Fiat Ducato vs Ford Transit Custom

What's the difference?

The latest Fiat Ducato, in MWB MR configuration with optional nine-speed auto, is a competent competitor in the 3501-8000kg GVM segment. Its class-leading two-tonne-plus payload rating would have considerable appeal for those who need to carry exceptionally heavy loads and we couldn’t find any major flaws in its design and performance. However, the warranty is short and there are niggling issues in terms of driver comfort, which if addressed would increase the Ducato’s appeal.

Does the world need a pair of electrified Transit Custom vans? It’s not as simple a question when it comes to commercial vehicles like these, because there’s a fair chance the last-mile delivery sector is going to absolutely love the EV variant of the Ford van. Charged overnight at a depot, the EV Custom has the potential to massively reduce running costs for large and small fleets, as well as reduce downtime in terms of maintenance. It could be a big win.

But for our money, the PHEV Transit Custom is the one that offers the most promise. The usual EV compromises and range anxiety are shown the door and the plug-in driveline not only trumps the traditional turbo-diesel for running costs, refinement and actual performance, it also promises day-to-day efficiency that even the otherwise handy Ford diesel just can’t match. Win, win, we believe it’s called.

The question now is what Ford does with this driveline. Surely, as an option for the Tourneo people-mover (itself Transit Custom based, so all the hard work is done) the PHEV driveline seems like a foregone conclusion. And that’s the Transit van we’d most like to see, to be honest.

So, take these vehicles as a taste of what might be to come. The first shot in a market segment that stands to gain more than most from electrification.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The MWB MR's front-wheel drive chassis rides on a 3450mm wheelbase with 12.5-metre turning circle. It’s 5413mm long, 2050mm wide and 2539mm tall, so like numerous van rivals in this GVM class it can’t access shopping centre and underground carparks which typically have a 2.2-metre height limit.

Underpinnings are simple and rugged, combining coil-spring strut front suspension with a leaf-spring rigid-tube rear axle that’s well designed for heavy load-carrying, with compressible rubber cones between body and axle that provide a second stage of support. There’s also four-wheel disc brakes, power-assisted rack and pinion steering and ample hard-wearing black plastic protecting the most vulnerable areas of the bodywork from scrapes and dents.

A sealed steel bulkhead separates the cabin from the cargo bay, insulating driver and passengers from load area noise and doubling as a robust cargo barrier. Its sliding window is ideally positioned to allow the driver or passenger to make a quick over-shoulder glance to check that their load is secure. Leg room for the centre passenger is unusually generous, even for tall adults, which would be appreciated by a crew of three.

Interestingly, the rear barn-door windows are heated but there are no wiper/washers fitted. At first this appeared to be an oversight, but having driven the Ducato in heavy rain we were surprised at how spray-free the rear screens remained and how clean they were afterwards.

Our only gripes are that the driver’s left footrest is so short you can only rest your toes on it. It’s a shame the excellent full-length one that resides in the passenger footwell (which of course is the driver’s footwell in LHD models) can’t migrate across the cabin for RHD versions. Driver comfort would be further improved with more rake adjustment in the base cushion.

The small 5.0-inch infotainment screen also makes it difficult to see much detail in the vision provided by the reversing camera. The optional 7.0-inch screen would be an improvement here, but is only available as part of the Comfort and Tech Pack.

Functionality trumps all else in commercial vehicles, but even so, the Transit Custom is a pretty cool looking thing, particularly in Sport trim with its stripes and alloy wheels. It’s easy to see how the van might appeal to private buyers as well, both as family transport with optional rear seats and windows or decked out as a camper. Keeping the roofline below 2.1 metres also means the Custom will work in an underground car-park environment.

Inside, it’s all about function and while there are plenty of hard plastics in evidence, the sheer attention to detail regarding storage and convenience features is what you’ll remember. Maximising interior space is part of that and the Transit Custom cleverly uses front airbags mounted in the roof lining, clearing up dash-top space that has subsequently been used to locate a second glovebox.

The Ducato’s 2060kg kerb weight and 4250kg GVM results in a huge 2190kg payload rating which dwarfs rivals we've tested including the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit and its Peugeot Boxer sibling. It's also rated to tow up to 2250kg of braked trailer but given that Fiat does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) number, we can’t confirm if it can tow that weight while carrying a full payload.

The cargo bay, with a competitive 11.5 cubic metres of load volume, has an unprotected load floor that’s 3120mm long and 1870mm wide with 1422mm between the wheel housings. Therefore, it can easily carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets or three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, held in place by eight sturdy load-anchorage points.

