Articles by David Morley

The Ford Transit Custom Trail is priced at $61,990, putting it below the electrified Transit Customs but above most of the diesel-powered range. In target-market terms it’s also somewhere between the two camps, and broadens the Transit Custom’s appeal by offering a blank canvas for a camper or mobile-home conversion.To achieve that, it uses the long-wheelbase Transit Custom platform and teams that with the conventional turbo-diesel, front-wheel-drive layout. The major difference is that the Trail rides about 30mm higher on revised springs and All-Terrain tyres, features underbody protection and, crucially, offers all-wheel drive for more go-anywhere ability.The cabin reverts to a two-seat layout (rather than the optional three-position bench) and the vehicle’s delivery van’s roots mean it’s practical and logical with lots of storage areas, charge points and easy access.The rear section is the real opportunity for personalisation, and its pretty easy to see how the large, long space could be turned into rolling accommodation. The only real limits are the owner’s imagination and the sub-2.1 metre overall height that keeps the Transit Custom underground car-park-friendly.Six airbags including front, side and side curtain are standard and the Transit Custom Trail also boasts the latest driver aids including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, a 180-degree rear camera system and on-board tyre pressure monitoring.Servicing is every 12 months or 30,000km and the Transit Custom is covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as well as eight years/150,000 on the PHEV battery. Capped-price servicing is also offered.

The starting point in the electrified Ford Transit Custom range, the Trend PHEV (plug-in hybrid) costs $67,590 and is available only in long-wheelbase form with a three-seater layout. Standard on the Trend is full wireless connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded sat-nav, twin info screens and wireless phone charging. Steel 16-inch wheels are fitted.The PHEV driveline consists of a 2.5-litre petrol engine teamed with an electric motor and an 11.8kW battery that gives up to 54km of EV-only running. Selectable modes allow the driver to generate or save battery power, but the EV range is poor compared with the competition. Power is 171kW and torque is 400Nm, but the PHEV Transit can’t use commercial fast-chargers. The PHEV Transit Custom is front-wheel-drive.The pure EV version of the Trend costs $77,590 and includes the same equipment and dimensions, and uses a rear-drive layout with a single electric motor and a 64kW battery pack under the floor. Power is 160kW and torque is 415Nm and Ford claims a range of 301km. Charging should take the vehicle from 15 per cent to 80 per cent charged on a DC fast-charger at 125kW in 32 minutes, but the vehicle can also be charged at home from fully discharged to fully charged in 10.1 hours on a household socket.The cabin of the electrified Transit Custom is well thought out and designed as a workspace as well as a cockpit. It features five USB-C charge ports, plenty of bottle and phone cubbies and even space under the passengers seat for bulky items.The cargo area in both PHEV and EV forms is accessed by a single sliding door (with the option of double doors) and barn doors at the rear which open wide enough for fork-lift loading. The cargo bay walls are lined and a tough plastic mat covers the floor. There are tie-down points, LED lighting and an illuminated step and there’s also a space-save spare tyre.Six airbags including front, side and side curtain are standard and the Transit Custom PHEV also boasts the latest driver aids including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, a 180-degree rear camera system and on-board tyre pressure monitoring.Servicing is every 12 months or 30,000km and the Transit Custom is covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as well as eight years/150,000 on the PHEV battery. Capped-price servicing is also offered.

