By Staff Reporter

The people mover business is a lucrative one in South Africa as it services a lot of industries. There is also a growing interest from family buyers in the segment. Ford has responded to this demand by adding a luxuriously range-topping model to the Tourneo Custom line-up.

The new Tourneo Custom Limited is available in short-wheelbase configuration only which makes it easier to manoeuvre in everyday driving situations. This is in contrast to Ambiente and Trend that were launched last year as these derivatives are only available in long-wheelbase.

Exterior

The Limited features a five-bar trapezoidal chrome-finish grille, accompanied by slim headlamps that are styled to flow into the crease lines of the bodywork. The headlamps incorporate daytime running lights, automatic headlight activation and manual headlamp levelling. Rectangular front fog lamps, housed in a chromed bezel, are positioned on the outer edges of the front bumper.

Interior

Ford has stepped things up inside with the availability of high-class ‘Salerno’ partial leather trim that is unique to the Limited model and used for the front seats as well as the second and third-row seats. Both front seats benefit from a heating function for cold days, manual lumber adjustment for the front passenger seat, while the driver seat offers 10-way power adjustment for optimal comfort. The cabin also gains the enhanced sound reduction package in the rear cabin to improve the quality of the drive.

As with the Trend, the Limited offered with a rearview camera, while front and rear parking sensors are provided across the range to assist with positioning the vehicle in tight spaces.

Safety

The Ford Turneo Custom Limited incorporates a raft of passive and active safety features. These include ABS brakes, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with Hill Launch Assist (HLA), Load Adaptive Control (LAC) and Roll-Over Mitigation (ROM), dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags. Additionally, ISOFIX child seat mounting points are provided in the centre of the second and third-row seats, as well as on the driver’s side in the middle row. Exclusive to the Limited is a towbar that is fitted as standard and incorporates Trailer Hitch Assist as well as Trailer Sway Control.

Engine

The Tourneo Custom Limited is powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine that is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The engine kicks out 114 kW of power and 385 Nm of torque.

Pricing

Ford Tourneo Custom range retails as follows:

• 2.2 TDCi LWB Ambiente 74kW 6MT:                    R568,700
• 2.2 TDCi LWB Trend 92kW 6MT:                           R591,300
• 2.2 TDCi SWB Limited 114kW 6MT                       R637,200

All models come standard with Ford Protect, comprising a four-year/120,000km comprehensive warranty, three-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty. A six-year/90,000km service plan is included, with 15,000km service intervals.