Courier ready for action
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• Ford has released full details of its new contender in the UK high-cube van market, the Fiesta Courier. It will go on sale here in October after making its debut at the Barcelona Show, As anticipated, the Courier uses the mechanicals of the Fiesta hatchback van but the similarity stops at the front doors as the van has completely new rear bodywork including a longer wheelbase.
The cab roof is about 200mm higher and the wheelbase of the new floorpan has been extended by over 250mm.
Torsion-bar rear suspension has been adopted by Ford to ensure minimum intrusion into the load space: the torsion bars run transversely under the van with steeply inclined dampers.
The beam axle pivots around a pair of trailing arms and the outer end of each torsion bar is rigidly located to each trailing arm. A second beam, attached to the inner end of the torsion bars, acts as an anti-roll bar.
Progressive-rate polyurethane spring assisters are also fitted at the rear.
Ford says the high-cube body gives a load volume of 2.51113: smaller than either the Fiat Fiorino (2.7m3) or the Renault Extra (2.6m3), but slightly larger than the Seat Terra (2.45m). At 1,700mm the load floor is 380mm longer than the Fiesta van's and, according to Ford, is the best in its class.
Like the larger Escort, the floor features six tie-down hooks. Two vertical bars protect the driver from flying parcels — a steel tower/wire-mesh upper bulkhead and a tailored racking system are available as options.
The wrap-over twin rear doors are similar to those fitted to the Escort van. They have two opening positions at 90 and 165% are fitted with heated rear windows and can be slain locked. The net payload of both diesel and petrol Couriers is 515kg. As well as comfortably exceeding the 300kg capacity of the standard Fiesta van this matches the Escort 40 models — which have less load volume.
Under the bonnet is the same 1.8-litre IDI diesel that powers the Fiesta and Escort; for some markets it is fitted with exhaust gas recirculation.
With its extra weight, the Courier is not a suitable candidate for the 1.0 and 1.1-litre petrol engines used in the Fiesta van, Instead, it relies on the 1.3litre HCS unit found in the Escort; this comes with or without a catalyst and both petrol and diesel engines have a fivespeed gearbox as standard.
The cab is taken directly from the standard Fiesta, but the higher roofline leaves room for a parcel shelf above windscreen level on the passenger side.
All Fiesta Couriers will be built in the UK at Ford's Dagenham plant: more than 75% of the 40,000 units scheduled to be produced annually are destined for export.
Prices will be critical to the Courier's success in this competitive sector.
With its competitors starting at under £5,500, and the cheapest Escort costing around /7,000, the newcomer is likely to be pitched on a level with the standard Fiesta, somewhere between £6,000 and £7,500.