REVIEW | Why the Ford Tourneo Custom is a clever family and business solution

Three-row ladder-frame SUV models are popular go-to options for growing South African families.

They make compelling choices for their decently-sized interiors, tough characters and high ground clearances for off-roading potential.

But if you are the sort of family less inclined to trekking into the great outdoors, then the often-overlooked minibus ought to be considered.

The benefits are undeniable and it might be difficult to go back to a smaller body format once experienced. Aside from multiple seats, a minibus offers the sort of end-to-end room that would keep bickering siblings' shoulders from touching.

Products such as the Volkswagen Kombi, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Hyundai Staria and Ford Tourneo have come a long way in recent years. We recently tested the blue oval offering.

Last we year attended the launch of its commercial sibling, the Transit van, which impressed with its car-like cabin and specifications sheet uncharacteristically generous for a workhorse.

The Tourneo Custom takes those attributes, refining them further for passenger applications.

It is sold locally in long-wheelbase (LWB) form as standard, with two model grades on offer: the standard Active (R1,063,000) and the Trend (R1,104,500). Our test unit was the latter.

Even in a bland appliance-appropriate shade of white, the Tourneo Custom has a unique character viewed face-on. Its gaping grille, slim design headlamps and taut frontal proportions make for an aerodynamic appearance. Everything from the B-pillar onwards is minibus business as usual in styling.

You might underestimate the LWB part of its handle until you find yourself in a confined parking area. The Tourneo Custom is properly lengthy, stretching 5,450mm nose to tail. It had me exiting our office basement (with its large pillars, dim lighting and narrow bays) with extreme caution. The vehicle is 1,961mm tall and 2,275mm wide, with its side mirrors sticking out like jug ears.

Those dimensions make for a passenger compartment large enough to warrant different area codes for the front and rear sections. You enter the minibus upright, as you would the doorway of a house.

Inside, you will find three rows with seating for eight. Even better is the rear seats can be swivelled and reconfigured in a variety of ways. You could shuffle things around weekly, as you might do with your sofas at home. Or remove the two rear rows entirely and free-up a whopping 6.8m³ volume for any manner of load-lugging requirements.

With clearly identifiable levers and pull-straps, you do not need a degree in mechanical engineering to suss-out those seat configurations.

So the Tourneo Custom is expectedly capacious and offers seating arrangements that are as “flexible” as advertised. How does it fare from the perspective of the driver?

Minibus options such as the Ford are based on panel vans. So there are compromises, but these seem to have been disguised nicely in the Tourneo. For starters, it does not rattle and flex as noticeably as some peers in the category.

Its steering is as direct as could be asked for, the suspension damping and plump 215/65 tyres wrapping 16" alloys make for a comfortable ride, while there was clearly no skimping on insulation materials.

There is also a lot to write home about in specifications. Buyers in 2025 expect a high level of digitisation from a new car and the Ford minibus delivers, with a 13" central infotainment screen, complemented by a 12" instrument cluster.

A reverse camera makes life much easier. Via the FordPass app, owners can control certain aspects of the vehicle using their smartphones, such as initiating pre-journey climate control programmes.

On the safety front, it packs six airbags, in addition to various driver assistance functions such as lane-keep assist (which is felt but does not intrude too severely); adaptive cruise control and a driver attention monitor, among others. There is one feature we noticed lacking: electrically folding side mirrors.

Power comes from a 2.0l turbocharged diesel unit with four cylinders, good for 100kW/360Nm. It is linked to an eight-speed automatic driving the front wheels. The pairing is smooth and surprisingly punchy, considering the size of the vehicle. Economy is reasonable, with our tester indicating 10.1l/100km.

Minibus ownership opens up a realm of possibilities for travel and business that would not be possible with other body formats.

The Ford Tourneo Custom makes a good case for itself among segment peers. It's worth remembering that the ingredients of the model will also be repurposed by Volkswagen for the imminent T7.