Ford’s Tourneo Custom Titanium X now comes with all-wheel drive in South Africa, adding extra traction to its eight-seat people mover for R1,354,100 including VAT. It joins the existing front-wheel-drive Titanium X, with the same 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox. If your family holidays involve a gravel road somewhere along the way, this is the addition you’re likely to be interested in.
The engine produces 125kW and 390Nm, while the AWD system distributes drive between the front and rear wheels according to the grip available. Ford says that should help on wet roads and loose surfaces, giving the Tourneo a little more flexibility when the tar ends. There are six driving modes, including Slippery and Trail alongside Normal, Eco, Sport and Tow/Haul. We’d still need to drive it to judge how well it handles those conditions with a full cabin.
A cabin you can rearrange
There’s plenty to like about being able to change the seating arrangement rather than having to work around it. The Tourneo accommodates eight people, and the individual rear seats can be removed when you need more room for luggage. They can also be turned to create a conference-style layout, with passengers facing one another. That’s useful for shuttle operators, but it also gives families more options than fixed rows of seats would.
Leather upholstery and powered sliding doors are included, along with 19-inch alloy wheels and Matrix LED headlights. Ford’s Titanium X specification also lists heated front seats and separate climate-control zones for the driver, front passenger and rear cabin. Having some control over the temperature in the back should be welcome on a long journey, especially when the people up front have very different ideas about how cold the air conditioning needs to be.
Some of the more appealing extras will cost more, though. The optional Lux pack adds heated second-row seats, a 14-speaker B&O sound system and a full-length panoramic roof. Ford hasn’t supplied a price for that pack in the launch release, so those features shouldn’t be counted as part of the R1,354,100 asking price.
The separate Mobile Office package includes additional USB connections and storage for a laptop or tablet, as well as enhanced lighting and a stowable accessory tray table. It also lets the steering wheel become a table, adjustable to different angles for working on a laptop or eating while parked. It only works when the vehicle is parked and stationary, and could be handy for someone who regularly has time to fill between collecting passengers.
Phone connectivity and help with parking
A 13-inch touchscreen runs Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for compatible phones. That lets you use your phone’s navigation and music apps without plugging it in each time. A 360-degree camera is also included to help with parking and manoeuvring, something you’re likely to appreciate more often than a panoramic roof in a vehicle this size.
The driver assistance equipment includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centring, along with autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. Rear cross-traffic alert and reverse brake assist help when backing out, while exit warning is intended to alert occupants to approaching traffic before they open a door. An infrared camera monitors the driver’s head and eye movements for signs of distraction and can display a warning in the instrument panel.
Ford’s recent changes to the Everest range give us another option for carrying a family, although that SUV seats seven. The Tourneo’s extra seat, sliding doors and removable rear seating make it worth considering if passenger space is your priority. The AWD version adds traction for journeys where the road surface is less predictable, without changing the cabin’s usefulness.
The launch price includes a six-year/90,000km service plan, a four-year/120,000km warranty and four years of roadside assistance with no distance limit. Services are due annually or every 15,000km, whichever comes first.