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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 40

The Ford Tourneo Custom the brand sold between 2013 and 2023 is a smart-looking, well-equipped and economical People Carrier that can seat eight or nine. If you've progressed beyond the normal seven-seater MPV, this could be the perfect left-field choice.

Modelsword count: 9

5dr large MPV (2.0 EcoBlue diesel/1.0 EcoBoost PHEV petrol)

Historyword count: 191

Back in this century's second decade, Ford had a reputation for making some of the best people movers in the business. B-MAX, C-MAX, S-MAX and Galaxy all had their firm adherents but sometimes there's just no substitute for size. Size beyond what even a Galaxy full-size MPV could deliver. If you're doing some heavy hauling and need a vehicle to fit that particular bill, the Tourneo Custom launched in 2013 could be the answer. This offers generous space and reasonable comfort for up to nine people beneath an exterior that while not doing too much to disguise its commercial vehicle roots, at least looks as if it's been designed rather than arrived at. This Tourneo Custom was designed to be cost-effective for business use or as a safe, luxurious way of carrying family, friends and all their stuff and you can even opt for an L2 long wheelbase version if you've never really got round that 'people or luggage' predicament. There was a light facelift in 2018. After which this Tourneo Custom sold in this form until early 2023, when it was replaced by a second generation design shared with Volkswagen.

What You Getword count: 259

This Tourneo Custom was the first in a series of Ford commercial vehicles that used design cues from the 'Kinetic Design' school that in the 21st century's second decade informed the look and feel of so many of Ford's passenger cars. The ethos of these clean lines was to create a strong sense of movement, even when the vehicle was stationary. The sharply rising window line of the Tourneo Custom is far from the class norm and helps distinguish it from the usual crop of fenestrated vans from this period. Likewise, the bold trapezoidal grille and sharp wheel arches also give it a distinctive style. The interior is a long way from the sort of brittle elephant-grey plastics and building site utility that some of these vehicles tend to exhibit. While the dash looks hard wearing, it's nevertheless quite attractively styled. You can have your Tourneo Custom configured as an eight or nine-seater. Either way, you can also choose an L1 (short wheelbase) or an L2 (long wheelbase) version. The L1 version is 4.97m in length, while the L2 is 5.34m. The L2's extra 370mm translates into extra luggage space behind the third row of seats. As a result, with all the rear seats removed, it offers up to 6.8 cubic metres of luggage space, compared to the L1's already generous 6.0 cubic metres. Because it's less than two metres in height, the Tourneo Custom fits within most car park limits. There are also two or three trim levels in each body style, plus a bunch of equipment options.

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