The box-fresh Ford Tourneo Custom has made landfall on local shores, with the initial derivative available in South Africa coming in the shape of the entry-level, Trend (in long-wheelbase guise). Here’s what you can expect from the latest iteration of the Blue Oval brand’s people-mover…
The Tourneo Custom Trend is powered by Ford’s familiar 2.0SiT oil-burner, the same unit employed by several Ranger models. Equipped with a single turbocharger, the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel powertrain produces 100 kW and 360 N.m of torque, the latter of which available from a mere 1 750 r/min to 2 500 r/min. Noteworthy, whereas the Ranger derivatives equipped with this engine option is available with a six-speed automatic cog swapper, the Tourneo Custom sends power and torque exclusively to the front axle via an eight-speed self-shifter.
So, what is included with Trend level of specification? Well, for starters, the cabin is equipped with a large, portrait-oriented infotainment display. Incorporating Ford’s SYNC 4 software, the latter, 13-inch, touch-enabled unit features (wireless) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto screen mirroring. The infotainment setup is coupled with a 10-speaker sound system. Sited fore the multifunction steering wheel, a 12-inch instrument binnacle houses an 8.0-inch configurable digital driver’s display. A wireless smartphone charging pad, an array of USB ports and a couple of 12 V power sockets are also present. The package further includes automatic dual-zone climate control for the front occupants and air conditioning for the rear passengers. In addition, the front pews offer heating functionality.
Speaking of the pews, the long-wheelbase Tourneo Custom boasts eight. A neat addition to the package, the new generation’s “flexible” track-mounted seating system (for the second and third rows) allows a range of seating arrangements, including a “conference” configuration.
On the safety front, the Tourneo Custom Trend is equipped with six airbags, ISOFIX child-seat anchorages, a reverse view camera system, fore and aft park distance sensors, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist.
“Whether it’s an active family trip at the weekend or shuttling executives to the airport in style, comfort and refinement, [the] Tourneo’s advanced connectivity, cutting-edge design and new luxury features make it the compelling choice in the multi-activity vehicle segment,” said Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa.