Have VAN, will travel: Ford Tourneo Custom Sport review

· The South African

Just over a year ago, we took a Ford Transit Custom Sport van on an epic surf road trip up South Africa’s West Coast. That was the van, as in, nothing but a vast monovolume behind the two front seats. Now we have the Ford Tourneo Custom Sport, which wears the same body kit, 19-inch wheels and exterior sports stripes, except seven mates can join you for the fun … because it’s a bus.

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This Ford Tourneo Custom Sport represents a whole lot of ‘car’ for the money, even if that money is still R1.2-million. Late last year the Blue Oval also launched the even more luxurious Titanium X bus in KwaZulu-Natal. That was aimed more at executive shuttles and transport – think posh golf clubs and leisure resorts. So, how does it differentiate itself from its stablemates?  

FORD TOURNEO CUSTOM SPORT

My dad’s old Volksiebus could only dream of the mod-cons this big bus has today. Image: File

First things first, even though it uses the standard wheelbase, the Ford Tourneo Custom Sport is absolutely massive. Like all others on the same chassis, it measures 5 050 mm in length. And because it is built on the Transit’s platform, space can be maximised vertically and horizontally, too. Ford South Africa claims max load length of 2 622 mm, load height of 1 433 mm and width of 1 392 mm. Do the math you get roughly 2 662 litres of total load volume up to the bulkhead (assuming you remove all the seats). So, a couple of six-foot surfboards barely tickled its belly this time around …

Of course, because the Ford Tourneo Custom Sport is a bus, it will most often be used as such. Therefore, it features flexible rear tracks where seats (each with their own seatbelt) can slide, face each other in a conference layout, or be removed entirely. Pull a lever here, grab a handle there, and they are so easy to move it’s a joke.  As such, the vehicle benefits from excellent ingress and egress up front and at the sides thanks to power-sliding doors that are super practical. And super cool …  

WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR THE DRIVER?

The central touchscreen is paired perfectly with a digital driver display, which you need because this baby is fully loaded with tech. Image: File

However, being the lone captain for this review, I was more interested in the driver amenities. Of which there are plenty. The Ford Tourneo Custom Sport pulls out all the stops. Try captain’s arm rests for the eight-way adjustable electric driver and passenger seats. A 13-inch landscape touchscreen with Sync4 connectivity and fully digital driver display. The 360-degree camera with park sensors is a must when moving in tight confines. Everything is easy to understand and falls to hand effortlessly.

What the spec sheets can’t tell you is how wonderfully commanding it is to drive the Ford Tourneo Custom Sport. You’re sat so high up – often way higher than even large SUVs – that there are no surprises lurking ahead on SA’s tricky road. Then there’s the convenience of auto headlights, auto wipers and auto stop/start. Undoubtedly, the star of the show is the adaptive cruise control with active lane-keeping assist. These are not annoying trinkets; they keep accurate distance to the car ahead and lane markings either side. And that’s a good thing when you’re keeping this wide body on the straight and narrow.  

WHAT POWERS THE FORD TOURNEO CUSTOM SPORT?

More seating combinations than the weekly lotto, and each seat comes with its own seatbelt, which was not the case on the old-school Kombi. Image: File

Best of all, there is no doubting the best drivetrain for the Ford Tourneo Custom Sport. No mild hybrids thanks, something so large can only work with a torquey turbodiesel. That’s where the 2.0-litre SiT turbodiesel motor comes in: 125 kW and 390 Nm. A worthwhile step-up from the Trend’s 100 kW/360 Nm. Drive is sent exclusively to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic. And there are five drive modes to tailor throttle response to your driving preference. We barely used a sniff more than 8.0 l/ 100 km in real-world driving.  

For a massive five-metre-long bus, you feel completely in tune with the car and your surroundings. And that’s due to clever vehicle engineering. You can have your wide centre stack showing Google Maps on Apple CarPlay. Then in your dead-ahead view, all your vital instruments, like speed, fuel consumption and tyre pressure, which are super easy to understand. Yes, plenty of vehicles have the same tech, but Ford delivers these to the driver with intuitive usability. And the miles fly by quickly and effortlessly as a result.

THE VERDICT

With 19-inch wheels and LED light all round, plus stripes and a subtle roof spoiler – come on – this bus looks epic! Image: Ray Leathern

Ultimately, I cannot get enough of the Ford Tourneo Custom Sport. Having grown up living with a 1980/90s equivalent Kombi, I don’t get how these aren’t more popular. Of course, 40 years ago, you would never have dreamed off all the modern conveniences like adapt cruise control and lane-keeping assistance on our old Volksiebus. The air-cooled motor could barely handle a Cape Town – JoBurg hop without overheating. Nevertheless, it’s always astounded me South Africa’s fun-loving, family centric people don’t adopt more busses. With a drive this efficient and engaging, there’s never been a better time to reconsider that double-cab bakkie …

THE FIGURES

  • 2025 Ford Tourneo Custom Sport 2.0 SiT
  • Engine: 2.0-litre, turbodiesel 4-cylinder
  • Power: 125 kW @ 4 000 rpm, 390 Nm @ 2 250 rpm
  • Performance: 0-100 km/h 10 sec (estimated)
  • Economy: 7.4 l/100 km (claimed) 8.0 l/100 km (tested)
  • Transmission: 8-speed auto
  • Price: R1 232 000

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