Ford Transit Custom review

As the UK’s best-selling van, the Ford Transit Custom is an important model – not just for Ford, but for anyone considering their next commercial vehicle.

Indeed, the Transit Custom is part of more than half a century of Ford Transit dominance at the top of the bestsellers list. And, in theory, this latest version should be an even bigger hit because of a series of improvements designed to keep it competitive.

Ford has built the latest-generation Custom on new underpinnings that are lighter than before. It also has improved aerodynamics, plus a longer wheelbase – the distance between the front and back wheels – to make more space for batteries in the plug-in hybrid version and the all-electric Ford E-Transit Custom (which has its own review).

The range includes a panel van in two lengths (L1 and L2), a double cab-in-van version and a new derivative called MultiCab that allows you to transport up to five people but still move larger items in a self-contained loadspace.

Is the Ford Transit Custom still top dog in the medium van class, beating rivals including the Mercedes Vito, the Renault Trafic and the Vauxhall Vivaro? Read on to find out...

Read more: The best vans in every class

The entire Ford van range is known for its great driveability, and the latest Transit Custom is no exception.

Power for non-PHEV versions comes from a 2.0-litre diesel engine, with the option of 107bhp, 134bhp, 148bhp or 168bhp power outputs. The 134bhp and 168bhp engines are available with four-wheel drive. Otherwise, you get front-wheel drive.

We’ve driven a version with the 148bhp engine, which is a good match for the Transit Custom. It provides plenty of performance, both low and high in the rev range, and never leaves you yearning for more power, even on motorways.

There’s a choice of the standard six-speed manual gearbox or a new – and very smooth – eight-speed automatic gearbox. The manual gearbox is impressively easy to operate thanks to a precise action for the gear change.

The Transit Custom PHEV combines a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a 11.8kW battery and a CVT automatic gearbox. It’s quick off the mark and transitions smoothly between petrol and electric power.

It provides punchy performance regardless of whether the van is laden or unladen, although the revs have a tendency to soar under hard acceleration. It’s not intrusive, but the noise is noticeable.

Ride comfort is very good thanks to the independent rear suspension, which keeps the back of the van planted on the road, with less bounce than in the previous-generation Transit Custom version. The 16in wheels and tall tyres make light work of potholes, although the suspension does make a loud thump over them.

The front wheels have been moved forwards slightly, making the van feel more car-like in terms of driving dynamics. Body movements are kept in check well, plus the steering is very light, which makes this big vehicle easy to manoeuvre in town. While the steering doesn’t weight up much at higher speeds, it’s still quick and direct.

On motorways there’s a noticeable lack of wind and road noise, although on diesel versions there is a slight background grumble from the engine. Ford has lowered the roof slightly compared with the previous version, allowing the latest Transit Customs to better fit in underground car parks.

To read about the all-electric version see our Ford E-Transit Custom review.

“I was impressed with the Ford Transit Custom’s tight turning circle. It made negotiating tight roads and manoeuvring in yards surprisingly easy.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

Square steering wheels should probably have stayed in the Seventies with the Austin Allegro, but they’ve been making a comeback, and the Ford Transit Custom is the latest model to fall victim to the “hip to be square” trend.

The “squircle”, as it's been called, is just part of the story. Another innovation is the option of a steering wheel that can double as a folding table. The idea is that drivers can use it while parked up to eat lunch at the wheel or as a laptop stand (our test van didn’t have one, so we're not sure how well it works).

While the odd shape doesn’t affect your ability to steer on motorways, it is quite cumbersome to use while manoeuvring at lower speeds.

Another notable change compared with the previous-generation Transit Custom is the flat floor. In combination with the placement of the gearshift on the instrument panel, that frees up space around the central seat’s knee area. A middle-seat occupant can now sit in far greater comfort, and it's also easier for the driver to slide across and get out through the passenger door.

Standard equipment across the range includes a 13in infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. It’s large and bright, but the system does require you to dive through various submenus to access certain functions, such as the radio.

It’s also a shame the climate controls are now integrated into the screen, because the icons are small and distracting to use while driving. On the plus side, Ford has retained a physical knob for the stereo volume.

Directly in front of you there’s an 8in digital driver’s display, which can be configured to show your driver assistance functions and trip information. It’s quite basic in terms of its functionality, but very simple to use. 

All versions of the Transit Custom get a new 5G modem as standard to enable connectivity. There’s also a SYNC 4 infotainment system that now includes Amazon Alexa voice assistance and large strips of piano-black surround to smarten up the textured grey plastics.

Overall it’s an attractive cab that feels modern and spacious, although the transition from the large touchscreen to the much smaller driver's display looks a bit odd, and the positioning of the engine start button between the two doesn’t help.

