Ford Transit Custom Reviews

Light commercial vans are designed to carry a load during multiple trips as part of busy work days that include plenty of kilometres.The Ford Transit Custom Sport 320L double cab in van (DCiV) has a load space, but also a total of five seats inside (two upfront and three in the second row), so it has cargo- and passenger-carrying capability.How does it actually perform with a decent load onboard?

The Ford Transit light commercial range is well-known and -regarded for its work-day functionality - and the Custom Sport variant adds to that rep. In 320S panel van guise this van may be engineered to carry loads onboard sans stress, but is it any good at towing a load? A 1765kg cherry picker should be enough of a burden to test this popular van's performance under pressure.

The commercial van market is a hotly contested one and any point of difference is crucial. The Ford Transit Custom DCiV is purpose-built for long work days and for clocking up lots of kilometres with a load onboard.But, as well as a large load space, this double cab in van has six seats, so it has cargo- and passenger-carrying capability.So, is it worth your attention?

The growing popularity of mid-sized (2.5-3.5 tonne GVM) commercial vans that can carry up to six people, generically known as crew vans, has seen an increasing number of rivals from mainstream manufacturers with a second row of seats. These include Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz.There’s no argument that 4x4 dual cab utes are by far Australia’s most popular and versatile light commercial vehicles. However, not everyone needs high-riding off-road ability and some would happily trade that for more spacious rear seating and a huge fully-enclosed cargo bay to carry their crew and all their gear – be it for work or play.It's those two key attributes which present a compelling argument for crew vans – but which one would you choose? We’ve combined our most recent road test activity of three of Australia’s best examples from Toyota, Ford and Renault to see how they measure up in a side-by-side comparison.

The top three contenders in the local medium-sized (2.5 to 3.5 tonne GVM) commercial van class are the Toyota HiAce followed by the Hyundai iLoad and Ford's Transit Custom.

The growing popularity of mid-sized commercial vans equipped with seating for five or six, generically known as crew vans, has seen an increasing number of rivals from mainstream manufacturers enter the market with a second row of seats.One of the more recent competitors is the Ford Transit Custom DCiV, available in a choice of short or long wheelbase configurations and Custom or Custom Sport trim levels.

When it comes to serving up acres of space for passengers and stuff, there isn't an SUV on the planet that can keep up with a van. But is Ford's Transit Custom too work focused to really cut is as a people mover? We put it to the family test to find out.

Ford is a making a habit of providing answers to questions that have not been asked. First there was the Baja-inspired Ranger Raptor, a unique version of Australia’s favourite Ford ute with pumped-out guards, a tougher frame and sublime long-travel suspension inspired by ‘pre-runner’ pick-ups used by US off-road race teams.Although we weren’t aware of any pent-up public demand for such a vehicle, regular sightings of Raptors these days suggest Ford’s ‘build it and they will come’ approach was the right one. Now just about every ute manufacturer is offering (or working on) a more specialised premium-priced variant of its top-shelf model in trying to match it.The blue oval is using this bold strategy again with the Transit Custom Sport. As its name suggests, this is a more athletic version of Ford’s mid-sized commercial van, which among numerous industry gongs claimed CarsGuide's 2019 Tradie Car of the Year award.Most folks think of vans as little more than shipping containers on wheels but, like the Raptor, Ford is again challenging the consumer to think outside the square (or rectangle in the case of a shipping container).After spending a week in Ford’s latest automotive thought-bubble, we have to admit it may be onto something here, too. From go-kart and motorcycle racers to surfers, scuba divers and personal trainers, the Transit Custom Sport may well have widespread appeal for those that need the practicality and load-carrying capacity of a van with a sportier image to go with it.

The 2019 Ford Transit Custom 300S short wheelbase van arrives in an already busy market segment. It has always had a loyal following, however, the Transit has consistently been overshadowed by Toyota's HiAce and the like.

Ford's freshly restyled Transit Custom is racing up the sales charts, but is its new-found showroom appeal more than skin deep?