Ford Transit Courier Panel Van (2023 - ) review

Responding to criticism of the previous generation Courier, Ford has made big improvements to the load carrying capacity in this new model. Available in a single length and height, the increase in load length to 1802mm (an improvement of 181mm over the old model) has meant that the load volume has increased to 2.9 cubic metres, an increase of 25%. Loadspace maximum height is 1253mm, width 1535mm and the width between the wheel arches is 1220mm, this being achieved by the incorporation of new angled shock absorbers, the Courier now able to accommodate two Europallets. For those longer loads, the optional load through bulkhead will take items of up to 2600mm in length. The van has twinned rear doors, and a single side door is standard on all but the base Leader trim level. Also on the options list are floor coverings, a cargo stowage rail, and, annoyingly, an LED light, a £50 upgrade that should nowadays be standard. Payloads range from 615kg to 677kg, depending on the engine and trim level, but an option to increase the GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) improves this, providing up to 849kg, a figure which compares well with some of the competition in the small van segment. Towing capacity is either 1000kg or 1100kg, depending on engine. The new generation Courier is a prime example of how to use the previous generation as a jumping-off point to create a new vehicle with real gains made in all the areas feedback demanded it. Well done to Ford.

Ford commercial vehicles have, in recent years set the bar for the best cab environments, and the Courier is no exception. Probably more comparable to some SUV passenger cars, the dash is dominated by the digital instrument cluster directly in front of the driver. Integrated seamlessly using a large, stylish binnacle (which Ford calls the ‘Digiboard’) is an 8-inch touchscreen which incorporates the SYNC 4 operating system that is found in most other modern Ford vehicles. Ford has included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration on every new Courier as standard. For a small van, there’s a reasonable amount of storage on offer including good-sized door bins, an overhead tray and a glovebox. Various other cubby holes are provided including one located to the side of the multimedia screen which is designed to accept a mobile phone mount. There’s also a storage brace for flat items such as a tablet on the side of the centre console. It’s a very comfortable interior and one that will no doubt benefit drivers of the Tourneo ‘car’ versions of the Courier too.

You can expect second-hand values for the Courier to be strong as Ford commercial vehicles rarely disappoint in this regard, and this should help to keep leasing costs down to a competitive level. Fuel consumption ranges from 41mpg to an impressive 55mpg, depending on the powertrain, and the standard warranty is three years or 60,000 miles with servicing required every 2 years or 25,000 miles. Picking one up on a lease deal or finance will also make acquiring one more affordable.

Reliability is anticipated to be good, the previous Courier not suffering from any recurring major issues. The main thorn in the side of the EcoBoost petrol engine (premature degradation of a timing belt that runs in oil causing engine failure) has been covered with later units having a durable timing chain.

At present, the engine options are 100PS or 125PS EcoBoost petrol units, or a 100PS diesel motor. The higher rated petrol van can be specified with an optional 7-speed automatic transmission in lieu of the standard 6-speed manual box and this was fitted to the van that I spent some time driving at a Ford launch event in Spain. It had a modest load of 250kgs in the rear, probably a fair representation of many loads carried in a van this size but nowhere near the maximum permitted. With a relatively high-powered petrol engine in a small van, the acceleration was lively and I’m sure the Courier would cope well with a full load. There’s an electric version in the pipeline for 2025, and I’m reckoning that this could well be the powertrain many will opt for. The Courier is well suited to urban delivery roles and a zero-emission van is ideal when we’re likely to see more and more inner-city zones restricting entry to only the cleanest vehicles.

Overall, the van performed well on the very varied Spanish test route which included motorways, twisting rural roads and different surfaces – you can read more about it in my first impressions article. It handles nicely with just a touch of roll when pushed into corners, possibly because the van is underpinned by the same engineering used on the Ford Puma. The steering is perhaps a little on the heavy side but many, myself included, prefer to have some ‘feel’ to the steering, this being missing with the electric power steering arrangement which is becoming more popular with some manufacturers. The vehicle was loaded with a dummy weight of around 250kg.

Here’s an aspect where the Transit Courier simply excels. As standard, the van has Lane-Keeping System, Pre-Collision Assist, Intelligent Speed Assist, and rear parking sensors. There’s a full complement of airbags too, including the curtain type on either side. This kit can be upgraded further from the options list with Reverse Brake Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Adaptive Cruise Control being available. All this means that the Courier achieves the highest Platinum NCAP rating, an award which some van models fall quite short of. Hats off to Ford for making the van safe as well as practical.

What has impressed me is that all the standard safety equipment mentioned above is included from the ground up, even the entry-level Leader, which is designed to appeal to fleet users, has it all. Apart from parking aids and a rear-view mirror, there’s no benefit to be gained by upgrading to a higher trim spec as there are no more features added from a safety perspective. Otherwise, the Courier Leader is basic, although you do get the SYNC4 screen. It’s important to remember that not only is there no side loading door, but you also can’t order it as an option either. Courier Trend does have it, however, and it also gets air conditioning, a heated windscreen, heated seats and even a heated steering wheel. Limited spec builds on this, offering climate control, those parking aids and on the outside, alloy wheels and body-coloured door handles make the van stand out from the crowd. Finally – the Courier Active also builds its specification onto the Trend. It’s designed to at least look as if it’s capable of working in slightly more arduous conditions with front and rear skid plates, wheel arch cladding, black alloy wheels and a unique front grille.

For those in the market for a small new van, there are plenty of reasons to consider the Courier. It looks great, in fact, I can’t put into words how good the van appears in the metal. Speaking to a designer at the launch event revealed how every panel has been designed to catch the light in the most appealing way, and to see it in motion on a sunny day is to see how often we miss these little touches. It’s now a very competent load carrier, too, and it’s excellent to drive. These are superlatives I’ve used when describing the likes of the Renault Kangoo, but Ford has now leaped in with a van that can challenge the French contender on almost all fronts. It’s got that fantastic safety rating and should prove economical to run. But, at present (although with Ford having an arrangement with Volkswagen this could change) the Courier is a van on its own, sharing nothing with any other van manufacturer. There are not that many vans that you can say that about these days. And if you pick one up on a good lease deal or on finance, you’ll be making acquisition of one even more affordable and easy.