Ford Tourneo Custom 2024 Review – International

The 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom will reach Australia at the end of this year priced from $65,990 plus on-road costs for the Active model, and from $70,990 plus ORCs for the Titanium X.

The people-mover shares the new second-generation Ford Transit Custom platform that has just gone on sale in Australia, and which also underpins the new battery-electric Ford E-Transit Custom.

That’s some premium pricing for an all-new model for Australia (the Tourneo nameplate has been available elsewhere for many years), especially when you consider the dominant rival – the Kia Carnival – spans $50,150 to $72,910 plus ORCs.

The other big hitter, the Hyundai Staria, spans $49,500 to $67,500 plus ORCs, while the dearer Volkswagen Multivan – which will soon enter a new generation with Ford Transit Custom underpinnings – starts from $69,290 plus ORCs.

The newcomer may also steal sales from popular private imports like the Nissan Elgrand and Toyota Alphard, with the lure of comprehensive local back-up and a full factory warranty.

Both Tourneo Custom models will come in short-wheelbase form powered by Ford’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘EcoBlue’ turbo-diesel (125kW/390Nm) mated to an eight-speed automatic. And while Ford Australia says it has no plans to bring the Tourneo Custom plug-in hybrid (PHEV) available in Europe our way, the all-electric E-Tourneo Custom – based on the 160kW/415Nm E-Transit Custom – is very much under consideration.

The 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom variants we’ll receive are both eight-seaters with a 2+3+3 seating format.

Externally distinguished from its LCV sibling by its full glasshouse, the Ford Tourneo Active rides on 17-inch alloys and comes with powered sliding side doors, push-button starting, tri-zone climate control and heated first-row seats.

The Titanium X builds on this base with ‘premium’ 17-inch alloys, a panoramic roof, Sensico artificial leather trim, power-adjustable front seats, Matrix LED headlights and a premium Bang and Olufson 14-speaker audio system.

Up front, both have a huge 13.0-inch multimedia touch-screen running Ford’s SYNC 4 platform, complemented by what Ford terms as a partial digital instrument cluster.

A highlight is the flexibility of the Tourneo Custom’s rear seating, which has a track-based mounting system allowing each seat unit to easily be slid forwards and back or removed altogether.

As for options, prestige paint commands a $700 premium, while 19-inch alloys on the Titanium X will set you back a further $1000.

The Ford Tourneo Custom will be backed by Ford’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre new-car warranty. Service intervals are every 12 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first, and Ford’s capped-price servicing scheme averages just over $790 per service over the first six years.

While local specifications for the 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom are being finalised, both variants heading our way come packed with a long list of standard safety features, including nine airbags, pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), intersection assist with pedestrian detection, dynamic lane keeping, traffic sign recognition and intelligent adaptive cruise control.

The list also extends to things like a 180-degree digital rear-view camera (plus 360-degree camera on Titanium X), tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert with reverse brake assist, blind spot monitoring, fatigue alert and exit warning, the latter to help prevent the driver opening their door into the path of a cyclist or other vulnerable road user.

Add in trailer sway control and rollover mitigation and it certainly seems the Tourneo Custom is well equipped on the safety front.

However, Euro NCAP recently handed down a disappointing three-star safety rating (out of five) for the Tourneo Custom, or four if fitted with an optional safety pack, so it will be interesting to see what rating it attracts from our local ANCAP authority.

We expect at least a four-star rating based on the anticipated local specification.

Immediately grabbing attention is the 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom’s expansive 13.0-inch multimedia screen.

It runs Ford’s SYNC 4 multimedia platform and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with voice commands and myriad functions.

Slightly angled towards the driver, it sits adjacent to a 12.0-inch partial digital instrument cluster, which encompasses an 8.0-inch main display.

Wireless smartphone charging is standard, with the inductive charging tray in the base of the storage unit in the lower centre of the dash, alongside a mix of charge points (USB-A, USB-C, 12V).

Like Transit Custom, the Ford Tourneo Custom has an embedded 5G modem, and in Europe the model has access to the Ford Pro platform of software and connected services.

In Australia many of those services are still under development, but the vehicle will integrate with the FordPass app to place vehicle and trip data, route planning and functions like cabin pre-heating and cooling in the palm of the owner’s hand.

While the 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom is available with diesel, plug-in hybrid and EV drivelines in Europe, only the diesel is confirmed for Australia (with the E-Tourneo Custom under consideration).

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder EcoBlue turbo-diesel produces up to 125kW and 390Nm, with the urge sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The vehicle’s emissions tech means there’s a 20-litre AdBlue tank in addition to the model’s 55-litre diesel tank.

Five drive modes are available: Eco, Normal, Sport, Slippery and Tow/Haul (the model boasting a 2500kg braked towing limit).

In Europe, Ford quotes a combined-cycle figure of 8.1L/100km for the 125kW/390Nm EcoBlue engine in a long-wheelbase 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom, along with CO2 emissions of 213g/km.

While our drive time in the Tourneo Custom was relatively brief, the trip computer settled on an average of 9.0L/100km, over a mix of roads and (occasionally high) speeds.

That equates with a safe working range of somewhere around 550km, which will obviously increase with more relaxed driving.

It has a commercial vehicle foundation, but the 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom has been nicely refined to suit its people-carrying focus.

This new platform benefits from independent semi-trailing-arm rear suspension – the outgoing platform had rear leaf springs and a live axle.

Ford says different springs, dampers and tuning have been employed across the different variants that share this platform to suit their differing roles, and it’s clear the Tourneo Custom’s ride has a bit more compliance over the workhorse for additional ride comfort.

