This is the new Ford Tourneo Courier. It’s a five-seat MPV designed to rival the likes of the Peugeot Rifter and Citroen Berlingo – and like its closest competitors, you’ll be able to specify it with either a combustion engine or a pure-electric powertrain.
Its unveiling follows that of the Transit Courier panel van, which made its debut at the 2023 Commercial Vehicle Show. Ford is sticking to the same launch schedule as the van, too, as the petrol-engined version of the MPV will hit showrooms later this year, followed by an EV model in 2024.
The E-Tourneo Courier forms part of Ford’s radical electrification strategy which will see the brand introduce nine new electric vehicles before the end of 2024, including a pure-electric version of the Puma SUV that’ll be based on the same platform. The brand’s end goal is for all its new car sales in Europe to come from zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
Unlike the Ford Tourneo Connect (which is basically a rebadged and re-nosed version of the Volkswagen Caddy), the Tourneo Courier is a standalone Ford project. Its underpinnings were developed entirely by Ford and it’s outfitted with the Blue Oval’s own infotainment and safety tech.
Ford is positioning the Tourneo Courier as a lifestyle vehicle for outdoorsy types. As such, it’ll be available in the company’s rugged Active specification which features SUV-inspired body cladding, front and rear scuff plates, roof rails, two-tone paint and a unique set of 17-inch alloy wheels.
Amko Leenarts, Ford’s European design director, said: ‘We designed E-Tourneo Courier to get stuck in from day one – whether loaded for adventure or carrying DIY materials with the rear seats flipped – and the exterior design expresses that no-nonsense character. The SUV‑inspired design is rugged outside and roomy inside, while the modern EV details add exclusivity and clearly announce E‑Tourneo Courier as part of Ford’s electric revolution.’
Will it be practical?
The new Courier is bigger than the old model in every dimension, which means there’s more space inside for passengers and luggage. The boot, for example, is 175 litres larger at 570 litres and comes with a 60/40 split-folding rear bench. The wider bodyshell should also provide more shoulder room for those in the rear.
The boot has some clever storage solutions, too, such as a fold-out bin designed to hold muddy shoes and cubbies set into the interior plastics for smaller loose items. Ford has also decided to give the van a proper tailgate rather than a pair of barn doors because it gives occupants somewhere to shelter from the rain when loading the boot or when changing out of leisurewear.
There are more intelligent uses of space in the cabin, especially in the E-Tourneo Courier. The EV’s gear selector is mounted on the steering column to free up space in the middle of the cabin and its centre console has a range of oddment trays which you can remove to create a space storage bin large enough to hold a handbag or laptop bag. Ford has also managed to squeeze a 44-litre frunk under the bonnet of the EV which it says is ideal for storing charging cables.
You can tow with the electric model, too, which was somewhat of a rarity until recently. Granted, you only have a maximum towing capacity of 700kg to play with – but that’s just enough for leisure vehicles like dinghies and dirt bikes, which is pretty much bang-on given Ford’s hopes of attracting active lifestyle buyers with the van. And if you need to carry more kit, there’s always the petrol-powered variant which can haul up to a tonne.
The only practicality oversight we see so far is that the Tourneo Courier will only be available with five seats from launch, while rivals such as the Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroen e-Berlingo can be specified with seven seats. However, Ford could still introduce a seven-seat variant later in the MPV’s life.
Will it have any fancy technology?
Loads. We’ll start with the interior. The E-Tourneo Courier features a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12-inch touchscreen, both running on Ford’s newest Sync 4 infotainment software. That’s the same system used by the Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV – and it brings plenty of clever additions such as cabin pre-conditioning and intelligent route planning that can take charging stops into account.
Buyers will also get a wide range of standard driver assistance technology, including cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam assist. Ford will also sell some optional safety equipment including adaptive cruise control with stop and go and a blind spot monitoring system with cross traffic alert.
The petrol-powered model will get a smaller 8.0-inch touchscreen as standard, but it’ll still have creature comforts including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and support for over-the-air updates.
What’s powering the Ford E-Tourneo Courier?
It’s based on the same platform as the Ford E-Transit Courier van, the specs of which Ford is still guarding closely. So far, we know it’ll have a 136hp electric motor mounted on the front axle and that the architecture can support DC charging speeds of up to 100kW.
If you can find a public charger that’ll reliably supply those speeds, Ford says the E-Tourneo Courier’s battery will charge from 10–80% in just 35 minutes. Connect the van to a more readily available 7kW AC feed and a 10–100% charge will take just under eight hours.
Ford hasn’t officially announced the capacity of the van’s battery pack or its maximum range figure, although company executives have hinted the battery will be sized at roughly 54kWh. That should provide enough power for a maximum range of around 200 miles.
And what about the combustion-engined model?
That’ll feature Ford’s familiar 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine, which is already found in cars such as the Fiesta, the Puma and the Focus. It’ll have an output of 125hp and it’ll be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will be available as an optional extra.
Ford hasn’t confirmed any fuel economy or emissions figures for the Tourneo Courier, but the brand has said the MPV will have some intelligent fuel-saving kit including start-stop and an active grille shutter that can blank off the radiator opening when it isn’t required for cooling, cutting down on drag.
How much will the Ford Tourneo Courier cost?
Ford hasn’t yet announced a price for its new van-based MPV, but a spokesman for the brand has said the petrol-powered model could be one of the most affordable vehicles in the company’s range, with prices starting in the same ballpark as the current Ford Puma at around £24,000.
If that’s the case, the electric Tourneo Courier could end up competing with the Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroen e-Berlingo on price, despite the fact it’ll be based on a newer platform and it’ll be fitted with more standard equipment. For reference, both French MPVs have starting prices in the early £30,000 range – so a figure of around £34,000 for the E-Tourneo Courier could be attainable.
