New Ford Transit Custom: The $63k van that rivals popular utes
What a Pommy geezer needs is a Ford Transit van. Preferably in white and on steel wheels – hazard lights working overtime as it's slung up a kerb, blocking traffic for 'just a minute, mate!'
While Aussies buy utes, pick-ups or American trucks for work and lifestyle, the Brits' relationship with the mighty Transit goes back to 1965.
Aussies buy roughly ten times more utes than vans, but it's vice-versa in the UK.
As a kid growing up in England, Transits were an integral part of daily life.
2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied
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Ambos and posties had them, a rusty 1976 example was our school sport bus, and a police Transit would sit outside the local pub at closing time.
Transits remain the patriotic choice of UK delivery drivers, market traders, removalists, fruit 'n veg sellers and dodgy Del Boys literally selling out the back of a van. 'Thieves chariot' is common slang for Transit.
As part of my birthright, it was my duty to test the new-generation Transit on Aussie soil.
Ford facilitated me being White Van Man for a week, furnishing me with a Transit Custom Trend LWB (long wheelbase). At around $63,000 drive-away, it's the cheapest available bar a 367mm-shorter SWB at a grand less.
2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied
It's a lot of coin in the 'one-tonne' medium van segment. Rivals include the Hyundai Staria Load (from $46,740), LDV G10+ (from $37,884) Toyota HiAce (from $48,886) and Renault Trafic (from $49,490).
But look to van tests here and overseas, and it's the pricey Ford scooping awards.
On first drive, it's apparent why.
A 'car-like driving experience' is a cliche for any commercial vehicle, but the Transit really is an easy, composed and comfortable thing to live with. Piloting one isn't a huge departure from a large SUV.
There are all your driver aids, adaptive cruise control, a small digital driver display, giant 13-inch landscape infotainment, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, sat nav and 5G modem. Two of its three bench seats are heated.
There's fancy independent rear suspension helping ride quality and handling, and unladen or with almost a tonne in the back, the Transit absorbs bumps well and corners safely.
And proves incomparably useful. My daughter got a (pre-assembled) bunk bed, we bought a new Queen mattress ($70 delivery fee saved), and for tradition's sake, we even transported an old piano. Damn, they're heavy.
2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied
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The Transit's easier to load than a ute with its kerbside sliding door and mighty wide opening rear barn doors. And the cargo stays dry, protected and locked under the metal roof.
But I hear you, Ford Ranger faithfuls, a Transit won't off-road or tow a 3-tonne caravan. Even so, there's 2500kg towing and 1223kg payload capacity.
Its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel offers only 125kW, so it runs out of puff quite quickly, but its chunky 390Nm makes it rapid off the mark in town, where these Fords are at their best.
We retuned an impressive 6.9L/100km over 630km of delivery jobs.
Bar a few stutters, its eight-speed auto's a smoothie. The turning circle's adequate at 12.8 metres, but this LWB is 5450mm long, so parking's a hassle. But nobody seems to mind you abandoning a Transit up a footpath …
Van traits remain. You sit very high almost over the front wheels; scratchy cabin plastics feel a long way from a $60k vehicle, and seat cloth is rather workmanlike.
2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied
In this entry-level spec you must adjust seats manually and wheels are titchy 16-inch steelies.
I also found its giant 6.8 square metres load area too spartan. The walls have soft cladding and there are eight tie-down floor points, but nothing to secure loads up high.
Insulated ceiling wiring looked too exposed, and I had to towel-wrap the tethered car jack to stop it damaging my cargo.
Rear visibility's poor through the rear cabin glass, and at night the giant screen reflects on it, making things worse. A digital rearview mirror showing the (excellent) rear camera view would solve this.
2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied
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Positively, Transit choice is lengthy. There's also a full size van; a 12-seater bus; cab chassis; five-seat double cab Transit Custom; a Sport grade and all-wheel-drive Trail grade. Greenies can ditch the diesel and go plug-in or full EV.
Are these big white boxes as sexy as your tricked up dual-cab ute? Of course they're not.
But you'd be fool to underestimate the versatility of a Ford Transit. They securely haul a lot more stuff and the drive experience is rather lovely.
And there's nothing quite like leaning out the window, putting on your best London accent and shouting: 'Get out that way, ya Muppet!' to fellow road users.
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