The new Ford Transit Custom van will take on the ever-popular Toyota HiAce with a new look, new technology, and a long history of commercial hauling pedigree. We put it to the test to see how it stacks up.
2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB
It’s not just utes, sports cars and off-roaders at Ford, did you know?
Alongside the rampant best-sellers like the Ranger and Everest, along with the Mustang keeping the V8 dream alive, there’s another important bolt in the Blue Oval’s quiver. It’s the Transit Custom van, which is destined to take on the likes of the Toyota HiAce and Hyundai Staria Load with a new model.
The full range of options in this part of the world is quite long and varied, with offerings coming from Germany, France, Japan, Korea and China. Competitive vans of a similar size also include the Volkswagen Transporter, LDV Deliver 7, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Peugeot Expert and Renault Trafic.
In news that would surprise precisely nobody, the Toyota HiAce is the best performer in terms of sales and popularity. But second and third place is a tight contest between the Hyundai Staria Load and the Ford Transit Custom.
And after plodding along for around a decade, we’ve got a new Transit Custom for the Australian market.
There are some familiar elements going on here, including the same 125kW/390Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that dates back to 2016. It’s running through a new eight-speed automatic transmission, however, and claimed fuel consumption holds steady at 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres.
But there’s a new look inside and out, and plenty of extra technology that is aimed to woo commercial customers into choosing this over something else. Let’s have a close look.
How much is a Ford Transit Custom?
Transit Custom buyers will have two big decisions to make when they are placing an order. Firstly, do you want short-wheelbase or long-wheelbase? And secondly, do you want the entry-level Trend or amped-up Sport trim level for some extra seating and equipment?
The first choice changes a 3100mm wheelbase and 5050mm length to 3500mm and 5450mm respectively, and grows the available cargo space from 5.8 to 6.8 square metres, but there are of course some trade-offs. An increased wheelbase and overall weight will impact your turning circle and fuel efficiency, after all.
We’ve got the short-wheelbase Transit Custom Trend for this review, which is priced from $56,590 plus on-road costs and only comes with an automatic transmission.
Let’s compare some numbers first. The Renault Trafic starts at $51,000 plus on-road costs with an automatic transmission (or $2000 less with a manual), while compatriot, the Peugeot Expert starts at $47,849 (or $43,397 as a lower-specced manual variant).
The Hyundai Staria Load starts at $46,740 plus on-road costs, while the LDV is a price leader at $42,490 drive-away for ABN holders for the Deliver 7. However, the Chinese van-and-ute brand goes even cheaper with runout deals on the older design G10, which starts at a miserly $34,990 drive-away with an automatic transmission for runout MY24 stock, to ABN holders.
The Volkswagen Transporter starts at $45,890 plus on-roads (manual) or $52,690 (automatic), while the Mercedes-Benz Vito is more expensive with a $63,000 plus on-roads starting price.
When you throw in the optional second sliding door and Magnetic Grey paint, we’ve got a drive-away price of $64,650. It’s not the cheapest out there, but it is sharply designed and well equipped, with an efficient diesel engine and healthy four-figure payload.
It’s also worth noting that if your business requires a particular hue, Ford offers the choice of a custom-choice colour for $1400 through its SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) arm.
| Key details | 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB |
| Price | $56,590 |
| Colour of test car | Magnetic Grey |
| Options | Prestige paint – $700 Dual side-load doors – $1000 |
| Price as tested | $58,290 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $64,650 (Sydney) |
| Rivals | Hyundai Staria Load | Renault Trafic | Toyota HiAce |
How big is a Ford Transit Custom?
So, the Transit Custom isn’t the cheapest of the lot. However, it does come with a good array of standard equipment and inclusions to help balance out the argument.
This includes a full-width metal bulkhead behind the front seats, LED lighting in the loading area, eight-way manual seat adjustment for the driver, smart key with push-button start, heated front (outboard) seats, front and rear parking sensors, a kerbside sliding door and wide-opening rear barn doors.
Infotainment technology is a standout as well, with a 13-inch infotainment display and 7.0-inch digital screen for the driver putting the Transit Custom ahead of many key rivals.
For those who are planning on spending bulk hours behind the wheel, the quality infotainment, crisp driver’s display, and decent audio system will be appealing.
The interior of the Transit Custom is a smartly practical space, but I also found it to be comfortable and amenable to long sessions behind the wheel. There’s good adjustment through the seats (including lumbar support) and steering wheel for comfortable ergonomics, and plenty of storage space in the door cards and dash top are useful.
There are cupholders at each end of the dashboard as well, along with a trick fold-out cupholder lower down. However, those who have an appetite for big cups and bottles might be frustrated by these normal-sized receptacles.