The Ford Transit Custom Sport variants include both plug-in hybrid and full electric drivelines. Compared with the lower-spec Trend specification of the same vehicle, the Sports adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a body kit including a rear spoiler, external stripes, a 10-way powered driver’s seat and dual-zone climate control. The Sport PHEV costs $69,990 and the EV variant costs $79,990.Mechanically, the Sport is identical to the Trend versions, apart from a shorter wheelbase for a 400mm shorter overall length.The PHEV variant of the electrified Transit Custom comes with a 2.5-litre petrol engine teamed with an electric motor and an 11.8kW battery that gives up to 54km of EV-only running. Selectable modes allow the driver to generate or save battery power, but the EV range is poor compared with the competition. Power is 171kW and torque is 400Nm, but the PHEV Transit can’t use commercial fast-chargers. The PHEV Transit Custom is front-wheel-drive.The EV version, meanwhile, switches to rear-wheel drive with a single electric motor between the rear wheels and a 64kW battery under the floor.The cargo area is accessed by a single sliding door (with the option of double doors) and barn doors at the rear which open wide enough for fork-lift loading. The cargo bay walls are lined and a tough plastic mat covers the floor. There are tie-down points, LED lighting and an illuminated step and there’s also a space-save spare tyre.Six airbags including front, side and side curtain are standard and the Transit Custom PHEV also boasts the latest driver aids including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, a 180-degree rear camera system and onboard tyre pressure monitoring.Servicing is every 12 months or 30,000km and the Transit is covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as well as eight years/150,000 on the PHEV battery. Capped-price servicing is also offered.

It was a matter of time, but Ford has now extended electrification to its popular Transit Custom range. But instead of a single model, there are two distinct drivelines; a pure EV and a plug-in hybrid. There's also a choice in specification and even wheelbase, and we reckon there are more variants to come. But for now, which of the sparked-up Transit Customs does the best job?

Carving a slice out of the fleet market and hanging on to it is a constant battle for ute makers. Throw in ever-tougher emissions and fuel consumption targets and the threat of new Chinese rivals, and it's a cut-throat world. But Mazda knows that a trimmed price-tag is the way to woo fleet managers, even if you have to give up a few things in the process. Enter the revised BT-50 XS.

Sitting at the top of the Terramar line-up is the $73,490 (drive-away) VZ version.

The mid-range Terramar V is the first variant of the range to gain an on-demand all-wheel drive system. In normal driving, the Cupra will behave as a front-drive car but when acceleration or grip demands some of the torque will be send to the rear wheels. This is a great option in a family-oriented five-seat SUV like the Terramar.

The new Cupra Terramar range kicks off with the S variant of the five-seat, mid-sized SUV, which is priced at $58,490, drive-away.

The Cupra brand might be a relative newcomer, but its Terramar mid-sized family SUV proves that coming from a good family (in this case VW/Audi) isn't just a bonus for social climbers. By tapping into some classy tech and adding a splash of its own pizzazz, Cupra has aimed the Terramar at the family that enjoys the journey at least as much as the destination. But can it stand out in the crowd?

Cupra is clearly feeling a bit bullish, having delivered 9000 cars in Australia since the brand’s launch just three years ago.And confidence is high that the 10,000th Cupra will be delivered here before the end of 2025.Cupra execs recently revealed a bit of forward product information, and it's good news for petrol-heads.Cupra’s sales manager for international markets, Erdem Kizildere, told Carsguide: “We will continue to offer ICE for as long as the European Union allows it.”“ICE is the driver’s friend,” he added, “We must offer ICE for as long as we can. The petrol-heads have spoken.”Head of Cupra product in Australia, Jeff Shafer, confirmed that view, even admitting that plug-in hybrids might still be finding their way in this country.“PHEV might be a bit of a slow burn. It’s becoming a better understood part of the Australian market. Sometimes the market needs to define itself,” he said.That starts with the new Cupra Leon which will be on sale in October this year.The range will start with the S model with 110kW which suggests the new-gen 1.5-litre turbo-motor with 250Nm of torque as well.There’ll also be a VZX version of the Leon with 245kW of power for what should be epic performance and a Sports-tourer variant with a fairly conventional station-wagon layout (hooray) in VZE (a new trim level) boasting a plug-in hybrid driveline with 200kW at its disposal.The first quarter of next year will also see a flood of new Cupra models, including an all-new Leon hatchback model in VE trim and a 150kW plug-in driveline.The Born EV model is set to make a return to Aussie showrooms early next year, too.This news comes at a time when Cupra – along with the rest of the car-making world – appears to be walking back the timeline for an all-electric future.While rumours have been floating around that the new Terramar might just be the last conventionally powered Cupra, management now seems to be pouring cold water on those.