The mid-size van with the most iconic name in the working world, the Transit Custom is a rival for the Toyota HiAce, Volkswagen Transporter and Hyundai Staria.
Latest instalment packs new powertrains including pure electric and plug-in hybrid versions.
The line-up currently starts at $56,500 for the Transit Custom Trend (Swb) and ranges through to $69,990 for the range-topping Transit Custom Sport (Swb) Phev.
There is, indeed, an all-wheel-drive version of the current-model Ford Transit in some parts of the world, but sadly for those with a specific set of needs, it isn’t coming to Australia. Fundamentally, the sales volumes wouldn’t justify Ford’s investment in technical training and spare parts required to get the AWD Transit into showrooms here.
On the face of it, Australian buyers looking for an all-wheel-drive commercial vehicle are vastly more attracted to vehicles like Ford’s own Ranger dual-cab utility. And that shouldn’t really come as a surprise, either; local buyers have always been more drawn to conventional utilities than they have vans. That’s the complete reversal of how the European market sees things, but that’s cultural difference for you.
Meantime, I can see why some people would like an AWD Transit. For towing a tradie trailer while keeping your other gear safe and having the ability to get on and off greasy building sites, a van like a Transit with four-wheel-drive would take some beating. But for now, for Australia, it’s officially a no from Ford.
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Go for the Transit. It has five-star safety with six airbags and you even get heated seats. Ford is also struggling to move them, so crunch a good deal.
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The Trend base-model in the Transit Custom range comes standard with fabric seating for three, 16-inch steel wheels with 215/65R16 tyres and full-size spare, four drive modes, 12-inch colour digital instrument cluster and 13-inch colour touchscreen display for the multimedia system to name a few. The top-shelf Sport adds 17-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, body kit with rear spoiler, dual 'racing' body stripes, Sports seat trim with blue accent stripes, dual-zone climate and lots more.
Transit Custom paint colours include 'Frozen White' (standard) plus Prestige Paint options available at extra cost including 'Moondust Silver', 'Magnetic', 'Agate Black Metallic', 'Digital Aqua Blue' and 'Grey Matter'. There's also an extensive choice of colours in the optional SVO paint range.
The Transit Custom SWB/LWB Trend and SWB Sport model grades provide seating for up to three occupants comprising a driver's bucket seat and two-passenger bench seat. Seating expands to five in the LWB Sport Double Cab, with bucket seats for the driver and front passenger and a three-passenger rear bench seat.
The Transit Custom interior has a spacious and airy feel with a practical and user-friendly design. The stylish mix of contrasting two-tone grey interior surfaces is enhanced in the premium Sport model grade, with bright blue highlights courtesy of a dual ‘racing’ stripe pattern on the textured fabric seat-facings.
The Transit Custom's 'EcoBlue' 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 125kW of power at 3500rpm with peak torque of 390Nm tapped between 1750-2500rpm. It uses AdBlue to minimise emissions.
Transit Custom load volumes span from 4.3 cubic metres in the Sport Double Cab to 6.8 cubic metres in the LWB Trend.
The Transit Custom range shares an official combined average urban consumption of 8.0L/100km which results in a theoretical driving range of around 870km from its 70-litre diesel tank.
The Transit Custom can accelerate from 0-100km/h in approximately 10-11 seconds with a top speed exceeding 150km/h.