Visibility is good through the large door mirrors. Useful options include a digital rear-view mirror, which provides excellent rear visibility on models with a fixed bulkhead, and a 360-degree camera to help with parking.

The parking brake is now electronic, removing the physical lever from between the seats and further improving access, but the button placement in the central console between the air vents is another slightly unusual choice.

“I found that the positioning of the Transit Custom's start button took some getting used to, so buyers might not take to it straightaway.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

The Ford Transit Custom’s new underpinnings bring all-round improvements in the load area capacity, but it's not all good news.

Although the wheelbase has increased by 200mm, the length of the load bay has decreased by 160mm. The width is the same, but there’s more space between the wheelarches. There’s also a small increase in the usable height of the loadspace.

Overall, that means the storage space has decreased from 6m³ to 5.8m³ for the short-wheelbase Transit Custom L1, and remains at 6.8m³ for the longer L2 model. Those are the same volumes as the Renault Trafic offers.

Despite that small drop in size, the rear is actually more usable for a number of reasons. The increased length of the load-through hatch allows L2 vans to transport lengths of up to 3.45m.

The model also has a lower floor height for loading, and there's a new side step through the rear sliding door to improve access. Ford says the Transit Custom has a class-leading side load aperture of 1,030mm x 1,301mm.

We found the low-roof L1 model was more than capable of swallowing 4ft by 8ft sheets of ply between the wheelarches with space to spare, although the pouch that carries the tyre repair foam and towing eye, which is bolted to the floor, had to be removed. It seems an odd factory position for it.

Importantly, the bulkhead doesn’t eat into the load area in the same way as it does in the Citroën Dispatch, the Peugeot Expert and the Vauxhall Vivaro.

Payload is now up to 1,406kg for the 3.2-tonne gross vehicle weight L1 van, and towing capacity is 2.5 tonnes. For context, the Dispatch, Expert and Vivaro have a slightly lower payloads, but similar towing capacities. The Transit Custom PHEV has payloads of around one tonne, which is more than the LEVC VN5.

Up front, there have been more storage gains – the most obvious being the cavernous compartment above the regular glovebox. The door pockets are larger than before, there are cupholders at each of the A-pillars, and you'll find small storage spaces in the central part of the dashboard.

“I think the double-locking system for the Transit Custom's left-hand rear door is a useful security feature, but it does mean having to dig around in your pocket to blip the button on the key.” — Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

Standard equipment levels in the Ford Transit Custom are among the best in the medium van class. For example, the entry-level van gets pre-collision assist, lane-keeping, traffic-sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, auto high beam, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera.

Optional systems include intelligent adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic alert, reverse brake assist, exit warning, active park assist and a 360-degree view camera.

You can also get a feature called Delivery Assist, which is designed to speed up deliveries by automating actions like switching on the hazard lights, closing windows and locking the doors when the driver leaves the van.

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Transit Custom is available with an optional 2.3kW Pro Power on Board system, which can provide up to 2.3kW from the PHEV battery to power tools through two three-pin sockets near the rear doors.

Prices have increased over the previous generation, with a hike of around 10%, which has pushed the Transit Custom – which is available in Leader, Trend and Limited trims – into a higher price bracket. Despite that, it still undercuts the Citroën Dispatch, the Peugeot Expert and the Vauxhall Vivaro on pricing. 

Average fuel economy figures for the 2.0-litre diesel engine range from 34mpg (for the 168bhp automatic with four-wheel drive) to 40.9mpg (for the 107bhp manual front-wheel drive version), according to official WLTP figures. That's in line with most other medium vans.

For the PHEV, the official fuel economy figure is 176mpg, helped by the fact that it can, in theory, travel on electric power for up to 35 miles, but you'd have to charge up a lot to get close to that. We achieved more than 60mpg after the van was fully charged (and also unladen). With the battery flat, we saw figures in the mid-30s.

The key rival for the Transit Custom PHEV is the LEVC VN5, which is a range-extender hybrid (a bit like a PHEV) and officially returns 382.8mpg, with an electric-only range of 73.4 miles.

The PHEV takes just over four hours to charge using a home EV charger at its 3.5kW maximum charging speed. The charging socket is in the front bumper, which makes it easy to plug in at a depot or yard without blocking the loading doors.

The VN5 can charge at up to 50kW so if you use a public charging point you can "fill" its battery in about half an hour, although it too will take about four hours using a slower home charger.

Warranty wise, Ford covers the Transit Custom for three years or up to 60,000 miles – whichever comes first. That’s slightly less than Renault, Vauxhall and Volkswagen (which cover for three years or 100,000 miles), while Nissan extends the cover to five years, although still limited to 100,000 miles. Mercedes doesn’t place a mileage limit on its three-year cover.

“I was impressed with the real-world fuel consumption of the Transit Custom PHEV. It’s a shame it takes so long to charge the battery to make use of that boost in economy.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

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