There’s also ample forklift access through either the rear barn-doors, which can swing open to 270 degrees with a combined 1562mm-wide opening, or the sliding side doors with their 1250mm-wide openings.

All doors and walls are lined to mid-height and the raised roof cavity allows even tall adults to stand inside without stooping. It also provides a large and very useful storage area over the driver’s cabin, which is ideal for stowing ropes, straps, load-padding etc.

There’s plenty of cabin storage too, with large-bottle holders and two levels of storage bins in each front door. The dashboard offers numerous open storage bins plus small-bottle/cup holders, a glovebox, large overhead map shelf and storage tray under the driver’s seat. The centre seat’s backrest also folds forward to reveal a handy work desk on the back of it, complete with a spring-loaded clip to hold documents in place, a pen holder and two more small-bottle/cup holders.

Here’s the meat and potatoes of a vehicle like the Transit Custom. If it can’t cut it as a workhorse, then there’s not much point in having it take up showroom space, and Ford knows that. But Ford also has loads of experience in making one and two-box vans work for their living. The fact is, these vehicles have been best-sellers in Europe for decades, so there’s plenty of back-catalogue to draw from.

Knowing that some drivers will spend a full shift in the cabin of the Transit Custom, Ford has gone to a lot of trouble finding little nooks and cubbies for things like clipboards, pens and phones to live. There’s also a fold-down centre seat that forms a small desk, two gloveboxes, and no less than four cupholders across the cabin. A large storage area lives under the flip-up passengers’ seat.

There’s a single USB-A charging port in the cabin and no less than five USB-C ports, as well as a 12-volt socket in the dashboard. Bottles can be stored in either door pocket and the front cabin steps are illuminated. A flat-bottomed steering wheel makes sliding across the cabin easier.

In the cargo bay, the walls feature protective panels and there’s a hose-out plastic mat on the floor. You’ll also find LED cargo lights, eight tie-down points in the long-wheelbase Trend and two fewer in the shorter Sport. Integrated roof racks are standard and while only one sliding side door is standard, there’s the option of a second one on the other side. The standard rear doors are the barn-door type, but open wide and back on to the vehicle’s sides to allow for fork-lift loading. A tailgate version of the rear door is optional.

There’s a load-through hatch giving a total length of 3.45m in the long-wheelbase version and, depending on what variant you choose, the payload is anything up to 1339kg. Cleverly, the top-hinged hatch cover for the load-through is held up by a magnet when in use so it doesn’t rattle against the load over bumps.

Towing capacity for either electrified Transit Custom is down from the turbo-diesel's 2800kg to 2300kg.

Keeping passengers safe in a nose-to-tail crash is a metal bulkhead with a window, but the window can be deleted as part of a security pack on the long-wheelbase variant, at which point the interior rear-view mirror becomes a camera screen. That mirror also incorporates a forward-looking dash cam.

It won’t matter to everybody, but it’s worth mentioning that the PHEV Transit has a space-saver spare wheel, while the EV variety has no spare at all.

All Fords are now connected via modem, allowing managers back at head office to receive alerts for low fuel or tyre pressure and even track their vehicles when they’re on the move. For fleet managers, this will doubtless be welcomed. For the drivers, perhaps not so much.

Let’s start at the start. The E-Transit Custom Trend is the pure EV entry-level version. With battery-only operation, it’s the more radical of the two drivelines. The next step up in the EV line-up is the E-Transit Custom Sport with the same driveline and a few standard equipment additions.

The same goes for the PHEV Transit; the Trend kicks things off and the Sport adds the same trinkets.

The biggest difference, of course, is in terms of the wheelbase. The Trend grade (in either EV or PHEV) uses the long-wheelbase version of the Transit platform, while the Sport trim level is based on the short-wheelbase Transit.

All versions get a central 13-inch infotainment screen, LED lighting, full Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless connectivity, embedded sat-nav, a 12-inch dashboard screen, keyless entry and start, and wireless phone charging.

Beyond that (and, again, the differences in trim remain identical across EV and PHEV variants) you get 16-inch steel wheels for the Trend and 17-inch alloys for the Sport, and the Sport comes with a body-kit including a rear spoiler and a set of racy looking exterior stripes. Inside the Sport also gets striped seat trim (still fabric and not leather) dual-zone climate control (single-zone for the Trend) and a 10-way powered driver’s seat (manual in the Trend).

The biggest interior difference is in the seating layout. The basic set-up is a three-position front seat, while the more utilitarian Trend, oddly, is the one with the option of individual buckets and an arm-rest for both occupants.

