ON THE ROAD – IAN LYNAS DRIVES THE FORD COURIER

Quite some considerable time has passed since I last took the wheel of a van, so I was looking forward to driving the new Ford Transit Courier and it did hold a few surprises for me.

A fresh new design gives it a nice helping of on road presence and for users the good news is that there is twenty five per cent more load volume with additional payload. The real surprise was a distinct car-like drive feel, very much in keeping with the likes of the Fiesta, which I have driven in various guises. Of course, the van user will spend a good part of the working day behind the wheel, so comfort and on board features are really very important. The version I had on test was in Active trim and under the bonnet was a one litre Ecoboost petrol engine with a useful 125PS; which delivers lively performance and wallet pleasing economy. For diesel fans there is a 1.5 litre EcoBlue engine which will surely appeal to many here in Ireland. Transmission choices across the range, manual and automatic; my test example had a six speed manual. This is one small van that could appeal to a wide number of buyers; I even am aware of people who choose a van over a normal passenger vehicle and this little number from Ford would be ideal to customise.

On one occasion, in the car park of a local supermarket one man approached me to ask about the Courier, clearly he was taken by the bold design, stating that it was a real eye catcher. A comprehensive array of driver assistance technologies has also made this Ford the first van to receive a platinum safety award from Euro NCAP according to their most recent testing standards and it is fully integrated with the company’s software and connected services to drive efficient operation, whether for owner-operators or large fleets; including uptime-boosting Ford Pro Software management tools and Ford Pro Service to reduce cost of ownership. The cargo length has been increased by 181 mm to 1,802 mm, and new rear suspension with angled shock absorbers increases the load width between the wheel arches to 1,220 mm and the total cargo volume can be further increased using the new load-through bulkhead which enables customers to carry items such as planks or pipe over 2,600 mm long. There is the choice of a standard payload model, or a high payload version fitted with dual-rate springs to handle maximum gross payload; which is a forty five per cent increase over the previous version. The 180-degree opening rear cargo doors and six floor tie-down points are standard. LED load space lighting, rubber or wooden floor covers and half-height cargo stowage rails; also a double-cab-in-van body style to carry a work crew as well as their equipment is available.

The Courier comes with an array of safety systems and there is even Qi wireless charging which on one occasion did not work, I put it down to my aging iPhone, after years of service it has been replaced. Summing up my week behind the wheel of the Courier has left me to be something of a small van fan; it was very satisfying to drive, with its compact dimensions easy to park and on one occasion it proved so useful when items in my garage no longer of use found a new resting place in the local council waste facility.

Ian Lynas