Ford Transit Courier van review (2024)
Ford's smallest van is based on a car and handles sweetly
PROS
- Great to drive
- Quiet engines
- Fantastic safety kit
- Two-pallet cargo capacity
- Lots of technology as standard
CONS
- Fiddly infotainment
- Ponderous automatic gearbox
- Larger than the outgoing Courier
- No electrified engine options, yet
- No all-wheel drive model
Summary
The Ford Transit Courier is Ford’s smallest van available in the UK and Europe. This new generation includes a lot of advanced technology that is also available in Ford cars and features a design that’s described as ‘SUV-like’ by Ford’s design team.
It’s based on the same engineering as the Ford Puma crossover and Ford Fiesta supermini underneath its van-shaped proportions.
As an aside, Ford also offers a Tourneo Courier model which features five seats and a large boot area. Ford says that model will be appealing to both private and commercial buyers, depending on the need.
Despite the Courier being based on some of Ford's smaller passenger cars, it is somewhat larger than the outgoing version. Where the old model sat in a category below the typical small van class, this one has closed the gap notably to the larger Ford Transit Connect. So much so that it's almost a competitor to the larger van in its own right and might well be able to perform the job that the Connect does.
Ford Transit Courier versions
Ford’s latest Transit Courier is available with petrol and diesel engines and can be had with either a manual or automatic gearbox. Four trims are available, starting with a base model for fleets, and including Trend, Titanium and Active specification. Ford has also confirmed that an all-electric E-Transit Courier will be available to order in late 2024, with first deliveries coming in 2025.
As well as also offering competitive cargo space and flexible payload options for its price, the Transit Courier also benefits from Ford Pro’s connected services.
Ford Transit Courier rivals
The closest van rival in terms of price is the Renault Kangoo, which offers a similar payload rating for a similar amount of money. Other than that, there aren’t many direct rivals, although slightly larger panel vans like the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and even the Ford Transit Connect are potential rivals depending on what your specific business requirement is.
Verdict: is the Ford Transit Courier any good?
Its entry price means it’s one of the cheapest vans you can get your hands on, and it has some very convincing qualities. Its payload is competitive relative to its size (but a larger Citroen Berlingo can be had for not a lot more money), it has some useful interior storage and it’s well-equipped. The nice bonus is that it drives like a car, and a very good car at that.
It's growth spurt works both for and against it. It's no longer the tiny van that the old Courier was, which will be seen as a shame by some, particularly as Ford no longer offers a car-derived van having stopped making the Fiesta Van. However, it also offers a slightly less intimidating, but almost as practical, alternative to the larger Ford Transit Connect. Given that the latter is a VW Caddy underneath all its Ford badging, and this van is all Ford, that might also be something in the Courier's favour.
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- Great, car-like handling
- Smooth, quiet engines
- Slick manual, slow automatic
Ford’s new Transit Courier may well be one of the best handling small vans out there right now. The secret is that the Courier runs on a car-based platform, using engines and engineering shared with the Fiesta supermini and Puma SUV.
Both of those cars are great to drive, and many of those cars’ characteristics are present in the Transit Courier. Our first opportunity to drive the Transit Courier was in Spain, and all of the vans we tested included a 500kg payload in the cargo area. We've subsequently driven the van in the UK and with an empty loading bay.
The steering is accurate and is pleasingly weighted, and the car’s suspension handles bumps and rough roads very well. In fact, all of the car’s controls feel so well-judged and durable – something Ford generally does well at.
Both petrol and diesel engines are available. Your choices are a 100hp petrol with a six-speed manual gearbox, a 125hp petrol engine with a seven-speed automatic or a 1.5-litre 100hp diesel with a six-speed manual. All engine options offer reasonable if not particularly noteworthy performance, but crucially doesn’t feel slower or dulled when there’s a considerable payload in the rear.
If your lifestyle suits it, the manual gearbox is slick and enjoyable to use. The one feature to note is that the gears are quite long, which means you might find yourself changing down more often than you are used to when going up hills or at lower speeds. The automatic, meanwhile, changes gears smoothly but can be very slow to change down gears if approaching hills or if you’re preparing for an overtake.
- Good interior storage options
- Driving position lacks a little space
- Fiddly infotainment with no physical climate controls
Ford’s Transit Courier has a sensible and neatly laid-out interior that includes lots of small storage areas and cubbies. As well as overhead storage, the Courier benefits from cubbies in the dashboard for both the driver and passenger, a slim paperwork holder by the passenger’s footwell and large door bins.
All Couriers feature a digital instrument display and central infotainment screen, and there are very few buttons in the Courier’s interior – save for a set of shortcut buttons for key adjustments or menus for the infotainment and some for the lighting. The infotainment itself is reasonable to use, but relies a lot on menus and sub-menus for different features including adjusting the climate. Turning off the speed limit warning sound, for example, requires several taps of the screen.
There is only so much that a car-based platform can do in terms of the amount of space that it offers, though. While the driving position is nicely laid out in terms of the pedals and the space in the footwell, there is only so much room available.
