Monovolume: Ford Tourneo Trend 2.0 Diesel LWB Bus tested
I suppose it's because there's not a lot to dissect when you drive a commercial vehicle. They aren't spaceships with eight different drive settings. And, better still, the people who drive Ford Tourneo Trends for work all day aren't rocket scientists. If the vehicle does the job it was intended for, it's good. And that's the end of the story. Multi-function steering wheel, digital display and a touchscreen are par for the course in the all-new Ford Tourneo Trend. Image: Ford South Africa
I'm actually being a little modest about my time with working-class vehicles. Because, in my pre-journalism life, I worked in the film industry. I spent hundreds of sweaty hours piggybacking heavy film equipment to and from Cape Town's rarefied film locations. A call time of 06h00 for 'talent' meant the crew had to be on set at 05h00. Which meant I had to collect all the gear and cappuccinos at 04h00.
In that instance, you want utter dependability from your vehicle. And my goodness, the Ford Tourneo Trend LWB Bus would have been a godsend 20-years ago. In my day, all we had was flat-bench-seated, un-air-conditioned 'whatchamacallits' that made every one of those 18-hour days feel like an eternity. Seven full-size passengers or 6 800 litres of load capacity, the choice is yours. Image: Ford South Africa
Nevertheless, that was then, this is now. And massive monovolumes like the 2025 Ford Tourneo Trend LWB Bus are the norm. First of all, it's absolutely massive, so there's not a lot you won't be able to transport with this beauty. It's 5.4-metres long for goodness sake. There was a time when five metres seemed like an insurmountable length for any vehicle. And perhaps you'll agree that, even in the pictures, this LWB version looks massive. That's because the wheelbase measures 3.5-metres long and it's nearly 2.0-metres tall, too. So, you properly tower over high-end SUVs in traffic.
We drove the Ford Tourneo's cousin earlier in the year, the Transit Custom Sport, and we were blown away by its pragmatic practicality. Now, in LWB Bus form, it's truly got every other eventuality covered. Total length load capacity is three metres. So, guess what, remove the seats and you can put full-size pallets, mountain bikes, kiteboards, longboards, you name it. Total load capacity is 6 800 litres! Forget about using it to move house, you can simply move in and use it as a house. 16-inch wheels do look a little small up against that 3.5-metre long wheelbase. Image: Ray Leathern
As such, the Ford Tourneo Trend LWB Bus has the commercial chops, but how is it to use every day? Well, it's equipped with manual sliding side-access doors and one generously sized top-hinged rear tailgate. Honestly, the sheer size on offer makes light work of loading stuff in and out. And the movable seats are easy to figure out and slide back and forth or tumble forward. I filled the test unit with all my surfboards and that was that. Didn't need to guess which board would best suit conditions – I just brought them all along.
Moreover, the front cabin includes plenty of cleverly considered stowage spaces. Like twin dash shelves and upright slots in the door pockets for multiple one-litre bottles. And an A4-sized folder can fit in the glove box for a delivery driver's paperwork. Best of all, Ford's latest Sync multifunction infotainment system has a top-notch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Even though this is the Trend model, there's climate control, seat heaters and a high-tech digital information cluster ahead of the driver. Once again, the Ford Tourneo puts the agricultural vans I used to pilot back in my day to shame. Commercial-use vehicles don't get much more practical than this. Image: Ray Leathern
Under the stubby front end is the Blue Oval's trusted 2.0-litre turbodiesel producing 130 kW and 360 Nm of torque. Drive is sent to the front wheels exclusively through a competent eight-speed automatic gearbox. Ford claims an economy return of 7.4 l/100 km, but our real-world figure averaged 8.8 l/100 km. Of course, this will vary greatly depending on how laden your bus is. To drive, the Ford Tourneo is completely inoffensive. It's obviously very long, so you need to take care when parking. But thankfully it's got a full array of sensors and cameras on all sides.
All this sophistication, fuel economy and load-carrying capability does not come cheap, at just over R1 million. And, granted, that probably isn't as affordable as some other modest man-with-van comrades out there. But take one for a test drive and you'll quickly realise how ridiculously well priced the Ford Tourneo Trend LWB Bus actually is. If your business needs 6 800 litres of carrying capacity, you'll fork over the money gladly. Better still, if your business does go bust, you can easily live in the back and drive away from the bailiffs smartly, too. 2025 Ford Tourneo Trend 2.0 Diesel LWB Bus
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbodiesel 4-cylinder
2.0-litre, turbodiesel 4-cylinder Power: 100 kW @ 3 000 rpm, 360 Nm @ 1 750 rpm
100 kW @ 3 000 rpm, 360 Nm @ 1 750 rpm Performance: 0-100 km/h 10.5 sec (estimated)
0-100 km/h 10.5 sec (estimated) Economy: 7.4 l/100 km (claimed) / 8.8 l/100 km (tested)
7.4 l/100 km (claimed) / 8.8 l/100 km (tested) Transmission: 8-speed auto
8-speed auto Price: R1 104 500
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