The Ford Transit Custom has been the best-selling van in the UK for what feels like forever and has proven so popular that it’s been the best-selling vehicle overall for the last two years. Replacing a vehicle that popular is a daunting proposition, but after a decade on sale, Ford needed a new medium-sized van as it heads towards an alternatively fuelled future.
That future includes the all-electric E-Transit Custom and a plug-in hybrid model, but for now, Ford is launching the range with traditional diesel power. Until the next wave of models arrives, you’ll also have to make do with just two body sizes and a simple panel van spec. Double-cab vans will follow, as will special grades like the off-road focussed Trail and the hot-hatch rivalling MS-RT.
The new Transit Custom is far more than a refresh. It’s marginally larger than the old model with a significantly longer wheelbase, yet it’s also slightly lower to fit into more sites. Aerodynamic efficiency has been improved by 13%, which will help to reduce fuel bills, and there’s less weight in the van. Add in new independent suspension, fresh safety technology and modern infotainment, and it’s clear that the changes are more than skin-deep.
Ford Transit Custom: On the Road
The engines under the bonnet aren’t new, although they’ve been tweaked to improve efficiency. Output ranges from 110hp to 170hp, with the 136hp and 150hp models likely to be the best seller. Each comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, but an eight-speed automatic is available as an option.
We loaded a 150hp panel van with 400kg of cargo (and two reasonably significant passengers) and explored the new van.
The first compression is of how refined the van is. The engine is as smooth as you’ll find in a commercial vehicle this side of a V6, while the manual gearbox is smooth and slick, which makes it easy to keep the engine in its peak power band.
A quick drive in the 170hp model with the automatic gearbox option, albeit presented as the people-moving Tourneo Custom, ably demonstrated that the self-shifter is every bit as capable as the manual, with almost imperceptible changes.
Ride quality can be an issue on many vans, especially when running empty, but the Transit Custom now has independent rear suspension, which works to keep things smooth and stable. That said, we’ve only experienced it with a 400kg load to help smooth things, but we reckon it’ll still be pretty good at ironing out the bumps, cracks and potholes found on UK roads.
Handling is surprisingly engaging, so swift progress can be made when you’re away from the motorway. High speeds are also no issue, with the van barely breaking a sweat when cruising at autobahn speeds. There’s certainly enough to make UK motorway driving a comfortable experience.
The quarter light windows have gone, replaced by a single pane of glass on each door, which makes urban driving a little easier. The mirrors also retain their twin lenses — one regular, one wide-angle — to make manoeuvring in tight spaces a cinch.
Ford Transit Custom: Cabin
Step inside the new Ford Transit Custom, and you’re presented with a cabin that’s as close to car-like as we’ve seen, although we’re not sure the gloss black plastic trim is quite suitable for a working van. A vast 13-inch infotainment screen sits in the dashboard’s centre, with a DAB radio, navigation and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, alongside an 8.0-inch digital instrument panel for the driver. Impressively, the infotainment centre is standard across the range, so fleet drivers won’t feel hard done by.
Less pleasing is that the climate controls have been moved to the screen rather than physical rotary knobs, but that’s the price of progress. Some switchgear is placed a little randomly, too — the ignition button is at the top of the screen, hidden by the steering wheel — but there’s nothing a regular user wouldn’t quickly get used to.
The passenger seats also feel a little tighter than the outgoing model, but we’ve not put a tape measure to them yet, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. What is certain is that the passenger seats are mounted high, which, when combined with the slightly lower roof, leaves headroom for taller users a little tight.
There are no such issues for the driver, with the Limited trim level we’re in fitted with a height-adjustable driver’s seat.
You’ll find plenty of storage dotted around the cabin, with three pockets in each door, a glovebox, and a massive cubby on top of the dashboard that will keep all your paperwork in order.
An optional Mobile Office pack makes the driver’s seat a capable workspace, with a steering wheel that folds flat to work as a desk or tiny dining table or tilted to work as a tablet stand. Ford’s research shows drivers don’t get out for lunch, so this makes life significantly easier.
As will the forthcoming Delivery Assist pack that lets drivers set a programme that can switch off the engine, lock the van, close the windows, activate the hazard lights and open a side door every time they stop the vehicle. It’s perfect for multi-drop drivers and saves around 20 seconds a drop. Not much, but it soon adds up over a working day.
Between drops, the cab is quiet, even at motorway speed, with little engine, road or wind noise. Some car manufacturers could learn a thing or two from this.
Ford Transit Custom: Payload and Towing
All of the improvements are for nought if the van doesn’t do what a van needs to do.
Happily, despite a slightly lower roof that makes it easier to sneak into a multi-storey car park, the load area of the Transit Custom is slightly larger than the previous models. Sort of. Overall volume is down slightly, from 6.0m3 to 5.8m3, but the internal length and width are up slightly. Access is easier, too, thanks to rear doors that swing open to 180 degrees without irritating retaining arms. The side door is enormous, creating a class-leading opening over a metre wide.
Across the range, cargo volumes range from 5.8m3 to 9.0m3, with payloads reaching as high as 1,350kg. Our L1H1 panel van in Limited trim, with the 150hp engine and a manual gearbox, could take 1,321kg. Towing limits are model-specific but reach as far as 2,800kg on Trend models.
Ford Transit Custom: Verdict
Supply constraints and an improving car market mean the Transit Custom probably won’t be the best-selling vehicle for a third year running, but it deserves to be.
On an all-to-brief first acquaintance, it’s taken all the good bits of the outgoing model and improved on them while ridding itself of all the bad bits. Yes, there are a few new minor niggles — especially if you’re a six-foot-tall passenger — but the impressive cabin, long list of equipment, impressive safety technology (including automatic emergency braking, speed limit assist and lane departure warning), refined drive, and impressive cargo capabilities will more than make up for anything that’s only slightly suboptimal. It’s even more economical than the old model.
So what’s the catch? It’s more expensive than the previous generation, with prices starting from £32,350 plus VAT, with the model we’ve been testing priced at £33,700. That’s roughly 10% more than the old model, but surprisingly, it still undercuts the Volkswagen Transporter.
We’ll reserve ultimate judgment until we’ve spent time in the van on UK roads, but we’ll make a bold claim: it’s the best medium-sized panel van on sale, bar none.
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