The Tourneo Custom minivan, Ford’s European light-duty passenger van has received its first facelift since its debut in 2012. The minivan sports a fresher look on the outside while the cabin has been upgraded to look as well as feel upscale. The model, however, retains its car-like exterior profile which emanates from the automaker’s Kinetic design language. The Tourneo slots in between the big Transit and the small Transit Connect. The van offers premium travel for up to 9 passengers. The 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom is targeted to businesses that require moving a lot of people around.
2018 Ford Tourneo Custom Exterior
The exterior of the 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom has received mild upgrades. Overall, the model’s body-lines have become crisper. At the front, the trapezoid grille looks more prominent with its new five chromed bars. The grille is flanked on both sides by slimmer headlights. The headlights augur well with new pronounced creases on the sides. The model also features LED DRLs that make the van’s look more modern. Upper trims will get HID Xenon lights. The van rides on 17-inch alloy wheels which enhance its handling on the road.
That is about all about the exterior changes as most of the new changes are to be found inside the van.
Interior
As said above, most of the new changes are to be found inside. To start with, the model gets a new instrument panel derived from the Ford Fiesta. Inside, you will also notice the new floating 8.0-inch touch-screen which is standard on top trims and optional on lower trims.
Things get better and interesting in terms of sitting arrangement. According to the automaker, the model comes with up to 6 individual seats which can be arranged in a conference setup meaning you can have a meeting with your team on the move. Each of these seats can be folded flat, stowed, tumbled or even removed entirely according to the needs. Opting for rear bench seats, the model can accommodate up to 9 passengers.
To ensure passengers have a serene cabin, Ford offers a sound reduction package and an upgraded air conditioning system. There are also 6 USB ports for the rear passengers as well as a 10-speaker sound system. I understand the 2018 Tourneo Custom also features a rear air suspension setup which further improves things for the rear passengers. The seats are upholstered in thick yarn fabrics on lower trims and fine grain leather on top trims.
The van also comes with Ford’s SYNC infotainment system that features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Safety is also enhanced via an array of safety systems including cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and intelligent speed limiter that integrates traffic sign recognition among others.
Engine and performance
The Tourneo is powered by a single mill which is offered in three flavors. The unit is an EcoBlue diesel mill with a displacement of 2.0 liters. The less powerful variant produces 105 hp, the next variant produces 130 hp while the most powerful iteration produces 170 hp. According to reports from the automaker, the engine also offers a 13% improvement in terms of fuel efficiency compared to the outgoing version. The mill is paired to a 6-speed SelectShift automatic gearbox on all trims.
Price and release date
Despite the facelift, I don’t expect the prices of the 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom to vary significantly from those of the outgoing model. As such, expect the van to fetch between €35,000 and €40,000. The automaker will start accepting orders later this year with sales starting in the first quarter of 2018.
