Ford Transit Custom PHEV And Transit Connect PHEV First Drives

Unlike the company’s previous integration of hybrid powertrains into its panel vans, Ford Pro’s latest PHEV light commercial vehicles feature a fully hybrid system. The original Ford Transit Custom PHEV I drove back in 2020 was a range-extending hybrid that was an interesting experiment I enjoyed my time with, but ultimately fell short of expectations - especially when its 1.0-litre petrol engine kicked in to charge the internal battery and the cabin environment became a deafening place to occupy.
However, that early experience aside, if you’re looking for a ‘too long didn’t read’ soundbite to take away from the top of this article it’s this: if once I was a PHEV panel van skeptic, Ford’s PHEV panel vans have made me do a 180-degree spin. Let’s dig into why.

Ford’s new PHEV panel vans use fully hybrid powertrains, with both working in the same way but using different petrol engines.
In the case of the Transit Custom, this hybrid system is the same one you’ll find on the next-gen Kuga SUV passenger vehicle. It combines a 227PS 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor that work together to use electric or fuel power to drive the vehicle based on how it's being driven. Once charged, the van has 25-35 miles of electric range to offer, with a max payload of 1350kg to make use of. Meanwhile, the Transit Connect couples a 1.5-litre petrol engine to an electric motor delivering 150PS and 350Nm of torque through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Maximum payload is 770 kg and maximum trailer weight is 1,400kg. Transit Connect PHEV has up to 68 miles of electric range on offer.

The Ford PHEV panel vans that were test driven were the following models:
- Ford Transit Connect PHEV, Limited trim level, automatic transmission. - Ford Transit Custom PHEV, Sport trim level, automatic transmission, L1 H1. Both vehicles were driven on the same 30-minute test loop (nearly 40 minutes in London traffic) through Stratford, offering a good blend of open urban roads, a tight double-parked high street, multiple traffic light stops, and even a multi-story car park.

The smaller of the two vans - the Ford Transit Connect PHEV - handles like a car thanks to its smaller wheelbase and more compact size. The driving position is higher than I expected with good comfort and a commanding view over the dashboard to the nose of the vehicle. The interior is fresh and clean with a nice blend of durable grey and shiny black plastics on the surfaces, and light grey fabrics on the seats - it’s more akin to a car’s interior than a van’s, but that’s always been the way in the Transit Connects I’ve driven through the years. Drive selection is made using a small joystick where a gear stick would normally be in a manual vehicle, and the electric handbrake release button is in the same place just next to an ample double cup holder. The driver information screen behind the steering wheel is filled with information (maybe a little too much) but it can be customised on the fly. The new Transit Connect also looks good with its big grille, swooping headlights and scooped detailing at the front end, which the metallic grey paint colour accentuated well.
The drive on electric power is incredibly smooth and quiet, and definitely my preferred way to drive the van. Being smaller allows you to continue making progress in the Transit Connect through tighter roads where the Transit Custom would have to be stopped to allow oncoming traffic to pass. Acceleration away from traffic lights was immediate and I was grateful for the response from the pedal on a couple of occasions to get past parked vehicles blocking my lane. London traffic and speed restrictions prevented me from opening the vehicle up fully, but every pedal press hints at bags of power waiting to be used. It’s an incredibly smooth vehicle to drive and, having driven my own electric car to the event, it felt very familiar in size and driving habits. As an urban trades vehicle, the Transit Connect PHEV is a great vehicle to drive, I have no doubt it would also handle motorways well. It’s comfortable, the steering is light and the wheel covered with intuitive controls, and the infotainment system was easy to pair my phone up to for Android Auto mirroring. That said, the navigation system on Ford’s Sync system is easier to follow than some competing systems - in fact, I found its driving instructions even easier to follow (and often more correct) than Google Maps! On my first loop, the Ford system showed all lanes I could use while highlighting the correct ones, while Google Maps seemed to miss off several lanes at a junction on my second loop and caused me to miss a turning.

A step up in size to the Ford Transit Custom PHEV is immediately noticeable from the far higher driving position and spacious cabin environment. This latest version of the UK’s favourite medium van is already highly rated - as you can see in our review - and its cabin is one of the best on the market, even more so in the Sport trim level model I was able to drive. Grey and black durable plastics on the dashboard are complemented by shiny black plastics around the screens and on the steering wheel - everything feels tough and stylish. The seats are very comfortable and marked with twin blue lines that echo the exterior flat grey paintwork and twin-line black decals that run from the front to the back along the top of the vehicle.
Like its smaller counterpart, the drive on electric power is very smooth and confident with bags of power available, and is my new favourite way to drive a Transit Custom. It’s significantly larger than the Transit Connect, so you have to drive it like a van taking care on corners and in tighter streets. Acceleration was strong and I found it easy to get away from traffic lights or junctions with gentle touches of the accelerator pedal. Drive selection is made with a stalk to the right of the steering wheel, but I didn’t need to touch it unless I was parking or reversing. The driver information display behind the steering wheel is clean and clear, which I prefer, and was far more simple to look at than the one in the Transit Connect. The big infotainment screen is sharp, and the navigation system is very easy to follow compared to some competing systems currently available. A notable inclusion is the useful sensor array on the outside of the vehicle, paired with a rear-view camera feeding a display mounted where a rear-view mirror would be in a car - it’s a great addition that I’m beginning to see creeping into higher trims of many vans on the UK market. The new Transit Custom PHEV Sport is now my favourite version of the van. It offers drivers everything you’d need from a medium van in terms of practicality, so much tech and safety equipment, and the best medium van cabin on the market right now. I’d strongly recommend arranging a loan or test drive of the Transit Custom PHEV if you are looking for a new van - Ford Pro has nailed the Transit Custom’s winning formula with the PHEV version. I am really looking forward to getting one on a longer loan period to properly evaluate it for review.

If you’re looking for a fully hybrid van that bridges the gap between fuel and electric power before you have to take the plunge to full electric, then the Transit Custom and Transit Connect PHEVs are easy to recommend. The OTR prices are also competitive - the Transit Connect Limited model I drove sits at £33,580.83 and the Transit Custom Sport model sits at £43,684.83 - and those get even better on finance deals or on a lease when those costs are broken down over time. Depending on the size of van a business needs, I’d wager many people start their search with a Ford Transit Custom and work up or down in size - so take a look at the PHEV next time you’re browsing and definitely arrange a test drive!

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