The standard-fit bulkhead helps to separate people from cargo, and means things like your sound system and air conditioning don’t work nearly as hard to do their jobs.
There’s room for three up front, and having the gear shifter moved to a stalk on the steering column frees up leg room for all up front.
There’s a surprisingly big storage area underneath the two passenger seats up front, and the space can be handily accessed from the cargo side as well. If you’re needing to load in something particularly long (and low enough), then this extra bit of flexibility could be a godsend.
In the rear, you’ve got a typically bare space that is ripe for customisation for whatever you need. There are bare panels for mounting your own hardware or running additional wiring to suit your own application. The rear barn doors open extra wide to get out of the way of forklifts and pallet jacks, and buyers can option a top-hinged one-piece tailgate for $700.
Standard specification sees the load area fitted with on one sliding door on the left side. The second sliding door on the driver’s side, which makes things a bit more flexible for loading, costs $1000.
| 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB | |
| Seats | Three |
| Cargo dimensions | Width between wheel arches: 1392mm Height: 1427mm Length: 2602mm Maximum load volume: 5.8m2 |
| Length | 5050mm |
| Width | 2275mm |
| Height | 1984mm |
| Wheelbase | 3100mm |
Does the Ford Transit Custom have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Infotainment system is a major strength of the Transit Custom, having an amply sized slick touchscreen display for your mapping and entertainment needs. It’s 13 inches in size, and has good processing speeds matched to a simple and effective Sync 4 operating system.
This excellent infotainment display is a cornerstone of improvement in this year’s Transit Custom, and a strong advantage over what is offered in many other competitors.
It’s not just size, the system is well loaded with features. There’s wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with a wireless charging pad, native navigation, Bluetooth, digital radio and AM/FM reception. And having such a small space to fill with soundwaves, the audio system performs pretty well.
The digital instrument cluster in front of the driver – with a 7.0-inch display flanked by LCD fuel temp indicators – is clean and modern, offering a good layout of important information. Most importantly, a digital speed readout is front and centre.
The Transit Custom is supplied with an embedded 5G modem allowing access to FordPass Connect services. From a paired smartphone users can remotely lock and unlock their vehicle, check vehicle status and service alerts, and check on vehicle location.
Is the Ford Transit Custom a safe car?
While commercial vehicles like the Transit Custom aren’t targeted by ANCAP’s full range of crash safety testing, we do have some data that points towards good performance of the onboard safety systems.
This is a less destructive process, which looks to assess the effectiveness and reliability of the onboard safety systems within the Transit Custom.
In this case, an impressive 96 per cent ‘Platinum’ collision avoidance rating was scored for the vehicle. However, this testing doesn’t do the crash testing that passenger vehicles undertake to understand how protective the vehicle is in the event of a collision.
| 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB | |
| ANCAP rating | Untested |
What safety technology does the Ford Transit Custom have?
Along with a new-generation model, you do get an updated range of safety technology inside the 2025 Ford Transit Custom. It’s not at the same level as what you might get in the latest and greatest passenger cars, but it’s a good amount nonetheless.
Importantly, there is a level of finesse and decorum to the tuning of safety systems inside the Transit Custom, which means they don’t drive you crazy in their operation. Lane-keep assistance isn’t overly active, and the lack of a driver-facing camera means you aren’t being bombarded with bings and bongs.
| Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes pedestrian, cyclist, junction awareness |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | No low-speed follow below 20km/h |
| Blind Spot Alert | Yes | Alert and assist functions |
| Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Alert only |
| Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, no centring |
| Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
| Driver Attention Warning | Yes | Driver fatigue detection |
| Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, rear camera |
How much does the Ford Transit Custom cost to run?
Ford has a capped price of $499 per service for the Transit Custom over the first four dealer service visits, with servicing needed every 12 months or 30,000km. This means four years of servicing costs is capped at $1996, with a caveat.
It’s $100 per service more than the previous-generation model, and covers the first four years and 120,000km. However, Ford stipulates that this capped cost doesn’t include brake fluid and ‘other items’, so it’s possible that some visits to the dealership could exceed the cost cap.
For comparison’s sake, a similar Toyota HiAce LWB automatic has a twice-yearly service schedule (or every 10,000km) at a cost of $310 per visit for the first six services/three years, then higher per-service costs after that. This is $3070 over four years and 80,000km.
A Hyundai Staria Load adds up to $1946 over four years and 60,000km, while the LDV Deliver 7 currently doesn’t have a capped-price schedule to refer to.
For insurance, 12 months of comprehensive cover is set at $1810 as a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
And for reference, changing from personal to general business useage doesn’t dramatically change the figures. It does go up a little, however, to $1883 per year.
| At a glance | 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 30,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1996 (4 years) |
Is the Ford Transit Custom fuel-efficient?