Prices start at $67,590 before on-road costs for the PHEV Trend (LWB), while the PHEV Sport (SWB) lands at $69,990. The parity is maintained in the EV version with the Trend starting at $77,590 and the EV Sport at $79,990. Those EV prices are a bit more than some of the competition (LDV eDeliver 7 and Peugeot Partner) but are line-ball with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo. The PHEV Transit Custom variant at ten grand less seems pretty competitive, then.

The all-new drivetrain features Fiat’s latest 2.3 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with Multi-Jet 2 electronically-controlled common rail direct injection, variable-vane turbocharging, intercooler and Euro 6-emissions compliance using AdBlue. It produces 130kW at 3500rpm and (in automatic models) 450Nm of torque which peaks at 1500rpm. In case you’re wondering, the red ‘180’ body badges denote European metric horsepower.

The new ZF nine-speed torque converter automatic is a sweet-shifting transmission which Fiat claims is designed to optimise the engine’s torque delivery and fuel economy. It has a sequential manual-shift function if required, which could be useful if hauling big payloads in hilly terrain, but works most efficiently when left alone.

Although they might both subscribe to the concept of electrification, under the skin the Transit PHEV and EV are quite different animals. That’s starts with the fundamentals, with the front-engined PHEV Transit Custom using front-wheel drive, and the pure EV variant placing the single electric motor between the rear wheels for a compact rear-drive layout. As per usual practice, the EV’s batteries are positioned under the floor.

That single electric motor, when fed by the standard 64kWh battery, gives the EV Transit Custom a sensible power output of 160kW and a meaningful 415Nm of torque. Thanks to the way an electric motor makes its power (and torque, more importantly) there’s no need for a conventional gearbox, so a single-speed transmission is all that’s required.

The PHEV, meanwhile, uses the combination of a 2.5-litre petrol engine, teamed with a single electric motor. Interestingly, the electric motor is more powerful than the non-turbocharged petrol engine, but when both are delivering, there’s a total of 171kW of power and 400Nm of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is fitted for maximum efficiency.

Four-wheel disc brakes are fitted on all electrified Transit Customs in deference to their greater kerb weight (just shy of 2200kg for the LWB). Independent rear suspension is also a feature on all Transit Custom variants, and has been engineered to be compatible with the one-tonne payload standard.

Ford has also fitted the PHEV Transit Custom with selectable drive modes, four in the Trend (Tow, Normal, Eco and Slippery) and five in the Sport with the addition of a, you guessed it, Sport mode. The PHEV builds on that with modes to force electric operation, store the battery power for later or use a combination of both at the car’s discretion.

Fiat does not publish a combined average consumption figure for the Ducato, but the dash display was claiming 10.2L/100km at the end of our test, which covered almost 300km of which more than a third was with a heavy payload. We also had the auto stop-start function switched off. That consumption figure was very close to our own, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, of 10.6L. So, based on our numbers you could expect a real-world driving range of around 850km from its 90-litre tank.

Typically, for a hybrid vehicle, Ford quotes a staggering combined fuel economy figure for the Transit PHEV. In this case, that’s a marvellous, yet often unattainable 1.7 litres per 100km with tailpipe CO2 emissions of just 38 grams per kilometre.

No, you probably won’t achieve this in the real world, and our testing suggests closer to 4.2 litres per 100km in urban running which is where the PHEV shines most brightly thanks to the opportunity to harvest energy in stop-start traffic.

And even though that’s a long way from 1.7 litres per 100km, it’s still a pretty impressive number for a big, heavy vehicle with garden-shed aerodynamics. Combined with the Transit’s 63-litre fuel tank, there’s a real chance of stretching fill-ups beyond the 1000km mark.

The plug-in element provides for an electric range of 54km which is off the pace for most PHEVs and means any delivery driver in a Transit Custom PHEV will be making use of the petrol engine pretty much daily.

Unlike the Transit Custom EV with its 64kWh battery, the PHEV’s smaller 11.8kW battery doesn’t allow for commercial fast chargers. Instead, you can take the battery from fully discharged to 100 per cent capacity in seven hours on a household 10-amp socket, or in four hours, 15 minutes on a 15-amp outlet, which equates to a maximum AC charge rate of 3.5kW.

The Transit Custom in EV form, meanwhile, can be charged from zero to 100 per cent capacity in 6.7 hours on an 11kW outlet, but can also make use of fast DC charging. At that point, it’ll charge from 15 to 80 per cent in 32 minutes at its maximum charge rate of 125kW.

