2025 Ford Tourneo Active review

That’s a weird-looking SUV!

People movers have seemingly been forgotten by Australian families – around 6000 were sold over the first three months of 2025, compared to a whopping 73,140 large SUVs – and I really struggle to understand why.

After all, very few seven-seat SUVs can fit normal-sized children in the back, and boot space is often non-existent with all three rows in use.

Nevertheless, owning a people mover is generally considered ‘uncool’, or a sign that you’ve given up on driving enjoyment. But as far as practicality goes, there’s no contest: the people mover wins every time.

Which brings us to this – the new Ford Tourneo. Based on the Transit Custom commercial van, the eight-seat Tourneo represents the Blue Oval’s latest foray into the world of family buses, and it arrives in Australia to take on the best-selling Kia Carnival.

Priced from $65,990 before on-road costs, the Tourneo could also be considered an alternative to the current-generation Ford Everest, which has captured the ute-based SUV market since debuting Down Under in 2022.

I’m not suggesting for a second that the boxy, function-over-form Tourneo has the same kerb appeal as an Everest or any of its rivals. But maybe, just maybe, vans like this prove that what a vehicle can do matters more than how it looks doing it.

How much does the Ford Tourneo cost?

The two Ford Tourneo variants are priced to compete with mid-spec versions of the Kia Carnival, as well as the Hyundai Staria Highlander and LDV MIFA Luxe. On test here is the base Tourneo Active.

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Ford Tourneo like on the inside?

When compared to people mover rivals and similarly priced seven-seat SUVs, the base Tourneo Active isn’t especially premium inside, but it offers more practicality than most competitors could dream of.

The cabin is constructed of hard-wearing, workmanlike materials for the most part, with exceptions for high traffic areas like the driver controls.

Specifically, the steering wheel is trimmed in supple leather, while both front seats come with dual padded armrests finished in the same luxurious leather.

It’s impossible to ignore the surrounding surfaces, though, which are a mixture of grey, black and blue hard plastic – a reminder of the Tourneo’s commercial vehicle roots. Purpose-built people movers including the Carnival and LDV MIFA present better, that’s for sure.

Regardless, the cabin feels well screwed together, with the resilience to stand up to years of children wreaking havoc in the rear passenger area. And, importantly, Ford hasn’t neglected the most important touchpoint – the seats.

Trimmed in a combination of cloth, leatherette and wetsuit-style material, the front chairs are comfy and fully power-adjustable. Each features three-stage heating, too.

I must admit, the van seating position isn’t particularly familiar to me, especially the placement of the pedals. After utilising all the adjustment available in the Tourneo, I’d conclude that it’s best suited to drivers who enjoy sitting up high and close to the steering wheel.

Aside from some driving position quirks, the cabin layout is uncomplicated and intuitive, with key functions all within reach.

Ford’s SYNC infotainment system will be familiar to those who’ve driven a Ranger or Everest, although the packaging is slightly different here.

Instead of a tall, vertical infotainment display, you get a 13-inch screen in landscape orientation, which sits proudly atop the dash.

It presents in bright shades of white and blue, with a home screen that’s easy to navigate. All icons and menus are clearly labelled, and the climate control panel is pinned to the base of the screen.

Touch icons pair with a physical button bar below that includes controls for the sliding doors, park assist, drive modes and climate settings.

The screen is also responsive to touch inputs, although there’s a short delay in transitions between menus.

Features include a detailed native navigation system and wireless smartphone mirroring, so you’re spoilt for choice on the maps front.

Connectivity options are also plentiful – USB-A, USB-C and 12V outlets all occupy central positions, and there’s a bonus pair of USB-C points hidden in a storage box built into the dash. A wireless charging pad sits at the base of the centre stack.

Behind the steering wheel sits a square digital instrument display that’s also familiar from other Ford models. It’s no nonsense, with an uncluttered layout and customisable data readouts.

The Tourneo misses out on a head-up display, which can be had in the top-spec Kia Carnival GT-Line.

There’s ample storage up front, as you’d expect from a commercial van-based people mover. All the important amenities have seemingly been multiplied, as you get four cupholders, two gloveboxes and tiered door bins that maximise the space available.

Moving back, the Tourneo prioritises passenger space over storage of stuff.

