Words: Andrew Sluys | Photos: Andrew Sluys
Published 28 March 2026
Coming from Dutch heritage, family Christmases are a large affair, so I was after a vehicle with as many seats as possible for the Summer break. Luckily, Ford happened to have a rather unique Transit in its fleet, which is no longer part of the local line-up, but features seating for nine occupants.
Despite this, the Transit Tourneo Custom Trend Bus LWB shares a lot with the Transit Kombi Bus that’s currently offered by Ford New Zealand. At almost 5.5-metres in length, and featuring a 3.5-metre wheelbase, the Tourneo is quite the rig on the road, but doesn’t feel like it.
Ford has always impressed me with its ability to take a vehicle that’s as tall as it is wide, and give it driving dynamics of something much smaller. This Tourneo is a perfect example.
Throughout the holiday break, I used this van for a multitude of purposes ranging from Christmas present hauling to grocery getting. You would think a van that seats nine people would be quite compromised when it comes to boot space, but this isn’t the case.
Tracking down a specific figure for this space is easier said than done within the vast Transit spec sheet, and it changes with the adjustability of the seats. But it’s more than you’d think, even with the seats all the way back.
I will say the large vertically opening hatch at the rear takes up a lot of space if you’re in a tight space such as a carpark. The struts take all the heavy lifting out of it, but it’s worth holding on to the handle as it opens to avoid any potential collisions.
The adjustability of the Tourneo’s cabin is easily the most impressive aspect of it. The two rows of seats in the rear can slide, making the most of the massive amount of space in the rear. This was particularly useful when loading it to max capacity, as we had a couple of baby seats in the back row. Considering how painful installing baby seats can be, having the ability to move the entire row out of the way makes it considerably easier. And once these seats are installed (with the ISOFIX anchor at the rear of each seat), the seat in front can be slid back in place.
These seats are also able to be folded down to create a flat surface. I’m not sure if anyone would be able to sleep on this as it’s quite an awkward size, but I’m sure it does this for a reason.
Head room is obviously no issue at the rear with the Tourneo standing at over two metres tall. The same goes for leg room, and with air conditioning vents for each row; it honestly feels like business class back there.
The visibility from the rear seats is another aspect of this van which impressed me. As Ford calls it a bus, it should come as no surprise, but the windows are more than sufficient. This came in handy when I took a group out for some mandatory Christmas eve light viewing.
If it isn’t clear, I was more than impressed with my time with the Tourneo, and it was a perfect fit for a family Christmas.
