Ford Tourneo Courier looks like a ‘community centre bus’ but has some nice features like 708 litres of space

VANS can look quite smart these days. But here’s a Tinder swipe left.

It’s called the Tourneo Courier – based on the Transit Courier van – and it’s Ford’s answer to French MPVs like the Citroen Berlingo.

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Only uglier. And less interesting.

A friend asked “is that a community centre bus?” and now I can’t unsee it.

But if you just want a tool – something to get five people from A to B – it has many plus points. So please read on.

Those sliding rear doors are great in tight spaces. It has better views than a lighthouse. And what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in space and practicality.

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The boot swallows 708 litres of stuff. That’s a lot. And there’s neat overhead and under-seat storage, as well as fold-up rear seats.

On top of all that, it’s great value at £14,815 – more than £4k cheaper than a Berlingo.

But it just looks orthopaedic.

And don’t bother paying extra for the tiny 4in infotainment screen, the basic smartphone dock is better, and your iPhone is probably twice as big.

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Other observations . . . The B-Max has been axed. So if you want a Ford with sliding doors, this is the smallest of the lot.

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Engines. This test car had Ford’s sweet 100hp 1-litre EcoBoost turbo petrol with six-speed manual gearbox, which is more than sufficient for most.

But as with the Fiesta van, if you do more than 14,000 miles a year, you’ll want the 1.5-litre turbo diesel. As well as the higher mpg, it has more shove to cope with the weight uphill.

Either way, I can promise you one thing. You’ll never attract the opposite sex in this car. Ever.
Unless they’re 86 and need a lift to Knit & Natter.