The electric power-assisted steering was also a focus, says Ford, with the Blue Oval’s engineers paying particular attention here to deliver an easy response around town, but with extra security and stability at higher speeds.

We’d say Ford has succeeded here – the Tourneo Custom offers a more refined ride than its commercial sibling and it’s quieter too (not that this aspect is troublesome in the LCV).

We drove a long-wheelbase Tourneo Custom Titanium in Frankfurt with a monster 3500mm wheelbase and 5450mm overall length. So it’s a big ol’ bus with a hefty 2353kg kerb weight but, even so, it was thoroughly placid and well-mannered as we navigated Frankfurt’s busy streets.

The short-wheelbase models we’ll receive have a 3100mm wheelbase, a 5050mm overall length, and kerb weights of 2321kg (Active) and 2318kg (Titanium X). Both share a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3175kg.

Ford’s EcoBlue turbo-diesel does a respectable job of propelling the Tourneo Custom’s mass, with adequate if not scintillating acceleration off the line and sufficient stomp and response when you need it. It’s a front-drive format, as opposed to the rear-drive E-Tourneo Custom.

The eight-speed auto is smooth and shifts with reasonable precision. To be honest, I didn’t think too much about it – proof enough it was doing its job.

Take away the Slippery and Tow/Haul drive modes and you’re left with Eco, Normal and Sport. Switching modes is a bit fiddly – you need to press a button on the dash and then make your selection via the touch-screen. A selection method on the steering wheel would be better.

In any case, Normal was my preferred pick, giving a good mix of performance and smooth progress. It’s a people-mover, not a sports car, after all…

Handling is docile but controlled. It’s a comfortable ride, for sure, with a bit of body roll that’s pretty much on par for the category.

There’s a nice feel to the steering; the Tourneo is easy to guide around town or when parking, while secure at higher speeds – it remained composed at 130km/h-plus on the autobahn.

We like the neat and easy-to-use column-mounted shifter and grew accustomed to the new ‘squircle’ steering wheel – Ford’s term to describe the squared-off wheel, which is flat on the bottom and top.

We drove the E-Tourneo Custom EV in Germany too. Should it reach Australia, I’m sure customers will be enamoured with its sparkling 160kW/415Nm performance and even quieter progress, although family buyers may be more circumspect regarding its circa-300km range.

As far as the diesel Tourneo Custom goes, it may have a commercial foundation but this people-mover instils confidence and can shift a crowd and gear in complete comfort.

We drove a nine-seater 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom in Germany in a 3+3+3 seat format, but we’ll receive the eight-seater in a 2+3+3 arrangement.

So our models will feature a driver and single front passenger seat up front, with a storage compartment protruding from the lower centre of the dash.

The 13-inch touch-screen and adjacent instrument cluster look really smart. Still, it feels less car-like up front than, say, the Kia Carnival because there’s no centre console, but it feels more spacious for the same reason.

Speaking of space, our SWB variants boast from 673L to a whopping 4683L of luggage space, says Ford Australia (VDA measurements, relating to rear boot space to total space with the second- and third-row seating removed, respectively), with a maximum payload just over 850kg.

Ford Australia says we will eventually get a Studio Pack option for the Tourneo Custom that sees the steering wheel accept a laptop or tilt up to form a flat table, but this won’t be available for a little while yet.

The seating in general is excellent. The driver’s seat, with six-way power adjustment and an adjustable arm rest, is plush and supportive, while the track-based second- and third-row seating can be configured in myriad ways, including facing each other for easy passenger interaction.

That’s probably a recipe for World War III for some families, but it’s nice to have the option, especially for business shuttles. Each seat unit can be slid forward or back to adjust legroom and there’s plenty of space for everyone, including headroom (roof height is around 2.0 metres).

It’s easy enough to remove the seating but even the single-seat units are quite heavy. Most owners would settle on a preferred format and stick to it.

Each seat gets an integrated three-point seat belt and adjustable head restraint, and the centre second-row seatback folds flat to form a table.

There are four ISOFIX child restraint points on the outboard second- and third-row seats plus top tether strap points on all second-row seats and two third-row seats, along with cup holders and moulded slots just aft of the sliding doors to hold a smartphone, with charge points nearby.

The huge fixed panoramic roof adds plenty of appeal but I do wonder how it might handle an Aussie heatwave. The tri-zone climate control, with roof-mounted second-row controls and multiple adjustable roof outlets, will help.

While our test vehicle’s Sensico leatherette upholstery added a touch of class, there are plenty of hard plastics throughout the cab, albeit softened up front with some piano black trim and multiple textures and colours.

While it can’t quite hide its workhorse roots, the platform has been suitably refined for its people-mover role, and the cab should prove durable too.

With the Kia Carnival dominating the people-mover market in Australia, any new entrant will have its work cut out for it – and the 2024 Ford Tourneo Custom is no exception.

The all-new platform may dissuade some who prefer a proven alternative. Then again, the pedigree of Ford’s four-cylinder turbo-diesel can’t be denied, and the Transit Custom on which the Tourneo Custom is based is a top seller in Europe and the UK – and it was recently lauded as the 2024 International Van of the Year.

The Ford Tourneo Custom boasts some neat tech and it certainly scores well for comfort, space and its flexible seating.

For business applications and large families alike, there’s plenty of substance here to merit further investigation.

2024 Ford Tourneo Custom at a glance:
Price: From $65,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Fourth quarter 2024
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 125kW/390Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 213g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested