Ford Transit Custom auto 2017 review

There's little to distinguish the latest 2017-25MY Transit Custom from its predecessor, with the only visual differences being full wheel covers in place of hub caps, different badging, and a subtle chrome grille strip.

Its 2933mm wheelbase, MacPherson strut front and leaf-spring beam axle rear suspension are well designed for load carrying, with hollow-core rubber cones mounted above the rear springs that engage with the chassis rails to provide additional support under heavy payloads. Kerb weight (1905kg) has increased by 37kg over the previous model.

One of the only visual differences between the latest 2017-25MY Transit Custom and its predecessor are full wheel covers in place of hub caps. (image credit: Mark Oastler)

Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering makes light work of using the excellent 10.9 metre turning circle, and four-wheel discs provide strong and predictable braking with or without a load.

The user-friendly cabin offers heated seating for three. Driver comforts include a height/reach-adjustable steering wheel, four-way adjustable seat including lumbar support and base cushion rake, swing-down inboard armrest and left footrest.

The steel bulkhead, which seals off cargo bay noise from the cabin and doubles as a robust cargo barrier, reduces driver fatigue and increases safety. We reckon all commercial vans sold in Australia should be fitted with these bulkheads.

The car-like cabin creates comfortable seating for driver and passenger. (image credit: Mark Oastler)

Our test vehicle was one of several used at the launch and still wearing its bright yellow vinyl body wrap. That's why the roof and internal panels are white in our photos, in case you were wondering.

It's a 290S (290 for wheelbase in cm, and S for short wheelbase) equipped with Ford's optional 'City Nav Pack' which includes sat nav, 'SYNC1' upgraded multimedia with a larger 5.0-inch screen, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera (viewed through the SYNC screen) and front fog lights.

Pricing starts at $39,690 for the manual, with an additional $2750 for the new auto ($42,440). Add another $2100 for the City Nav Pack ($44,540). Other options available for the first time include a single swing-up tailgate ($550), dual side-loading doors ($1000) plus a huge choice of SVO (Special Vehicle Option) body paint colours with more than 100 to choose from ($1150). Non-SVO 'Prestige Paint' is also available ($550).

It comes with a Full-size steel spare. (image credit: Mark Oastler)

The car-like cabin creates comfortable seating for driver and passenger, although a centre passenger would find the limited leg room uncomfortable on long journeys. The large door mirrors, with the bottom third in wide view, provide excellent rear vision combined with the rear view camera.

Our only criticism here is that when the equal-width rear barn doors are closed, their centre pillars combine to create a large blind spot right in the middle of the rear view mirror. Different width doors (one wide, one narrow), as seen on some rival LCVs, which off-set these pillars to improve the driver's rear view, would be a useful refinement here.

We loaded 830kg into the cargo bay, which, with a 100kg driver, equalled 930kg, or about 100kg under its maximum payload rating of 1035kg. The leaf-spring rear suspension compressed only 35mm with the nose dropping 17mm, leaving ample wheel travel.

Engine, tyre and wind noise are pleasantly low at highway speeds.

The suspension is well designed for these GVM loadings and the flexibility and pulling power of the new EcoBlue engine is also impressive, helped by the new six-speed auto with shift protocols that keep the engine operating at peak efficiency in stop-start city delivery work, or on the open road.

Engine, tyre and wind noise are pleasantly low at highway speeds. The cabin bulkhead is a big contributor to this, along with the six-speed auto's over-driven higher ratios which result in only 2000rpm at 100km/h and 2250rpm at 110km/h.

The Transit performed superbly on our 2.0km (13 per cent gradient) set climb with more than 900kg on its back. The auto shifted down to fifth and kept the engine right in the middle of its peak torque curve at 1750rpm, easily maintaining the 60km/h speed limit all the way to the top with minimal throttle angle.

Engine braking on the way down wasn't as strong, as we've come to expect from small capacity engines like these. We used the sequential manual shift option to hold second gear on the descent, with regular brake applications to stop it spinning freely to redline on over-run.

There is now a three year/200,000km warranty (previously 100,000km) and service intervals of 12 months/30,000km (previously 15,000km). A nice addition is 24/7 roadside assistance for the first 12 months.

You're looking at a capped price of $425 for first and third scheduled services, and $645 for the second scheduled service, which includes brake fluid replacement.