Ford Transit Custom VS Hyundai iLoad
Ford Transit Custom
Likes
- Practical user-friendly design
- Real-world fuel economy
- GVM/GCM/tow ratings
Dislikes
- No ANCAP rating yet
- Purchase price
- Loose barn-door trim
Hyundai iLoad
Likes
Dislikes
Summary
Ford Transit Custom
Those looking to buy a mid-sized (2.5 to 3.5-tonne GVM) commercial van are spoilt for choice, as there are currently 11 models from nine manufacturers competing for your business.
Latest VFACTS industry figures show that Toyota’s HiAce continues to dominate this segment with a staggering 46 per cent share of sales, well ahead of Hyundai’s Staria Load, LDV’s G10 and Ford’s Transit Custom in a close three-way fight for second place.
Chasing a larger slice of this pie chart, Ford has launched its all-new Transit Custom range which in Australia is the first new generation of Transit Custom in a decade.
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Ford claims it’s globally popular one-tonner has been redesigned from the ground up, so we recently spent a week aboard to see from a tradie's perspective if it has what it takes to put a larger dent in HiAce sales.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.6L/100km |
| Seating | 3 seats |
Hyundai iLoad
The current generation iLoad was launched in 2008. With only minor upgrades during its first decade on sale, it was recently given its first facelift with a new grille design plus new comfort and convenience features.
These updates don't change the fact that the iLoad is now stretching beyond the usual 10-year generational lifespan for LCV models, yet it continues to generate strong sales in a softening market.
It currently commands more than 23 per cent of the mid-size (2.5 to 3.5 tonne) commercial van segment, topped only by Toyota's dominant HiAce with a 33 per cent market share. The closest competitor behind the iLoad is Ford's Transit Custom with only 11 per cent.
We recently spent a week with the iLoad, to find out why this venerable Korean workhorse maintains its popularity in a mid-size van market packed with hungry competitors.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.8L/100km |
| Seating | 3 seats |
Verdict
Ford Transit Custom8.1/10
Although yet to be ANCAP-rated, the latest Transit Custom LWB offers numerous design features unmatched by the dominant HiAce LWB, along with higher load volume/payload/tow ratings and less frequent servicing. However, those attributes come at a much higher price than its Toyota rival, so only a potential buyer can decide if they’re worth the extra spend.
Hyundai iLoad8/10
The iLoad remains one of the most competent all-rounders in the business. This highlights the excellence of its original design, as it hasn't changed much since it launched here more than a decade ago.
However, it's starting to show its age a bit, particularly in terms of safety compared to HiAce and Transit Custom rivals which have aggressively raised the mid-size van benchmark to a five-star standard that rivals most sedans and SUVs.
We hope Hyundai will soon do the same with the iLoad, because apart from increasingly outdated safety it's pretty hard to fault. We're sure its army of loyal customers would agree.
Design
Ford Transit Custom
Our Trend LWB test vehicle has a 3500mm wheelbase and 5450mm overall length, with both dimensions being 400mm longer than its SWB sibling. Its 1980mm height ensures access to height-restricted areas like multi-storey carparks and underground loading bays.
The new front-wheel-drive chassis platform retains simple and rugged MacPherson struts up front, but there’s a new coil-spring independent rear suspension (IRS) replacing the previous leaf-spring/beam axle for improved ride comfort and handling. Steering is rack and pinion and there’s a quartet of disc brakes.
Its new cargo bay design has a lower floor and new access step for improved ease of loading and unloading. The front wheels and strut towers have also been moved further forward, resulting in a shorter front body overhang to assist when parking and manoeuvring in confined spaces.
This front suspension relocation has also improved cabin floor space and foot rests for occupants, in a user-friendly cabin that allows a driver to easily enter and exit the vehicle from both sides. This ‘walk-through’ function is enabled by a flat floor combined with a flush-fitting electronic parking brake button and column-mounted gearshift stalk to ensure the dash is largely free from protrusions.
The steering wheel is noticeably square in shape, which offers two benefits. The squared-off bottom half optimises space for the driver’s torso, while the top half creates a ‘frame’ around the instrument panel to provide the driver with an unobstructed view.
Our only gripe was a loose plastic moulding that shrouds the wiper motor on the RHS rear barn-door. On numerous occasions, after clicking it back in place, it would become dislodged when closing the doors and tumble into the cargo bay. It could have been a manufacturing fault unique to our test vehicle, but not something we've previously experienced in Transit Customs.
Hyundai iLoad
The iLoad is 5150mm long, 1920mm wide and 1935mm high with a 3200mm wheelbase. That height means it can access underground and multi-storey carparks, in which it's also easy to manoeuvre with a relatively compact 11.22-metre turning circle.
