What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

Determined to cover all the bases, Ford is busy slotting a new model into its range that fills the gap between the Fiesta Van and the bottom end of the Transit Connect line-up.

By introducing the new, front-wheel drive Transit Courier, based on the B-max car platform, it is primarily throwing down a challenge to Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat, which have colonised this territory with the Bipper (one of the silliest names ever for a van), Nemo (nearly as silly) and Fiorino respectively. All three share the same basic design and are the fruits of a joint venture between PSA – Peugeot and Citroen’s parent – and Fiat.

At the same time, Ford is taking a sideswipe at Mercedes and the compact version of the Citan, which is, of course, based on Renault’s Kangoo, although poor sales prompted the French manufacturer to drop its compact Kangoo sometime back.

Maybe, too, Ford has an eye on the possible resurgence of the microvan. With China’s DFSK the sole manufacturer offering one in Britain, such a revival admittedly seems somewhat unlikely and sales of its Loadhopper are by no means huge. However, it cannot be ruled out given China’s continued desire to conquer Western export markets.

We opted to sample a Courier in Trend trim – entry-level Base is the alternative – powered by the 95hp 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine. Also available are a 75hp 1.5-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel and the award-winning 100hp 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol engine. It is worth noting that Ford’s newcomer is also sold as a Kombi with a second row of seats and rear glazing.

Cab

Ford has managed to pack a lot into a modest – though by no means uncomfortable – space that mirrors the styling of the bigger Transits.

Oddment storage facilities include a capacious lockable glove box, a bin in each door with a cup-holder apiece, a deep tray between the two front seats that will hold an A4 clipboard with two more cup-holders close by and (on Trend models) a full-width shelf above the windscreen. Look under the Trend passenger seat and you will find a useful drawer, while a slot for small change is positioned just ahead of the gear stick.

The steering column is rake- and reach-adjustable and the driver’s seat in Trend variants is fitted with a nearside armrest, a lumbar support and can be altered for height.

Load area

Rear access to the 2.3m3 load bay is by means of twin asymmetric doors – the narrower of the two is on the offside – with easy-to-release stays should you wish to push them through their maximum 158º. Trend trim gives you a sliding nearside door too. A full-height steel bulkhead should stop cargo with a mind of its own sliding forwards into the cab, but the way in which it bulges backwards into the load compartment slightly obscures the side door aperture.

Half-a-dozen cargo tie-down points are fitted, but a few sound-deadening panels represent the only protection against minor scratches and scrapes. Prospective purchasers may have to give serious consideration to ply-lining the entire load area or protecting the floor with a tailored rubber mat at the very least.

With a wheelbase of just under 2.5m, maximum load length is 1620mm. Maximum height is 1244mm while maximum width is 1488mm narrowing to 1012mm between the wheel boxes. Maximum loading height is 547mm.

The rear door aperture is 1100mm high and 1103mm wide. Dimensions for the side door aperture are 1044mm and 453mm respectively.

Grossing at 1795kg, our test van could handle a gross payload of 660kg and haul a trailer – braked or unbraked – grossing at 500kg.

Powertrain

The Courier’s four-cylinder eight-valve common-rail direct-injection 1.6-litre engine comes with an alloy cylinder head and is turbocharged and intercooled. Maximum power makes its presence felt at 3750rpm while top torque of 215Nm bites at 1750rpm.

You get a five-speed manual gearbox as standard whichever engine you opt for, and there were times on the motorway when we longed for a six-speed, but five was just fine when we were on urban and rural runs.