A claimed combined consumption of 8.0L/100km is good, and a better number that what is claimed by the 2.8-litre Toyota HiAce at 8.4L/100km. However, most other claims out there are better. The Peugeot Expert is something of an outlier in this regard, with an impressive claim of 6.4L/100km.
Against that claim – and noting that we did a good chunk of loaded testing in the Transit Custom – we saw an indicated number that settled at 8.8L/100km.
| Fuel efficiency | 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.0L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 8.8L/100km |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel tank size | 70L |
What is the Ford Transit Custom like to drive?
The Ford Transit Custom has always had a sharp and car-like driving experience, which is a refreshing element in this category. It’s an important note as well, considering the likelihood of drivers spending full hours behind the wheel.
Partly, this is from the steering. Input feel is crisp and responsive, not dull and slow like you might expect from some commercial vehicles.
The suspension – now independent at the rear – doesn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater in terms of the payload-heavy commercial focus. Yes, there is some firmness there when unladen, but it’s not harsh. Handling does feel point-and-shoot sharp in the Transit Custom as well, which is what you want for urban driving.
Credit also goes to the 2.0-litre EcoBlue turbocharged diesel engine, which is matched to a new-ish eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
This powertrain combination might ring a bell for some, being similar to what was found in the short-lived Endura large SUV in Australia. The 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine is similar to what’s found in the Ford Ranger, but is used in a transverse layout for front-wheel drive and has a suitable eight-speed transaxle.
It’s a torquey and responsive unit, well geared through the transmission to provide a darting acceleration off the line and good enough punch available when rolling along. Once again, for those who will be earning a living behind the wheel of a vehicle, this is a fairly nice and enjoyable companion (as far as diesels go).
The engine’s operation is reasonably muffled for a diesel, but does make some noise when working hard.
The short-wheelbase model has a 1.2-tonne payload in its most basic guise, without any options fitted, which does increase a little when you opt for the larger long-wheelbase model. If you pick every option available, the payload remains above one tonne still.
In testing, I strapped down a tonne of ballast into the back of the Transit Custom and went for a drive.
When loaded, engine performance wasn’t really blighted. The car wasn’t busting a lung up any hills I drove, and the transmission still made good and smooth decisions. Mid-range torque is easily accessible, and the vehicle still takes off from the lights in a smart and unperturbed fashion.
The suspension’s performance was good when loaded as well. The jiggling, unsettled ride quality at the rear disappeared, along with the noticeable amount of rake in the suspension design. This has clearly been tuned for loaded driving, and unladen driving doesn’t show it in its best light.
It’s a van, right. Why would you be driving it unladen, anyway?
| Key details | 2025 Ford Transit Custom Trend SWB |
| Engine | 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel |
| Power | 125kW @ 3500rpm |
| Torque | 390Nm @ 1750–2500rpm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 8-speed torque converter automatic |
| Weight (kerb) | 1970kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size (steel) |
| Payload | Up to 1255kg |
| Tow rating | 2500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 10.9m |
How much weight can a Ford Transit Custom tow?
A 2500kg braked towing capacity for the Transit Custom is a healthy number, and opens up the opportunity to tow some heavy trailers if you so need. Doing so will require a trailer with a braking system, however, along with the correct hardware for electric brakes on the vehicle (if you’re using them).
If you’ve got an unbraked trailer, the regular old 750kg limit applies for the Transit Custom, like it does with most other vehicles.
The payload of up to 1.2 tonnes is good, and what you need to ensure you don’t overload the vehicle in everyday useage. Ford stipulates that when optioned up into its heaviest form, the Transit Custom short wheelbase still has a four-figure payload (just).
Should I buy a Ford Transit Custom?
It might be outgunned for overall size by the Toyota HiAce, and undercut on price by a handful of competitors, but the Ford Transit Custom does appeal in its driving experience, comfort and technology. All important points for those who will be working from behind the wheel.
For those who can afford to stretch a little further, the quality infotainment set-up, good technology and appealing driving experience will be worth the extra spend.
How do I buy a Ford Transit Custom? The next steps.
Most buyers will only need to sweat whether they need the extra space of the long-wheelbase Transit Custom variant, or if they want the smaller footprint like what we have here. And if you want to sacrifice some load space for occupant capacity, look at the Transit Custom Sport specification.
The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Ford website for stock of your preferred Transit Custom variant. You can also find Fords for sale at Drive Marketplace.
We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Ford dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Toyota HiAce, being the long-time favourite of van buyers in Australia.
If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest Ford Transit Custom news here.
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