First-drive review: Ford E-Tourneo Courier electric MPV

Despite their obvious benefits in terms of practicality, MPVs don't appear particularly popular with manufacturers. 

There are, however, two brands that still offer a decent range of MPVs: Volkswagen and Ford. With both, their models are now all based on vans – something you'll notice not only when you step into the cabin, but also in terms of driving dynamics.

Ford's smallest MPV is the Tourneo Courier, which is offered with a petrol engine (read our full Ford Tourneo Courier review to see how it performed in our lab tests) and the electric E-Tourneo version that I’ve taken for a first drive.

It’s also one of just eight EVs eligible for the maximum £3,750 discount via the government’s Electric Car Grant.

Best MPVs: whether you're buying new or used, see the models that aced our lab tests

Ford E-Tourneo Courier: key manufacturer specs

Like the petrol Tourneo, the E-Tourneo was launched in early 2024, but UK deliveries didn’t start until late 2025 due to Ford focusing on manufacturing left-hand drive models.

Two trim levels are offered in the UK. The entry-level Titanium comes with front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, climate control, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Active has sportier looks, a sat nav and extra safety equipment.

Rivals are limited and include the Vauxhall Combo Life Electric (Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota also sell this car under their own names). The much larger Kia PV5 is also priced similarly to the E-Tourneo Courier.

Driving performance

The E-Tourneo Courier has 136hp, which ensures good low-speed acceleration in all driving modes despite the car’s near 1.7-tonne weight. At higher speeds, acceleration tails off and it can take time to get up to motorway speeds.

Performance is much brighter in the Sport driving mode, to the extent that the front wheels can spin slightly when you attempt to accelerate quickly at low speeds.

One unusual feature I discovered is that the E-Tourneo Courier’s top speed is restricted to around 65mph when you drive in the Eco driving mode. You can bypass this by switching modes, accelerating up to 70mph, then returning to Evo mode, but if you then drop below 65mph the speed restriction comes back into play.

You can also order speed ‘governors’ when buying a new Tourneo Courier, which permanently restricts the car’s top speed. They cost £60 each at the time of writing and are worth considering if you want to maximise your driving range and reduce the likelihood of getting a speeding ticket.

At low speeds, the E-Tourneo Courier’s cabin is a quiet place to sit. But road and wind noises are quite apparent at higher speeds, although I rarely found this to be uncomfortable. That can’t be said of the boot trim, which I often heard rattling during my test drive.

Like many EVs, the E-Tourneo Courier has a ‘one-pedal’ setting that lets you slow down and stop without using the brake pedal. I found it was extremely effective in bringing the car to a halt. There’s also a weaker regenerative braking setting on the direction selector, which is also effective in slowing down (but not entirely stopping) the car.

When driving around corners, I noticed some body roll, but it's rarely an issue unless you make sudden manoeuvres when the car’s stability control system can sometimes intervene.

The E-Tourneo Courier’s steering is impressive as it’s easy to position the car when steering through corners and you don’t have to turn the steering too far. It’s also light enough to make driving in urban areas an easy task.

Wide roof pillars affect all-round visibility, although the windows are quite large so you get a good view of the road around you. A reversing camera and parking sensors are fitted to all cars; no other cameras are available, so parking can be challenging.

Ride comfort is acceptable in town, although I felt large potholes and depressions quite clearly in the cabin. It’s much more comfortable at higher speeds.

Interior: features and quality

Like many MPVs that are based on vans, interior quality isn’t great. While most of the trim is well-made, you can easily find sharp edges on the plastic trim. Lots of uncovered metal is visible inside, while hard, cheap-feeling plastic dominates the cabin. At least the centre armrest is padded and the door armrests have a small padded area on them.

All E-Tourneo Courier cars come with a 12-inch touchscreen (petrol Tourneo Courier cars have an eight-inch screen). It’s well-positioned and easy to use as the menus are clearly structured, although it wasn't always quick to respond to my inputs.

Unfortunately, nearly all of the climate controls can be controlled only through fixed touch areas at the bottom of the screen, which can be distracting. Interestingly, petrol models come with more physical cabin controls than the E-Tourneo Courier and a completely different screen layout.

The steering wheel has lots of easy-to-use physical buttons and the direction selector is located on the right-hand stalk behind the steering wheel. The digital instrument cluster can’t be configured much, but is easy to read. It’s also larger and more attractive than the display found in the petrol Tourneo Courier.

Wide-opening front doors and sliding rear ones mean that cabin access is very good. I discovered that when charging the car, you can't slide the left-hand door back far as normal due to the charging socket being located alongside the door rail.

The front seats are quite comfortable, but it felt like they’re designed to accommodate people that are shorter than me (I'm 6ft 2in). They could also have more side support. The flat bases of the rear seats mean they aren’t that supportive either.

Interior and storage space are where the E-Tourneo Courier really shines. There’s a vast amount of headroom for all passengers and while there isn’t as much legroom, four tall adults can fit into the cabin. Things get tighter if someone sits in the centre rear seat as well, although there’s only a tiny step in the floor for the transmission tunnel.

Unusually for an EV that’s based on a petrol vehicle, there’s a 44 litre under-bonnet storage area you can use, although it’s an odd shape and is more suitable for carrying tall, narrow items.

Ford says that up to 570 litres of boot space is available when the luggage cover is in place (it expands to 1,188 litres when the car is loaded to the roof). As much as 2,162 litres is available when the rear seats are completely folded (they can’t be removed completely).

While the boot is easy to load, the boot lid is very heavy and large. You'll also need a lot of space to open it fully. There’s only one pull cord to close it, which can make life difficult.

Ford E-Tourneo Courier: final thoughts

The electric version of the Tourneo Courier will, for most people, make more sense than the petrol model. It’s more refined, the interior screens are more modern than the petrol model and it has the potential to be much cheaper to run.

The biggest issue for a lot of potential owners could be the driving range which, at under 180 miles, is lower than its rivals. Its small battery and 100kW maximum charging speed means it doesn’t take long to charge, but you'll have to factor in multiple charging stops on longer journeys given the battery drains faster at motorway speeds.

Should I buy an electric car? The questions you need to ask yourself before making the switch