No doubt a big factor in the rear-wheel drive iLoad's enduring appeal is its simplicity and ruggedness, combining MacPherson strut front suspension with rack and pinion steering, leaf-spring live rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes. A sliding door on each side of the cargo hold come standard. The large tailgate window, equipped with a wiper/washer and demister, provides the rear-view mirror with a relatively clear picture of what's behind even with the cargo barrier and clear plastic covering on it.
The cabin environment is bright and airy with a tasteful mix of light and dark grey surfaces. The light grey cloth seats with their colourful striped inserts look sharp but we reckon they would also show some grime pretty quickly in a working role.
Our only criticisms are that, like the new HiAce, there's no fold-down inboard armrest for the driver. We don't know why Australia's top two mid-size vans do not have this simple feature, because it's standard issue in numerous rivals and creates a more relaxed driving position.
Our other gripe is the centre passenger seat, which shares the outer passenger's base cushion but has a separate backrest which can be rotated forward through 90 degrees to reveal a handy storage tray and dual drink holder on the back of it.
However, passenger comfort and safety are compromised as the seat is too narrow for an adult, the backrest has no head restraint, there's very limited leg room and only a lap seat-belt. And to make matters worse, the belt's buckle digs firmly into your right butt cheek when it's clicked in. This ‘seat' should be for emergency use only and, if you must, only for short distances.
Practicality
Ford Transit Custom
With its 2016kg minimum kerb weight and 3225kg GVM, the Trend LWB offers a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1209kg. It also has a big 2500kg braked tow rating and with its generous 5725kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it impressively can tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload.
The cargo bay is accessed via a standard kerbside sliding-door with large 1030mm opening, plus rear barn-doors that open to 180 degrees. Note our test vehicle has the extra-cost option of sliding-doors on both sides (an optional single-lift tailgate is also available).
The LWB load floor is 3002mm long with 1392mm between the rear wheel-housings. So, it can comfortably carry up to two standard Aussie pallets or up to three Euro pallets, held in place by a choice of eight load-anchorage points.
By opening the hatch at the base of the cabin bulkhead, the floor length extends to 3450mm by utilising spare room under the passenger bench seat. This feature is handy for carrying long lengths of timber, electrical conduit, copper/PVC pipe, rolls of carpet etc.
Its 6.8 cubic metres of load volume is larger than the HiAce LWB’s 6.2 and the cargo bay comes standard with Ford’s ‘Load Area Protection Kit’ comprising a moulded floor-liner plus side and rear door protection. Three internal LED lights provide brilliant illumination in low-light conditions.
Although not fitted to our test vehicle, all MY24.5 models come equipped with Ford’s clever integrated roof-rack system, comprising a trio of hinged racks which lie flat when not in use but can be easily raised and locked into vertical positions. This sturdy design can carry up to 155kg when shared across the three racks.
There’s generous cabin storage too, with each front door offering three tiers of storage with the largest central tier comprising a large-bottle holder and bin.
There’s also small-bottle/cup-holders at each end of the dash and a fold-out small-bottle/cup-holder for the driver lower down, plus a glovebox and on top of the dash two cavernous compartments which negate the need for an overhead shelf.
The centre seat’s backrest folds flat to reveal a small work desk and the bench seat’s hinged base-cushions can tilt forward into a vertical position to access a large hidden storage area beneath. This vast space also serves as the cargo bay’s load-floor extension when carrying long items.
Hyundai iLoad
The iLoad's 2062kg kerb weight and 3160kg GVM results in a genuine one tonne-plus payload rating of 1098kg and up to 125kg of that can be carried on roof racks. It's also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with a GCM rating of 4660kg (or how much you can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means you can do it at maximum GVM.
In other words, it can legally carry more than a tonne while towing 1.5 tonnes. Those numbers make the iLoad a very practical and versatile workhorse, well suited to a variety of trades and other working roles beyond the usual delivery chores.
The cargo hold, with its 2375mm length, 1620mm width and 1340mm height, offers a total load volume exceeding 4.4 cubic metres and is accessed through sliding doors on each side or via the single-lift tailgate. The load floor with its protective vinyl mat has a total of 10 load anchorage points.
There's no full-length roof lining like the new HiAce but the cargo hold walls and doors are lined to hip height and there's one internal light at the rear. The load floor length and 1272mm between the rear wheel housings means the iLoad can theoretically take two 1165mm-square Aussie pallets (without the cargo barrier installed).
