The What Van? Road Test: Ford Transit Custom

Date: Monday, July 23, 2018 | Author: Steve Banner

Transitcab

Interior and equipment

One of the big plus-points of the three-seater cab’s interior redesign is the ample provision of storage space, a change made in response to customer criticisms.

You will find four shelves on top of the fascia – one of which plays host to a 12V power point and a USB socket – plus three shelves and bins of various sizes in each of the doors.

Both doors boast a moulding that will hold a flask of tea, and round holsters at each end of the dashboard can take a 2.0-litre bottle of water. Above each of them you will find a cup-holder, and a third cup-holder pops out of the projecting central moulding that plays host to the gear lever.

A lidded and lockable glovebox is fitted and you can access the void under the passenger seats by pulling up the cushions and folding them forward. Flip down the centre of the back of the inboard passenger seat and it turns into a desk complete with two more cup holders, a pen tray and an elasticated band to keep your paperwork in place.

A small shelf is mounted above the windscreen while your sunglasses can be housed in a holder above the driver’s door in the place usually occupied by a grab handle.

Dominating the centre of the dash is a fashionable 8in tablet-inspired colour touchscreen featuring a DAB/AM/FM radio and Ford’s easy to comprehend and use Sync3 communications and entertainment system. It can be integrated with AppLink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and allows voice commands to be use to control certain functions.

Emergency Assistance is provided with all Customs and means that help will be summoned promptly if there is an accident.

Air-conditioning is installed along with heated driver and passenger seats, cruise control, driver and passenger airbags and front fog lights. Both the leather-trimmed steering wheel and the driver’s seat can be altered for height, and the angle of the seat cushion can be altered too.

Electric windows and electrically adjustable and heated exterior mirrors are fitted, with the latter featuring a separate wide-angle section. The windscreen is heated as well, and you will find a second 12V power point in the middle of the fascia.

An onboard computer generates useful pieces of information such as fuel consumption and the vehicle’s remaining range.

Although the aforementioned projecting moulding affects the legroom offered by the middle seat, it is better than one might expect, while a whole plethora of onboard systems are there to keep you safe whichever seat you sit in. The Custom comes with ABS, electronic stability control with Load Adaptive Control, Roll Stability Control, hill-start assist, emergency brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, Emergency Brake Warning, Side Wind Stabilisation, and traction control.

Turning to the suspension, an independent system is installed at the front with MacPherson struts and variable-rate coil springs plus a stabiliser bar. Leaf springs are fitted at the back.
Our test van’s 16in alloy wheels were shod with 215/65 R16 C Continental Vanco 2 tyres, and a spare wheel is provided.

Power steering delivers a 10.9m turning circle.

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