Why Lease The Transit Courier?
by: Alex BradleyAlex Bradley is a skilled writer and digital content specialist focusing on automotive and sports. He has a degree in Multimedia Journalism and previously worked for The Northern Quota as Head Sports Editor.
Ford Transit Courier Review 2024
The Ford Transit Courier is the smallest van in the Transit range. Perfect for small businesses wanting car-like performance with a bit more practicality, the Transit Courier will serve you and your business well.
Rivals to the Transit Courier include the Nissan Townstar, Toyota ProAce City, and Fiat Fiorino.
Our Ford Transit Courier review covers:
Ford Transit Courier Key Features
- Compact exterior with unique front grille
- Practical and comfortable interior
- 2.3m3 of load volume and a payload of up to 595kg
- 1.0-litre petrol or 1.5-litre diesel powertrain
- Four trim levels
Ford Transit Courier Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Very good to drive
- Comfortable cabin
- Decent load space
Cons:
- Not as practical as other city vans
- Only one body style
- Not much interior storage
Design, Practicality and Boot Space
While all other vans in the Transit range follow similar design principles, the Courier stands out from its siblings. At the front, there's a large black grille and air intakes, while the rest of the body is very boxy. What we like is the wheels; the range-topping Active trim has these lovely five-spoke alloy wheels, which look fantastic.
The Transit Courier is based on the Ford Fiesta, so you get a car-like interior. There's enough room for two people, with the front passenger getting their own seat instead of a bench. Because of this, there's plenty of leg and headroom to get comfortable, and both seats are manually adjustable.
There's a decent amount of storage inside, such as a deep storage compartment between the two seats and loads of cubbies dotted about for your paperwork and gadgets.
Open the two rear doors, and you'll find 2.3m3 of load volume. This is pretty good for a van of the Transit Couriers size, and what we like is that a Europallet can fit in thanks to load dimensions of 1,620mm x 1,012mm. You'll also be able to carry a maximum payload of up to 595kg, which falls short of the Fiat Fiorino.
Interior and Trims
The interior of the Transit Courier is the closest a van comes to a car-like cabin. It doesn't look like a van's interior, with shiny plastics used on the dashboard and a range of soft-touch materials.
Built into the dashboard is an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Ford's SYNC 4 system that features advanced route planning, voice recognition, smartphone integration, and over-the-air updates. It's one of the more modern systems found in small vans and is perfect for businesses constantly on the move.
Four trim levels are available for the Transit Courier: Leader, Trend, Limited, and Active.
Leader kicks off the trims with 15-inch steel wheels, halogen headlamps, tinted glass, a manual six-way adjustable driver seat, an eight-inch touchscreen display, cruise control, intelligent speed assist, a lane-keeping system, traffic sign recognition, and driver alert.
Trend adds front fog lamps, sun visors with mirrors, a driver's seat armrest, heated seats, and a heated and Sensico-wrapped steering wheel.
Limited adds 16-inch ten-spoke alloy wheels, automatic windshield wipers, climate control, a wireless charging pad, a 12v power point in the load compartment, a front parking aid, and a digital rearview camera.
Active completes the range with 17-inch five-spoke black alloy wheels, a honeycomb mesh front grille, silver roof rails, and an active exterior style pack.
Power and Performance
The Transit Courier comes with a choice of a petrol or diesel powertrain. Both come with a six-speed manual transmission and send power to the front wheels, and there's an exclusive seven-speed automatic transmission available with the petrol engine.
The choice for most will be the 1.5-litre diesel engine. Available with 100PS and 215Nm of torque, it's a good engine that will serve you well both around town and at cruising speed. You'll also get a good fuel economy around the 55mpg mark.
The other option is the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with either 100 or 125PS. It's a really good unit and returns exceptional performance on the road, but the 100PS version lacks some power, especially if you've got cargo in the rear.
The petrol units return a fuel economy of around 42mpg, so if you plan on racking up the miles, we'd recommend the diesel alternative.
Based on the Ford Fiesta, the Transit Courier shares many of its charms on the road. It's fantastic to drive around town, and the suspension deals with potholes and bumps very well.
If your business operates in mainly urban settings, the Transit Courier is the small van for you. Its handling is sharp, and the steering is responsive, meaning you can navigate tight city streets easily. Parking is also relatively easy thanks to good visibility and a range of driver assistance systems, such as a rearview camera and front parking aid.
Increase to motorway speeds and the Transit Courier is a more than capable cruiser. Put your foot down, and you get to 70mph with few issues, and once there, there's little road and wind noise to contend with. It also has cruise control and lane-keeping assist technology as standard, which is always helpful on long journeys.
Leasing vs Buying
Prices for the new Ford Transit Courier start from £19,440.00 OTR* or to lease from £204.98 per month.
Looking to get behind the wheel of the Ford Transit Courier? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest van leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.