Ford Transit Custom 2021 Review: Sport 320S SWB GVM

August 30, 2021

The Ford Transit is a light commercial vehicle that has always had a good reputation as a work van.

The Custom Sport 320S* is a nice looking variant in the Transit line-up that builds on the range’s rep. (* In this case, the ‘320’ stands for 3200kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) – even though this vehicle’s GVM is actually listed as 3100kg. The ‘S’ stands for short-wheelbase.)

This van is engineered to carry a load onboard, perform as a mobile office, and still offer enhanced drivability.

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

The Ford Transit Custom Sport 320S SWB (short wheelbase, low roof) has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder EcoBlue turbo-diesel engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, and is front-wheel drive.Standard features include an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, partial leather seat trim, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated driver and passenger seats, Sports interior trim (gloss black IP insert, chrome vent surrounds), telescopic and tilt adjustable steering column, four-speaker sound system and more.Driver-assist tech includes AEB (with pedestrian detection), blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, tyre pressure monitoring, side wind stabilisation, trailer sway control and more.

The exterior is frozen white paint (no additional cost), and it has 17-inch machined alloy wheels with a steel spare.

How practical is the space inside?

This variant is 4973mm long, 2272mm wide and 2000mm high. Kerb weight is listed as 2054kg.The interior for driver and passenger is designed for long work days: the partial leather trim seats are comfortable, the plastic dash and other surfaces are durable, storage spaces are numerous and easy to access, and the touchscreen unit is simple enough to operate while you’re on the move.There are two USB ports, three 12V Sockets (interior and rear cargo area), as well as glove box, dash-top storage shelves and recesses, two cupholders, a two-litre bottle holder in each door, door storage pockets, and under-seat stowage compartment on the passenger side.

Load space dimensions are listed as 2554mm long (from the rear door to the bulkhead, at floor level), 3037mm long (that includes the load-through hatch in the bulkhead), 1775mm wide, 1392mm wide (between the wheel arches), and 1406mm high (from load floor to roof).

The six-cubic-metre load area is well-fitted out for work duties with a kerbside load door, 180°-opening rear twin barn door with window, eight tie-down points, protective wood panelling on the interior walls and doors, load-floor lining, and a load-area compartment LED light.

If you need to carry around gear that is longer than the van’s load space (say, for instance, long lengths of timber, metal or even pipes), you can use the van’s three roof racks (130kg-capacity) which can be flipped upright from their flat, stowed-away position and then locked into place to cop their burden.

The Ford Transit Custom Sport 320S has a rock-solid reputation as a work vehicle, and in Sport guise it is even better. No wonder it won our TradieGuide Van of the Year.

As a light commercial vehicle, this van is such an impressive combination of ergonomics, functionality and convenience that it makes a damn good total package.

This article originally featured on carsguide.com.au and can be viewed here.

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