Taller drivers might well find that they can't get the seat far back enough to get truly comfortable, while there isn't loads of adjustment for the steering wheel. While it does go up and down and in and out, it just doesn't go quite as far as you might want to really get it into an ideal position. This is what comes with trying to keep the Courier as small as possible.
However, the seats are excellent, even on the lower trim. Head for the high-end Active specification and you benefit from AGR-approved seats (AGR is the German ‘Campaign for Healthy Backs’ organisation.)
As for refinement, both petrol and diesel engines are quiet and well refined from inside. The diesel gets a bit louder under high revs, though. Wind noise isn’t much of an issue either.
- Entry price undercuts Renault Kangoo
- High-end specs likely not worth it for fleet buyers
- Reasonable fuel economy offered
The entry price for the Ford Transit Courier starts from £16,200 (excl. VAT) from its launch in 2024, undercutting many other van rivals. For now, that makes the Courier one of the cheapest vans you can buy in the UK. Prices naturally rise with higher specifications, with top-spec Active trim costing around £20,000 (excl. VAT).
Ford Transit Courier mpg
The Transit Courier’s engines are small and right-sized in terms of power, offering reasonably competitive fuel economy.
The 100hp 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine claims between 39.7mpg and 43.4mpg, while the more powerful 125hp engine claims between 38.1 and 43.5mpg. The 1.5-litre diesel engine claims between 49.5 and 54.3mpg.
A zero-emission electric E-Transit Courier is on the way towards the end of 2024.
Ford Transit Courier servicing
The Courier benefits from the same servicing offers as the rest of the Ford range with intervals set at every two years or every 25,000 miles.
Ford Transit Courier warranty
Ford provides a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, with offers available regarding extended warranties.
Ford Transit Courier Leader standard equipment
- 15-inch steel wheels
- Black Front Grille
- Powered and heated Mirrors
- Halogen headlights
- Auto high beam lights
- Side-hinged rear cargo doors
- SYNC 4, Bluetooth, Apple Carplay and Android Auto
- 8.0-inch touchscreen display
- Steering wheel radio controls
- FordPass Connect Modem
- eCall (Emergency Assistance)
- Full steel bulkhead
- Pre-Collision Assist 1.5 with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Cruise control
Trend standard equipment (in addition to Leader trim):
- Manual air conditioning
- Heated front seats
- Heated, sensico wrapped steering wheel
- Lumbar support - driver seat
- Driver seat armrest
Titanium equipment (in addition to Trend):
- 16-inch alloy wheel
- Front fog lights
- Quickclear heated windscreen
- Single sliding door
- Automatic wipers
- Chrome detail front grille
- Body colour door handles
- Climate control
- One-touch power windows
- Front parking aid
- Rear view camera
- Heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Premium Sensico-wrapped Steering Wheel
- Reverse parking aid
- Overhead console
- Keyless start
- 12v power point plug in the loading bay
- Wireless phone charger
Active equipment (in addition to Trend):
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Quickclear heated windscreen
- Automatic wipers
- Black honeycomb grille
- Front and rear silver skid plates
- Active series floor mats
- Front parking aid
- Rear view camera
- Keyless start
- Wireless charging
- 12v power point plug in the loading bay
A lot of the Courier’s engineering has already been proven over many years. The chassis itself has been in service for a long time and has been used in plenty of passenger cars as well as the previous-generation Transit Courier model.
EcoBoost petrol engines aren’t always known for long-term reliability, but we’ve not heard any horror stories about the diesel.
- Generous safety tech as standard
- Awarded Platinum EuroNCAP safety award in 2023
- Annoying speed limit warning
Another benefit of using an up-to-date car-based platform means a lot of current safety technologies. The other good bit of news is that pretty much all the good stuff on the safety front is offered as standard, so the entry-level Leader trim is not a poor relation as basic vans once were.
Ford Transit Courier safety equipment
Every Transit Courier features the following as standard:
- Collision assistance
- Lane-keeping assist
- Traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed assist
- Automatic high-beam lights
- Rear parking sensors
- Cruise control
- Hill start assist
- Driver and passenger front airbags, driver and passenger side seat airbags, right and left curtain airbags
Limited trim brings front parking sensors and a rear parking camera, while higher models can offer more optional safety kit as an option. This can include adaptive cruise control with a stop and go function on automatic models, reverse brake assist, evasive steering assist, intersection assist and blind spot monitoring.
Ford Transit Courier security
Oddly, for all that standard-fit safety kit, the Transit Courier doesn't come with an alarm as standard, although it is available as an option on every model.
Which Ford Transit Courier (14-23) is best for me?
Likely the best Courier option will be the Trend specification with the 1.5-litre diesel engine, which offers everything the commercial vehicle owner really needs and provides a torquey, thrifty and quiet diesel engine, too. Higher specifications maybe be appealing to those who only need the one van (or for a very small fleet).
Ford Transit Courier is based on a car platform, and drives like it.
Standard kit is good, but top models might be a bit pricey for some businesses.
An electric Transit Courier is part of the plans.
The driving position is excellent with lots of adjustment.