However, loading these could be an issue if fitted with the single-lift tailgate, as it blocks forklift access when opened. And the 870mm side door opening (even less with the cargo barrier fitted) is not wide enough to allow a pallet to pass through it, so do your homework on the iLoad's suitability for your loading requirements.
The cabin has storage bins and bottle holders in each door, plus a shallow tray in the centre dash-pad, two different-sized gloveboxes, a cubby near the gearshift for small items like chewy etc and a pop-out dual cup/bottle holder in the centre console. The centre seat backrest also folds forward to reveal a large open storage tray and two small bottle/cup holders.
Price and features
Ford Transit Custom
The new Transit Custom range consists of four models, comprising the work-focused Trend in a choice of short wheelbase (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) plus the more lifestyle-oriented Sport SWB and Sport Double-Cab LWB.
Our test vehicle is the Trend LWB, which like all variants is available only with Ford’s latest 2.0-litre TDCi EcoBlue four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic for a list price of $57,590. That's considerably higher than rivals including the Toyota HiAce LWB Barn Door ($51,636), Hyundai Staria Load Barn Door ($46,740) and LDV G10+ Barn Door ($39,537).
It comes standard with Frozen White paint, 16-inch steel wheels with replaceable plastic covers and 215/65R16C tyres with a full-size steel spare.
There's fabric-trimmed seating for three comprising an eight-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, with lumbar support and fold-down inboard armrest, plus a two-passenger bench seat. The two outer seating positions are also heated.Â
The cabin is separated from the cargo bay by a metal bulkhead which doubles as a cargo barrier, equipped with a central window and load-through hatch (see Practicality). Plus there’s keyless start, USB-A/USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket, Sensico (synthetic leather) steering wheel with ample height/reach adjustment and more.
The dash offers a big 12-inch screen with 7.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster for the driver, plus a 13-inch multi-function colour touchscreen display which controls some vehicle settings and the four-speaker SYNC 4 multimedia system with digital radio, Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
There’s also wireless phone charging, sat-nav and, for the first time in a Ford vehicle in Australia, an embedded 5G modem to optimise connectivity.
Hyundai iLoad
Our iLoad test vehicle, with single-lift tailgate, 2.5 litre turbo-diesel engine and optional five-speed automatic transmission has a list price of $41,790, which compares favourably with Toyota HiAce ($44,140) and Ford Transit Custom ($43,790) equivalents.
The recent upgrades brought not only the new grille design but also automatic dusk-sensing headlights, tilt-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and a new design instrument cluster with trip computer. There's also an updated infotainment system (first featured in Kona) featuring a 7.0-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other useful features are a rear-view camera (tailgate models only), power windows with one-touch auto down, height adjustable driver's seat and cruise control (auto variants only). The iLoad rolls on 16-inch steel wheels with 215/70R16C tyres and a full-size spare.
It's also available with a six-speed manual transmission, plus there's a choice of three-seat single cab or six-seat crew cab. Both cabin variants offer a choice of single-lift tailgate or forklift-friendly twin barn-doors with 180-degree opening, plus there's numerous genuine accessories available including the steel-mesh cargo barrier fitted to our test vehicle.
Under the bonnet
Ford Transit Custom
Ford’s latest TDCi EcoBlue 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with AdBlue produces the same 125kW at 3500rpm as its predecessor. It also matches the previous model’s 390Nm of torque, but it's served across a wider torque band between 1750-2500rpm which is also higher in the rpm range.
The new eight-speed torque converter automatic (previously six-speed) is smooth and refined, offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting via a rotating knob on the column-mounted gearshift stalk. There are also four selectable drive modes comprising Normal, Eco, Slippery and Tow/Haul.
Hyundai iLoad
The iLoad's 2.5 litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbo-diesel is a refined and proven performer with Euro 5-emissions compliance (so no AdBlue needed), common rail direct injection (CRDi) and variable vane turbocharging with impressive flexibility. It produces a class competitive 125kW at 3600rpm and peak torque of 441Nm between 2000-2250rpm, but there's ample throttle response and pulling power on tap either side of those figures.
The five-speed torque converter automatic is an equally robust and proven transmission, although most rivals have updated to closer ratio six-speed units. Even so, the iLoad delivers crisp and smooth shifts in auto mode, with the option of sequential manual shifting if required. The transmission's gearing and 2.92:1 final drive ratio provide a good compromise between stop-start city delivery work and economical highway driving.
Efficiency
Ford Transit Custom
Ford claims an official combined average of 8.0L/100km and the dash display was claiming a close 8.9 at the completion of our 273km test.
