The Blue Oval company launched the Tourneo Custom minivan and Transit Custom panel van siblings on the European market late last year, in October 2023. Now, a few months later, only one of them reaches the shores of the Land Down Under.
The US automaker has been quite busy lately. The company launched the 2024 Ford Mustang S650, the seventh generation in GT and Dark Horse form on the Old Continent with higher prices and lower HP counts than in America. They also introduced the refreshed Explorer at home with many subtle and impactful changes.
Ford now aims to "bring new levels of versatility to the people-mover segment" by announcing the upcoming introduction of the Ford Tourneo minivan in Australia during the fourth quarter of the year – and it's for people who seek the haul just about everything, from kayaks to kids or colleagues, according to the carmaker. Unlike in Europe, where it's called Tourneo Custom, in Australia, it has a simpler moniker and just two versions – Active and Titanium X, plus space for up to eight people onboard.
While minivans aren't the soccer mom and hockey dad powerhouses they used to be, Ford thinks its Tourneo has what it takes to attract the audience in the Land Down Under with "a comprehensive range of standard features such as a flexible track-mounted rear seating and power side doors." Based on the all-new Transit Custom with the long wheelbase, Ford's Tourneo is part of a family that just received the 2024 International Van of the Year accolade.
The features include sliding second and third rows, a fold-down middle seat for the second row, all six seats are removable independently, and additionally, the second-row seats can be turned to face rearward for a conference-style arrangement. With an independent rear suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels, SYNC 4 on the 13-inch central touchscreen, 5G connectivity, a premium B&O audio system, and more, the Tourneo Active and Titanium X feature just one powertrain option.
As such, under the hood, there's a 2.0-liter turbodiesel packing 125 kW (168 hp) and 390 Nm (288 lb-ft) sent to the front wheels only through an eight-speed automatic transmission. That's more than enough oomph for hauling everything on board, and it can also tow a braked trailer weight of up to 2,500 kg (5,512 pounds). However, there's also a downside to all the goodies – the pricing is quite premium, indeed.
So, the MLPs (including GST) kick off at AUD65,990 for Tourneo Active and AUD70,990 for Titanium X, translating to roughly $43,590 and $46,893, respectively. At least there aren't a lot of optional items – 19-inch wheels and all the selection of colors aside from Frozen White are paid extra.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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