Tourneo Sport proved a pleasant holiday hero
When Ford offered us the keys to the new Ford Tourneo Sport for a week-long adventure to the Kruger National Park, we were intrigued. On paper, it’s a people mover. But was the big box really our best option?
In reality, after more than 1,800 km of highways, gravel roads, and game drives, we actually came away wondering. Wondering whether this might actually be one of the most underrated family adventure vehicles on sale today?
Hey, good looking!
The first surprise is just how good the Tourneo Sport looks. Vans aren’t traditionally associated with style, but Ford has done a fine job of giving this Tourneo a sporty, modern, if not storm trooper appearance to stand it out from the crowd. It looks far more premium than many people carriers on the road.
Once inside, that premium feel continues. The cabin is spacious, quiet, and comfy, making long days behind the wheel remarkably relaxing. The heated front seats were an unexpected luxury that proved especially welcome during the chilly early winter mornings around the Kruger.
Ride quality is excellent. Effortlessly soaking up poor road surfaces while also remaining composed at highway speeds. Wind and road noise are subdued. Allowing easy conversation without raising your voice.
Tourneo Sport truly shines on a road trip
The driving position is another highlight. Sitting noticeably higher than in a conventional SUV provides excellent visibility. Something we particularly appreciated while spotting wildlife in the Park.
Another Tourneo Sport feature we quickly grew to love was Ford’s adaptive cruise control combined with lane centring and distance control. The system works all the way down to around 20 km/h, making it particularly useful during slow-moving game drives.
Apple CarPlay also deserves praise. Smartphone connectivity was completely seamless throughout the trip, with no frustrating disconnects or software glitches. Such a breath of fresh air compared to some of the cars we’ve had of late.
The biggest surprise? Fuel economy!
Over roughly 1800 km, the Tourneo Sport returned an outstanding average of just 7.2 l/100 km. For a vehicle of this size carrying passengers and luggage over a variety of driving conditions, that’s genuinely impressive and goes a long way towards reducing the cost of that family holiday.
All that said, the Tourneo Sport’s greatest strength may well be flexibility. The rear seats are so easy to slide, fold, remove and reinstall. Transforming the vehicle from a spacious people carrier into a practical cargo van and back, within minutes. Whether you’re transporting the family, fun gear or business kit, versatility is hard to fault.
Ford has also made this large vehicle surprisingly easy to manoeuvre. The steering-column-mounted gear selector frees up cabin space, while the high-quality reversing camera removes much of the intimidation associated with parking a bus this big.
Nothing’s perfect! Tourneo has frustrations.
There are concerns. The biggest being performance. While perfectly adequate during normal driving, there were occasions when the big Ford felt underpowered. Particularly when overtaking. A little more power would make it effortless on long-distance journeys.
And one omission truly surprised us. No grab handles on the A-pillars. Given the vehicle’s height and family-oriented nature, this one’s an obvious oversight. Which the identical Volkswagen somehow managed to overcome.
Our biggest criticism is however the overbearing assistance. Both the driver monitoring and lane assistant defaulted back on every time we fired up. The monitor never gave up nagging and it’s such a hassle to continuously switch that assistant off every time.
Tourneo Sport exceeded expectations.
Those niggles aside, our big, white GT-striped Ford proved a most comfortable, refined, practical and astonishingly economical long distance companion. It isn’t the quickest and it interferes a bit too much, but otherwise it’s an excellent all-rounder.
For large families, frequent travellers or even businesses needing a vehicle to effortlessly switch between passenger transport and cargo duty, the Tourneo Sport makes a compelling case for itself.
A week and 1,800 km together, it’s safe to say Tourneo Sport wasn’t just a good road-trip companion. It’s also one we’d happily take on another adventure tomorrow. – Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Ford Tourneo Sport
Engine: 125 kW 390 Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel I4
Drive: 8-speed automatic FWD
Payload: 750kg
Load Volume: 5.8 dm3
Max Towing: 2500kg
ROAD TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 4.89 sec
0-100 km/h: 12.11. sec
0-120 km/h: 17.37 sec
400m: 18.1 sec @ 123 km/h
80-120 km/h: 9.40 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 180 km/h
Fuel: 7.4 l/100km
CO2: 194 g/km
Range: 1075 km
Warranty/Service: 4y 120K/6y 90K km extendable
LIST PRICE: R1.23M
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