The next generation Ford Transit Courier will increase in size to bring it more closely into line with the Ford Transit Connect and other small van segment rivals.

The new Courier will be launched later this year in petrol and diesel variants, with an electric Courier due the following year.

"The E-Transit Courier is a critical part of our line-up," said Hans Schep, Ford Pro Europe general manager. "It’s a lot more than a replacement for the preiovus Courier, we’ve listened hard and completely reinvented the Courier nameplate."

That reinvention includes an increase in the van's size to increase overall storage length to 1.8m (up 182mm on the current Ford Transit Courier) and as much as 2.6m with a load-through bulkhead.

Overall cargo volume is up by 25% to 2.9m³ and the distance between the wheelarches has been increased to more than 1.2m. The new Ford Transit Courier can therefore now carry two europallets sideways rather than just one. Payload for the electric courier will be 700kg, while ICE vehicles will get 678kg as standard or a high payload option of 845kg.

Power for the Ford E-Transit Courier will come from a 100kW (136hp) electric motor producing 290Nm of torque. Details of the battery pack have not yet been revealed but expect a battery of at least 60kWh and a range well in excess of 400km (248 miles) if the claimed charging times are anything to go by.

Charging using an 11kW charger is said to take the battery from 10-100% in 5.7hrs, while a 100kW charge will add 87km in just 10 minutes and take the battery from 10-80% in 35mins.

The new Courier platform is based on the current Ford Puma passenger car. The previous Transit Courier used the Fiesta chassis, which will be discontinued. The EV platform for the new van is therefore the same equipment as the Puma.

On the inside the Transit Courier has been radically changed with a more modern and functional interior. The diesel and petrol vans will get an 8-inch touchscreen running Ford's Sync 4 as standard while the Ford E-Transit Courier will get an improved 12-inch screen.

The front of the E-Transit Courier, underneath the bonnet, also gets a 44-litre Frunk for storage.

Safety systems will include ADAS systems like pre-collision assit, lane keeping, auto high beam headlights and speed sign recognition. Optional systems will include the new Blue Oval lane centring and Adaptive Cruise Control.

The E-Transit Courier (pictured in blue) and the Transit Courier (in red) will all be built in Romania by Ford's partners Otosan - the same group that build the Ford Transit, Ford E-Transit and Ford Transit Custom. Total production in Romania, which will include Puma cars as well as passenger versions of the Courier, will reach as much as 272,000 vehicles.

The new Ford Transit Courier will begin production in Q3 2023, while the Ford E-Transit Courier will start life in Q4 2024.

Maximum loading	Outgoing model	E-Transit Courier	Increase
Length at floor level (mm)	1,621	1,803 (2,661 with load-through bulkhead)	182 (1,040 with load-through bulkhead)
Width between wheelarches (mm)	1,012	1,220	208
Maximum height (mm)	1,244	1,253	9
Volume (m3, SAE)	2.3	2.9	0.6
Gross payload (kg) 2	582	700	118