► Fresh van-based MPV from Ford
► Petrol model hits the market in 2023
► EV variant to follow in 2024
Ford has pulled the wraps off the new Tourneo Courier. It’s a five-seat MPV based on the latest Transit Courier panel van – and it’s designed to steal some sales from the Peugeot Rifter and Citroen Berlingo. Like its French foes, it’ll be available with both combustion and electric power, with the petrol model arriving in late 2023 and the EV hitting showrooms in 2024.
It’s the next step in Ford’s ambitious electrification strategy which will see the company introduce nine new electric vehicles before the end of 2024. The upcoming E-Tourneo Courier slots into this plan alongside an all-electric version of the Puma based on the same architecture and the all-new Volkswagen ID.4-based Explorer SUV.
Ford designed the Tourneo Courier to be a lifestyle vehicle for outdoorsy types. It’s essentially a more spacious alternative to an SUV. Because of this, it’ll be sold in the company’s SUV-inspired Active specification, with features such as rugged body cladding, front and rear scuff plates, roof rails and 17-inch alloy wheels shod in fat tyres.
What’s particularly important about the Tourneo Courier is that it’s based on a brand-new, Ford-designed platform (unlike the Tourneo Connect which is basically a rebadged Volkswagen Caddy). Even more interesting is that, despite the expense of developing the new architecture, a company spokesman told CAR magazine the Courier should be one of the cheapest vehicles in Ford’s line-up. Prices are expected to start from around £24,000 for the petrol model and £34,000 for the EV.
A petrol engine? In these climate-conscious times?
Squashed, flammable dinosaur juice needs to stick around on UK roads for some time yet. Our charging infrastructure is already at breaking point – and Ford knows outdoorsy folks are prepared travel long distances to indulge in their hobbies.
There aren’t any mountains to climb nor oceans to surf in London. For the best results, you need to drive 300 miles north for the former and 300 miles southwest for the latter, which is a nuisance in an EV that can only manage an expected 200 miles between charging stops.
What’s more, the weight of the battery pack means the pure-electric E-Tourneo Courier can only tow a maximum of 700kg, whereas the petrol model can haul up to a tonne. If your active lifestyle includes a particularly large boat, that’s enough to strike the E-Tourneo off your shopping list – and Ford isn’t prepared to throw that business away.
So, the cheapest version of the Tourneo Courier will be powered by Ford’s familiar 123bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine. It’s the same unit found in the Fiesta, Focus and Puma. Like its siblings, the Tourneo Courier will come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, although a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will be available as an optional extra.
Ford hasn’t yet confirmed fuel economy and CO2 emissions for the Tourneo Courier’s engine, but the same unit can produce some impressive results in the brand’s other cars. We managed to extract more than 40mpg from a 123bhp Focus without really trying, so this new MPV should prove to be an economical family bus.
Ford has also fitted the Tourneo Courier with some clever fuel saving technology. You get start-stop and an active grille shutter that blanks off the radiator aperture when it isn’t required for cooling, improving the van’s aerodynamics and boosting its fuel economy figure.
What about the electric model?
Unfortunately, Ford also hasn’t disclosed all the powertrain information for the E-Tourneo Courier – but here’s what we know so far. It’ll have a 134bhp electric motor mounted on the front axle and a charging system that can accept DC speeds of up to 100kW.
If you can find a public rapid charger capable of dispensing that much power, Ford reckons the E-Tourneo Courier’s battery will charge from 10–80% capacity in just 35 minutes. Connect the MPV to a 7kW feed at home and the brand’s engineers say it’ll completely recharge overnight.
We’ve been chatting to some Ford executives behind the scenes to try and plug the gaps in the E-Tourneo Courier’s spec sheet. Bosses have hinted its battery will be sized at around 54kWh, which should provide enough power for a maximum range of 200 miles. Crucially, that’s around 30 miles more than you get in the Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroen e-Berlingo.
It’ll be practical, right?
Obviously. It’s a van with windows. But Ford has made the new Tourneo Courier bigger in every dimension than the old model, meaning there’s even more space inside for people and luggage. The boot, for example, is 175 litres larger at 570 litres while the broader bodyshell has liberated some extra shoulder room for those in the rear.
It’s more than just a box on wheels, though. It’s clever. For example, the boot trims feature a fold-out storage bin designed to hold muddy shoes and enclosed shelves intended to stop small items from pinballing off the plastics. Ford also gave the Courier a tailgate rather than a pair of barn doors because it gives occupants somewhere to shelter from the rain when changing out of hiking gear. Or wet suits. Or one of those Kevlar onesies favoured by daredevil mountain bikers.
The E-Tourneo Courier is also slightly more practical than the petrol model (range notwithstanding). Because the EV doesn’t need a gear stick, Ford has moved all the controls off the centre console and freed up space for a massive storage bin large enough to hold a handbag or a laptop bag. There’s also a 44-litre compartment under the bonnet which Ford says is ideal for holding charging cables.
Currently, the only obvious practicality oversight is that the Tourneo Courier will only be available with five seats from launch, while its rivals from Peugeot and Citroen can be specified with seven.
What about technology?
There’s plenty on offer, although it’s worth noting the EV will come with more standard equipment than the petrol model. The E-Tourneo Courier features a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12-inch touchscreen, both running on Ford’s Sync 4 infotainment software. That’s the same system loaded onto the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s screens. It brings a host of convenient extras such as cabin pre-conditioning and intelligent route planning that can factor charging stops into your journey.
Ford hasn’t scrimped on the safety kit, either. Standard equipment includes cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam assist. Buyers will also be able to choose from a range of optional equipment, including adaptive cruise control with stop and go and a blind spot monitoring system with cross-traffic alert.
Petrol-powered Tourneo Couriers will come with smaller 8.0-inch infotainment screens as standard, although they’ll still support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as over-the-air updatesv.
Check back soon. Ford will announce prices and specs for the petrol-powered Tourneo Courier later this year – and we’ll update this page as soon as we get our hands on the info.