It’s a very accessible vehicle – electric sliding doors make getting in and out easy, and a simple sliding rail system controls the positioning of second and third row seats.

Depending on your passenger count, you can slide the second row back to maximise legroom or bring it forward to seat up to eight in comfort. Try achieving that in a three-row SUV.

The rear benches can also rotate 180 degrees to face each other, promoting conversation amongst your family and in-laws.

Headroom is unlikely to ever pose an issue, unless you’re transporting the national basketball team.

While space is abundant, rear cabin storage is sorely lacking. Both the map pockets are door bins are shallow, and other cubbies are hard to come by. When folded down, the middle seat doubles as a bench with cupholders.

No less than six USB-C outlets serve the second and third rows, found in the base of the front passenger seat and in both C-pillars. Rear climate controls are located in the ceiling.

When the time comes to cram into a seven-seat SUV, the ‘back back’ is generally considered a booby prize, but that’s not the case with the Tourneo. The third row is comfortable and spacious, although storage is lacking.

As for boot space, well that’s contingent on how you use the Tourneo. Not only are the rear seats highly adjusted, but they’re all removable. As such, the Tourneo can play the role of both a eight-seat people mover and cavernous commercial van.

Even with all seats in place, there’s 672L of cargo capacity – enough space for a few small suitcases or soft bags stacked up. For reference, Kia quotes VDA measurements of 627L (all seats up) and 2827L (third row folded).

However, one advantage that the Carnival has over the Tourneo is its recessed boot floor, which can swallow the third row of seating completely.

Accessing the boot in the Tourneo also isn’t as easy as it should be – the tailgate is quite heavy and requires manual operation.

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Just one engine is available for the Australian-market Tourneo – a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder shared with the Transit Custom.

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Ford Tourneo drive?

A car-like driving experience seems to be the highest praise you can heap upon a people mover, but the Tourneo proves that a van can impress without having to masquerade as something else.

From the driver’s seat, there’s no mistaking the Tourneo for a run-of-the-mill large SUV. You sit up high and right over the front axle, while the pedals stick out in such a way that you extend your right leg downwards rather than forwards.

I struggled to get comfortable initially, and that’s likely to be the case for potential buyers who are experiencing a van for the first time. However, it’s something you adjust to over time, and there are undeniable benefits attached.

For one, the elevated driving position provides a commanding view of the road and a clear sense of where the Tourneo’s front corners are, which is ideal for manoeuvring in tight urban environments.

The Tourneo offers both full frontal visibility and a clear view out the sides and rear, courtesy of large windows around the cabin. However, the B-pillars are quite thick. In my driving position, that created a pair of blind spots when looking left and right at a stop sign or intersection.

On the flip side, the Tourneo features clever split side mirrors that simultaneously display a wide view and a lower angle of the road – handy when parking close to jutting kerbs.

Indeed, it’s also a fairly straightforward vehicle to manoeuvre around town. All Australian versions of the Tourneo are based on the short wheelbase Transit Custom, so it’s surprisingly nimble in tight spaces.

Navigating parking lots is relatively easy, although 90-degree turns ask that you take a wide arc in order to protect the rear corners of the van.

Manoeuvrability benefits from the van’s square shape, which makes it easy to line up in parking spaces. The Tourneo is fitted with a reversing camera as standard, although there’s no surround-view camera in the Active – a disappointing omission.

The steering is nicely weighted, yet light enough to not require much effort, and very direct.

At urban speeds, the four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is more than serviceable. There’s a familiar clatter on startup, but the motor is quiet and refined once warm.

There’s sufficient low-end torque to get you moving smoothly from a standstill, and the automatic transmission does a solid job of picking the appropriate gear.

When stopped at a set of traffic lights, the engine will cut out to save fuel and subsequently dollars at the pump.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Tourneo is how stable it feels on the road. The body feels rigid with minimal flex, and little of the body roll you’d expect from a big, heavy van.

The Tourneo turns willingly into sharp corners and remains balanced around longer, high-speed bends.

It rides well, too. Ford hasn’t engineered too much vertical travel into the suspension setup, so the Tourneo doesn’t float or bounce like many other large vehicles.

Instead, this big family hauler feels planted while retaining a comfortable ride, absorbing bumps and imperfections without transmitting excessive vibrations into the cabin.

That applies to both city and country driving, as the Tourneo doesn’t fall apart on the open road.