This was mostly unladen city and suburban driving, plus hauling a near-maximum payload on a mix of highways and backroads. The engine’s Auto Stop/Start feature remained on for the duration of our test.
Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at 9.2 which is still excellent single-digit economy for a van weighing more than two tonnes in real-world use. Therefore, based on our figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 760km from its 70-litre tank.
Hyundai iLoad
Hyundai's official combined figure of 8.8L/100km seemed realistic at the beginning of our road test which included a variety of roads and payloads, from near empty to three-quarters of a tonne. So we were impressed to see near-identical numbers after crunching trip meter and fuel bowser readings. Needless to say, that's great economy for a one-tonne van and no doubt another reason for its enduring popularity. Based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 870km from its 75-litre tank.
Driving
Ford Transit Custom
The large front doors open wide for easy access. Multiple seat adjustments combined with a fold-down inboard armrest, ample choice of steering wheel height/reach and a large left footrest ensure a comfortable driving position.
The thick-rimmed steering wheel has a quality feel and there’s clear eyelines to the big door mirrors, in which the lower third of each offers a wide-angle view. This is most appreciated on the LHS given the van’s solid walls and resulting huge blind-spot, with safety enhanced by blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert.
It has brisk acceleration from standing starts, with the eight-speed automatic smoothly upshifting at 2500rpm in each gear to keep the engine operating in its peak torque zone. This ensures zippy performance in city and suburban driving, plus optimum efficiency at highway speeds.
Unladen ride quality and handling are enhanced by the new IRS, although the difference is not as noticeable as you might expect given how well Ford refined the previous leaf-spring/beam axle arrangement.
To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1155kg that was only 54kg less than its legal limit.
The coil-spring IRS compressed about 60mm under this load, which ensured long cone-shaped jounce rubbers attached to the underfloor engaged with the suspension arms to provided a second stage of load support. This also avoided any harsh bottoming-out over larger bumps on our test route.
Its competent drivetrain also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, with the eight-speed auto self-shifting down to fifth gear and maximum torque at 2500rpm to easily haul this load to the summit.
Engine braking on the way down was also commendable, given its modest 2.0-litre displacement and the big payload it was trying to restrain, with only one solid brake application required to avoid exceeding the speed limit or reaching its 5000rpm redline on overrun.
Hyundai iLoad
The iLoad has big grab handles on the windscreen pillars to assist entry and once aboard it's not hard for drivers of most shapes and sizes to find a comfortable position, thanks to the height-adjustable seat, height-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and decent-sized left footrest.
The instrumentation is easy to read and dashboard controls are clearly marked and intuitive to use. There's a clear eye-line to the left door mirror but given that there's no blind-spot monitoring, this mirror would benefit from the addition of at least a dedicated wide-angle lens.
In city and suburban driving the iLoad is surprisingly quiet for a van without a sealed bulkhead between cabin and cargo hold. However, tyre roar emanating from the rear wheel housings does become quite intrusive at highway speeds, particularly on coarse bitumen surfaces.
The over-driven fifth gear ensures the engine isn't working hard though, with only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2200rpm at 110km/h, which contributes to good fuel economy on long hauls. The cruise control also works well and is a big improvement on the last iLoad we tested in 2017.
The 2.5 litre turbo-diesel and five-speed auto are well-honed for this working role. They provide ample performance in city and suburban driving, even though the gaps between five gears are more noticeable now given the increasing use of six gears in rival automatic vans.
Safety
Ford Transit Custom
No ANCAP rating as yet but it offers numerous firsts including a roof-mounted airbag for the passenger which enables the expansive top-of-dash storage. There’s also an exit warning system for the driver, which uses the vehicle’s rear sensors to play an audible alert when an object (such as a bicycle) is approaching while the door is being opened.
The safety menu also includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with auto emergency braking (AEB) and intersection assist, reverse brake assist, lane-keeping assist, speed sign recognition, parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, rear-view camera with 180-degree split-view and lots more.
Hyundai iLoad
Only a four-star ANCAP rating achieved back in 2011, plus no AEB, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist etc which are the new benchmarks in this category. There's front and side (thorax) airbags for the driver and outer passenger seats, but none for the centre seat with its lousy lap-belt. The iLoad's safety menu is overdue for an upgrade.
Ownership
Ford Transit Custom
The Transit Custom is offered with a five-year/unlimited km warranty. Scheduled service intervals are 12 months/30,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing of $499 applies to each of the first four scheduled services across four years/120,000km.
Hyundai iLoad
Five years/160,000km warranty. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Lifetime Service Plan includes capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services ranging from $356 to $506.