Ford claims a range of 301km for the Transit EV Trend and 307km for the slightly lighter Sport. Both those figures are likely to be a little optimistic in the real world, but we reckon, based on our on-test power usage figure of 17kW per 100km, they might be a lot closer to the mark than many other makes claim. So, that should, theoretically, work for most delivery vans in major cities where daily distances are generally below 200km.

There’s a commanding view for the driver thanks to a panoramic windscreen and clear eye-lines to the truck-sized door mirrors. There’s also reasonable but cluttered vision through the central rear-view mirror, which is partly obscured by the centre seat’s headrest.

The cabin bulkhead is effective in all but eliminating cargo bay noise and engine/wind noise volume is commendably low even on the highway. The highest audible intrusion at those speeds comes from the front tyres, which is acceptable on smooth bitumen surfaces but increases on coarser grades.

Its leather-rimmed steering wheel is nice to use and thanks to the driver’s door moulding and fold-down in-board armrest, there’s evenly balanced elbow support to relieve strain on the neck and shoulders.

The engine and nine-speed auto transmission are well matched, providing energetic performance when prodded and crisp, decisive shifting. Long-legged highway gearing allows 100km/h at 1500rpm (which is also bang on maximum torque) and less than 1700rpm at 110km/h. Ride quality when empty or lightly loaded can get bouncy on bumpy roads, which is not unexpected from suspension with a two-tonne-plus payload capacity.

Our main criticism is insufficient rake adjustment in the driver’s seat base cushion. There’s not enough angle available to stop the driver sliding forwards, requiring constant repositioning that becomes tiring after a while. More rake in the base cushion, combined with a decent-sized left footrest, would solve this issue.

Also annoying is the audible lane-departure warning, which is too loud and sounds like you’re being zapped by a ray-gun in an old sci-fi movie if you step out of line. A less confronting warning would be welcome.

We’ve said it plenty of times before, but delivery vans really have come a long way. What were once bucking, sliding, pitching, screeching monsters are now almost as comfortable as a car and vastly more stable and predictable to drive even at freeway speeds.

The EV variant almost sounds and feels like a modern Melbourne tram in the way it accelerates with authority but also in near silence with only the suspension and a bit of tyre slap over sharp edges to spoil the serenity. Even then, the noises barely intrude. Tyre noise is the worst of it.

Performance is strong and effortless and this is a parcel van that accelerates like a decent car right up until about 100km/h when things start to tail off a little. The overall driving position is a bit sit-up-and-beg, but that’s actually comfy over longer distances and the seats themselves are good with plenty of padding, but not too much bolster that you need to climb over it to enter or leave the cabin.

The column-mounted gear selector is smart, but does mean the indicator stalk moves to the `wrong’ side, and confusing them can leave you in Neutral. And even though it’s a clearer, sharper result than many cars offer, the camera-screen interior rear-view mirror (if you choose the solid cargo-barrier version) is never as good as a conventional mirror. For some reason, the camera screen lacks the depth of field of a mirror and is more difficult to focus on. Those who wear reading glasses might struggle with it.

On the plus side, the EV variant’s one-pedal-driving setting is brilliantly set up and allows for bringing the Transit Custom to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal. Also better than average is the calibration for the driver aids including the lane-keeping assistance which is there to help, but never call the shots.

The PHEV version is, logically, more of the same, although the ride quality seems a little better with an extra layer of plush particularly on smaller, sharper bumps. The slightly lower kerb mass that allows for the one-tonne payload without the same spring firmness is probably the reason.

What the front-drive PHEV can’t achieve, however, is the EV’s level of power-down and grip. Floor the throttle and the PHEV will easily make its front tyres chirp and introduce a small amount of tugging at the wheel. Over bumps with lots of throttle, the PHEV will also momentarily lose traction, but meantime, it’s just as quick as the EV version, even if the CVT is evident in the way the engine revs up and the rest of the van eventually catches up with it.

All four versions of the electrified Transit Custom feature the same safety gear, reflecting the increasing importance of OH&S concerns regardless of the vehicle’s purchase price. On that basis, you’ll get six airbags including side and side-curtain bags. There are also a pair of front airbags regardless of whether you have the standard cabin (three-seater) or optional two-seater layout.

Driver assistance packages include stability control with traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic monitoring, exit warning, forward collision warning, lane keeping assistance, parking sensors front and rear and a 180-degree rear camera system. There’s also autonomous emergency braking that incorporates pedestrian recognition.

It’s also good to see a standard tyre pressure monitoring system, too.

The Transit Custom has been rated by ANCAP according to its light-commercial vehicle Medallion system which assesses active safety systems rather than actual crash data. In this case, the vehicle achieved the highest, Platinum, rating with a 96 per cent score.