Fresh-faced Ford Transit Custom checks in
BY TUNG NGUYEN | 1st Jun 2018
FORD’S facelifted Transit Custom has hit Australian showrooms with price rises of $1300 and $1350 for manual and automatic versions respectively of the light-commercial van in short- and long-wheelbase forms.
Now kicking off at $40,990 before on-roads for the six-speed manual 300S SWB, the updated Transit Custom differs from its predecessor with a new bumper, headlights and front grille.
Inside, Ford’s workhorse gains a floating 8.0-inch Sync3 touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and digital radio, similar to its Fiesta small car stablemate.
Six-speed automatic versions of the 300S SWB are priced $2800 upstream at $43,790.
However, Ford’s updated entry-level van is also heavier than before at 1994kg in manual guise and 2042kg in automatic form, as well as 906mm wider at 2080mm and 43/44mm lower at 1964/1963mm respectively.
Vehicle length and wheelbase remain static at 4972mm and 2933mm apiece.
There is also less load space in the 2018 version (5700 litres versus 5950L), gross vehicle mass (GVM) is up 60kg to 3000kg compared with the 2940kg in the previous model and payload takes a slight penalty (1006/958kg for new manual and auto SWB Transit Customs against 1088/1035kg).
Powered by a carryover 96kW/385Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel EcoBlue engine, the front-drive Transit Custom is also 0.1 litres per 100km thirstier than before, recording 6.5L/100km for the three pedal van and 7.2L/100km for the self-shifter.
Meanwhile, LWB versions now kick off at $42,990 for the manual and $45,790 for the automatic, which are powered by the same turbo-diesel engine.
As with SWB versions, LWB Transit Custom vans are now slightly wider (2080mm) and lower (1975/1974mm for manual and auto) than their predecessors, as well as heavier (2099/2147kg).
LWB versions sport a maximum load space of 6600L, 230kg less than before, while GVM is now up 35kg to 3400kg and payload is down to 1301/1253kg for the manual and auto compared to 1387/1334kg from before.
Fuel consumption in the new manual LWB Transit Custom remains static at 6.6L/100km, while the automatic version is 0.4L thirstier at 7.6L/100km.
Standard equipment in Ford’s new Transit Custom range includes leather-wrapped steering wheel, trip computer with digital speedometer, power windows, 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, cloth trim and two USB ports.
SWB versions run on 15-inch steel wheels, while LWB variants sport 16-inch steel hoops.
Safety features extend to six airbags, emergency brake assist, cruise control, hill launch assist, side wind stabilisation, trailer sway control, front and rear parking sensors, and reversing camera.
Options include prestige or SVO paint for $600 and $1250 respectively, rear cargo door liftgate for $500 and dual side load doors without windows for $1000.
New in the update however is a high roof option for $1500, dual side load doors with rear side windows for $1700 and 16-inch alloy wheels for $1000.
A $1600 technology pack is also available that bundles autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, automatic headlights, tyre pressure monitoring and upgraded 4.2-inch instrument cluster display.
All Ford vehicles, including the Transit, also now come with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
2018 Ford Transit Custom pricing*
| 300S | $40,990 |
| 300S (a) | $43,790 |
| 340L | $42,990 |
| 340L (a) | $45,790 |
*Excludes on-road costs
