The new Ford Tourneo Courier MPV has been revealed, giving you an alternative to cars like the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Rifter.
Based on the latest Transit Courier panel van, the Tourneo gives you more space than a comparably sized SUV for a fraction of the price, and will be offered with both petrol and city-friendly electric powertrain options.
Ford Tourneo Courier MPV
- Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: styling and design
- Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: interior, practicality and infotainment
- Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: performance, range and driving
- Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: price and release date
Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: styling and design
The Ford Tourneo Courier has been designed to be as practical as possible and style has taken a hit to achieve this.
You get a boxy nose up front – with a large grille that’s accentuated by the slim LEDs that sit on either side of it – and a chunky front bumper that should have no bother deflecting parking prangs. A “coast-to-coast” LED light bar runs along the edge of the bonnet and adds a modern touch to the Ford’s utilitarian nose.
The MPV’s utility credentials are even clearer in profile. Its raised ride height and tyres with deep sidewalls mean the Tourneo should be able to handle rutted tracks and fields, and you can expect it to have a traction control system that’s optimised to deal with light off-roading. Active models also get rugged plastic wheel arch extensions that resist scratches.
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From the sides, you’ll also notice the Courier’s sliding rear doors. The huge opening they leave gives you plenty of room to access the back seat and – because they don’t swing open – getting in and out is easy even in tight parking spaces. Up top, Active versions of the Courier get a contrast-colour roof finish and large roof bars that’ll make it easy to fit a box or bike rack. The Courier is available in striking paint colours like Cactus Grey, Fantastic Red and Bursting Green.
The Ford’s slabbiest side is reserved for the rear, which has a sheer drop from the roof-mounted spoiler to the rear bumper. There’s no mistaking this for anything other than a van-based MPV. On the upside, you get a huge boot opening and the Ford’s square shape should make it easy to reverse into tight spaces.
Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: interior, practicality and infotainment
The Ford Tourneo Courier’s boxy shape pays off when it comes to interior practicality.
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Up front, you can expect even tall adults will have loads of room and the Ford’s large windows will help accentuate the space. The e-Courier goes one step further than the petrol version: the neater packaging of its electric powertrain means there’s space for a huge lidded storage box – big enough for a laptop bag – where you’d usually find a centre console.
Move into the back and you can expect to find there’s plenty of room for three tall adult passengers, with plenty of head-, shoulder- and hip room. The flat floor should also translate into plenty of foot space for three.
The boot, meanwhile, is massive. At 570 litres, it’s 175 litres bigger than the old version’s. It’s well thought out, too. The low boot opening is an ideal place to sit and the large boot lid can keep you sheltered from the wind and rain. Ford has also crammed the load space with useful features including shelves and a bin for dirty boots.
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Fold the back seats down (they split 60:40) and the Courier can better even the most capacious of estate cars, serving up a total load capacity of 2,162 litres and a 100kg payload.
The e-Courier has another advantage over its petrol-powered cousin: an extra 44 litres of storage under the bonnet where you’d usually expect to find an engine. However, the e-Courier can only tow up to 700kg, while the petrol maxes out at 1000kg.
But while the Tourneo has van-like functionality and an uninspiring cliff-face dashboard design, it feels more high-tech inside than you might expect. A digital instrument binnacle comes as standard, as does a 12-inch centre touchscreen, bringing features like connected sat-nav and programmable cabin pre-warming. You can also mirror your smartphone’s display via Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and top up its battery using Ford’s wireless charging pad.
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The Ford's list of standard equipment is decent and includes features like cruise control, lane-keep assist, auto-dipping headlights and traffic-sign recognition.
Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: performance, range and driving
The Ford Tourneo’s boxy shape and upright driving position should make it relatively easy to manoeuvre, helped by a (10.4m) turning circle that’s tighter than a Volkswagen Golf’s. It’s offered with both petrol and electric powertrain options.
If you’ll spend the vast majority of your time in the city, the e-Courier electric is likely to be the canny choice. Its front wheels are spun by a 138 horsepower electric motor that will likely give the Ford a surprising turn of speed away from the lights.
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Its single-speed transmission means there’s no gearbox or clutch to operate, and the car’s regenerative brakes will allow for one-pedal driving, slowing the Courier automatically when you take your foot off the accelerator.
You get three drive modes to choose from – Normal, Eco and (for wet conditions) Slippery – and in Eco you can expect to get up to 200 miles between charges.
Although it’s yet to be confirmed, the Tourneo Courier is expected to come fitted with the same 54kWh batteries as the commercial Transit model. Using a DC fast charger, adding around 50 miles worth of charge should take about ten minutes, while charging the battery from 10-100% will take over seven hours using a wall-mounted home charger.
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Expect to use your Courier for lots of long drives? Then it will be worth considering the 125hp, 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol model that should be good for fuel economy of around 40mpg. It comes fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, although a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will be offered as an option.
Ford Tourneo Courier MPV: price and release date
The Tourneo is one of ten new electric models that Ford will reveal by 2024. It will rival van-based MPVs like the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Rifter, as well as the more conventional Dacia Jogger.
Petrol versions of the new Tourneo are expected to cost around £25,000 and go on sale in the summer, with first deliveries at the end of the year. The electric E-Tourneo goes on sale in 2024 and will cost closer to £35,000, or about the same as you’ll pay for a Peugeot e-Rifter.
The seven-seater Dacia Jogger, meanwhile, looks like the bargain of the group, with prices starting from a little over £18,000.
We’ll have a full review of the new Tourneo Courier in the coming months.