Instead, it remains composed on the highway… once you get up to speed. With just 125kW, the Tourneo lacks the quick response and wide power band you’d get in a hybrid or electric people mover, and it shows.

When you plant your right foot, not a whole lot happens. The small displacement diesel engine makes a bit of a racket, before slow and steady acceleration ensues. It’s the least refined aspect of the Tourneo, and an area in which the likes of the Kia Carnival and Hyundai Staria have the Ford covered.

With that said, the Tourneo is relatively happy cruising at triple-figure speeds. The engine quietens down, while road and wind noise are kept to acceptable levels.

Ford’s semi-autonomous driver assistance suite makes for carefree long-distance cruising. The lane-keep assist feature doesn’t proactively centre the Tourneo in a lane, but it does nudge the vehicle back in line if you drift toward the lines.

Adaptive cruise control works well, maintaining a consistent speed and gap to the vehicle ahead. It’s easy to adjust the following distance and set speed via a straightforward set of steering wheel controls.

On a negative note, the driver monitoring system is too sensitive by default. That can be remedied by changing ADAS settings in the infotainment menus.

Over the course of our multi-day test, average fuel consumption sat at 8.3L/100km, falling short of Ford’s claim. Nevertheless, it’s a fairly competitive number for a diesel-powered people mover.

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

There are two members of the Australian Tourneo range.

2025 Ford Tourneo Active standard equipment:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• LED tail-lights
• Power front windows
• Heated front seats
• ‘Track-based’ second- and third-row seats
• Tri-zone climate control
• 12-inch digital instrument cluster
• 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto – wireless, wired
• Satellite navigation
• 5G embedded modem
• Wireless phone charger
• FordPass app connectivity
• Fabric/artificial leather upholstery
• 10-speaker sound system
• Keyless entry

Tourneo Titanium X adds:

• Premium 17-inch alloy wheels
• Panoramic glass roof
• Sensico artificial black leather trim
• Power-adjustable front seats
• 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system
• 360-degree camera
• Interior ambient lighting
• Second-row outboard heated seats

19-inch wheels are a $1000 option on the Titanium X.

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Ford Tourneo safe?

The Ford Tourneo has yet to be assessed, however, sister authority Euro NCAP has given it three- and four-star ratings depending on whether a safety pack is equipped.

Given all models in Australia come equipped with the features of the safety pack, it appears more likely ANCAP will award the higher of the two ratings.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 9 airbags
• AEB with intersection assist
• Reverse AEB
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-keep assist
• Blind-spot assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exit warning
• Reversing camera with 180-degree view
• Rear occupant alert
• Driver attention monitoring
• Evasive steering assist
• Forward collision warning

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Ford Tourneo cost to run?

All Fords sold in Australia are backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and include capped-price servicing.

Maintenance is required every 12 months or 30,000km. That’s a longer distance interval than some rivals, like the Carnival (non-hybrid), which require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km.

To see how the Ford Tourneo lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Ford Tourneo

The Ford Tourneo is a prime example of a decent vehicle that’s overshadowed by a segment heavyweight.

It’s incredibly spacious and drives like a dream, but the Tourneo doesn’t have the polish to be considered a compelling alternative to, you guessed it, the Kia Carnival.

For Tourneo Active money you can get behind the wheel of a Carnival Sport+, which offers superior interior quality, more grunt, better fuel efficiency, and a seven-year warranty.

To top it off, the Carnival is a purpose-built people mover rather than an adapted delivery van and that shows in the packaging of both vehicles.

Sure, the Tourneo is a little roomier in its standard form and even more so with some seats removed, but the Carnival better meets the needs of the driver and passengers alike.

And that’s before we even consider other rivals including the Hyundai Staria and LDV Mifa, which both have their own unique selling points.

So, while you can make a case for the Tourneo as a left-field SUV substitute, it’s not the best vehicle in its class.

If you’re set on the Ford, it’s worth paying up for the flagship Titanium X, with its worthwhile selection of upmarket upgrades.

Interested in buying a Ford Tourneo? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

MORE: Everything Ford Tourneo

Pros

• Spacious passenger area
• Easy to drive
• User-friendly infotainment tech

Cons

• Workmanlike interior materials
• Sluggish diesel powertrain
• Expensive servicing