Ford took the wraps off the all-new Tourneo Courier and its fully electric sibling, the E-Tourneo Courier. The new models will go on sale in Europe in 2023 and 2024 respectively, offering modern technology, and clever practicality features. The passenger variants of the Ford Transit Courier small LCV were shown in the Active trim, featuring a number of SUV-inspired styling cues.
For those not familiar with Ford’s naming strategy, the Transit moniker is used for LCVs, while the Tourneo is for the equivalent minivans. The Courier is the smallest member of the range, slotting under the compact Connect, the midsize Custom, and the full-size Transit. Like its predecessor which was introduced in 2014, the second-gen Transit/Tourneo Courier is sharing its underpinnings with the discontinued Fiesta supermini and the Puma B-SUV, albeit in an evolved form that supports both petrol and the newly-introduced fully electric powertrain.
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The exterior design of the new Ford Tourneo Courier is certainly boxier and a lot more serious looking compared to its cute predecessor. The tough face has vertically mounted headlights similar to the F-Series trucks, flaking the large grille. The E-Tourneo is distinguished by the fully covered grille featuring a chrome diamond pattern, and the full-width LED bar for the DRLs.
The pictured Active trim brings a dose of plastic cladding on the bumpers, wheel arches, and side sills, alongside a pair of roof rails and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels. The black pillars create a floating roof effect – especially in duo-tone configurations. Squint your eyes and you might see cues from the Land Rover Defender, with Ford’s designers going for a “no-nonsense” character for the smallest member of their minivan range.
Inside, the Tourneo Courier comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen for the SYNC4 infotainment, while the E-Tourneo swaps it for a more impressive 12-inch unit which is better integrated with the larger 12-inch digital instrument cluster. In both cases, the system is compatible with over-the-air updates, dual wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a built-in modem. There is also a “comprehensive suite” of ADAS especially if you choose the optional driver assistance package.
The highlight of the LCV-derived minivan is the spacious cabin and the practicality. Ford says that the new E-Tourneo Courier offers improved shoulder room and headroom, plus a 44% larger boot compared to the previous generation. More specifically, with all five seats up the cargo space has a VDA volume of 570 lt (20 cubic feet) which can grow up to 2,162 lt (76.4 cubic feet) if you fold the 6-40 split rear bench and load it up to the roof.
Other cool features include the configurable center console with removable elements, the hidden boot cubby, and the 44 lt (1.6 cubic feet) frunk which is specific to the EV. In terms of towing capabilities, the E-Tourneo Courier can haul up to 700 kg (1,543 pounds), while the petrol-powered Tourneo Courier takes it to 1,000 kg (2,204 pounds).
Petrol And Electric Powertrain Options
The Tourneo Courier will be initially available with the turbocharged 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder petrol engine which produces 123 hp (92 hp / 125 PS). The mill can be mated to either a six-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Both send power to the front axle – just like in the closely-related Ford Puma.
Similar to the E-Transit Courier that was shown in April, the E-Tourneo Courier comes fitted with a single electric motor producing 134 hp (100 kW / 136 PS) and allowing a top speed of 145 km/h (90 mph). The driver has access to the Normal, Eco, and Slippery modes. Ford didn’t reveal the capacity of the battery pack or the electric range of the model. However, it said that a full charge takes 5.7 hours from an 11 kW AC plug. Using a 100 kW DC fast charger, the battery can go from 10-80% in less than 35 minutes, replenishing 87 km (54 miles) of range in 10 minutes.
The combustion-engined Ford Tourneo Courier will enter production in 2023, with order books opening in Europe this summer. Those interested in the fully electric E-Tourneo Courier will have to wait, as production will commence in Craiova, Romania in the second half of 2024 next to the mechanically-related Puma. Ford has pledged to go EV-only in Europe by 2035, in line with the forthcoming regulations in the region, after it introduces 10 new EV offerings.