous emergency braking is fitted as standard, allowing the car to stop itself if the driver fails to respond to a hazard, along with goodies such as lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition. The slightly controversial, moderately inaccurate and very irritating speed limit warning tech is also fitted as standard - thanks, legislators - but it’s relatively easy to switch off.
How many child seats can you fit in a Ford Tourneo Courier?
The Tourneo Courier is unashamedly set up for family life, but it only comes with two ISOFIX child seat mounting points, one on each of the outer rear seats. That’s fairly standard for cars of this size, but it would have been nice to see the front passenger seat get a mounting point, too. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of legroom for child seats in the back, and sliding rear doors make access to the back seats easy even in a tight car park, so getting kids in and out should be a bit easier. We don’t think a third child seat will fit in the middle of the other two in the back.
How much does the Ford Tourneo Courier cost in Ireland?
Ford is yet to announce Irish pricing for the Tourneo Courier, so we don’t know exactly what you’ll get or how much you’ll pay for it yet.
The reasons you’d buy a Ford Tourneo Courier
MPVs are not traditionally considered cool, but this Active version of the Tourneo Courier has enough SUV styling about it to feel a little more interesting. Yet it’s still brilliant at the practical stuff, and it’s way better to drive than you’d expect, although the van heritage shines through in a slightly cheap-feeling cabin. Nevertheless, this is an extremely useful and surprisingly charming car that will be extremely easy for customers to live with. If it’s priced right, Ford could be on to a winner.
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