I can report they are all spacious and comfortable. I am pleasantly surprised; the ride height is good and from the driver back this will make others feel more confident and I did myself after a short period of time. For a personalised finance quote or a valuation on your vehicle, talk to your local sales team. Then we have the Rain Sensing Wipers, again not an innovative feature but very necessary for the British weather and putting all these packages together driving the X in any weather is a very relaxing experience because you can keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel and just confidently drive through the worst possible weather feeling relaxed. I was then helped to exit the Tosca xs without the winch and whilst I wasnt in any danger, its a long way to travel at someone elses mercy so my advice is to have a winch fitted if you have a manual wheelchair, its well worth it. The only minor niggle for the driver is on fuel filling with the filler cap sited next to the front passenger door. The images of vehicles on our website are range shots, they may not accurately reflect the vehicle you are looking at and are intended for illustrative purposes only. Please note we are unable to offer this vehicle on the Motability scheme but do have lease and hire purchase options readily available. The SmartFlare and SmartFlat ramps are both the same length so both have 15-degree slopes compared to the SmartFold ramp at 12.5 degrees which is longer. Now a width of 1082mm at wheelchair entry for the SmartFlare ramp might not sound like a lot but it makes a huge difference to the angle the vehicle can receive a wheelchair user allowing greater flexibility in more restricted spaces and a greater margin for error. Once you have turned the key or started it remotely, the Custom come alive, automatically switching on the LED daylight running lights and Im a big fan of these. This is where SMV Ltd differ, attention to detail makes all the difference for a wheelchair users experience as well as any others who will travel with them. The vehicle I am in and describing to you has the non-Isofix seats in row two hence the slightly wider gap, in fact, the seat edges are inside the lower floor width on each side. Mechanical:128bhp, 1,998cc 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6-speed automatic gearbox. There are other features of this vehicle that help enormously when considering other road traffic but Ill start with the wing mirrors. The dashcam will always be recording the forward view so there is no risk any incident will be missed should anything untoward happen on the route. Of course, we werent doing this for comfort we were doing it to test what it felt like on a wheelchair users behalf. The oversteer is quite possibly due to the reduction in weight of some vehicles post-conversion and isnt really an issue with a standard build vehicle so I am in no way suggesting this is a design fault. We know everyones pain is different, different wheelchairs behave differently and we all drive differently so this was just a test to get a feel for how it all came together, and the results were very pleasing. We will never sell your information and will treat it with respect. As a wheelchair accessible vehicle, I found the Caravelle to oversteer and therefore I was always cautious when approaching bends. We can also trim the tip and fold seats in the Xs same Dark Palazzo leather for that finishing touch and are very excited about this, it looks amazing. In other words, it works effectively, isnt alarming and allows the driver to act appropriately with enough time or, let the X do it for you. Despite the overall size, it's an extremely easy vehicle to drive. TRADITIONAL large vans converted in some form to become people carriers have always had their own niche in the car market. In difficult driving conditions this is a huge bonus and having Static Cornering Lights is the icing on the cake. Although I am not a wheelchair user, I wanted and needed to know what it would be like as a wheelchair passenger to enter the Tosca, travel aboard, and exit the vehicle too. If you feel too tall in a WAV, its not a great feeling but we have worked hard on the Tosca conversion to ensure balance in all matters for all users whether wheelchair-bound or not. This doesnt suit everyone but at least you, the customer, can decide from a choice of three ramp styles because after all, who gives you a choice out there in WAV land. Ford Ranger Wildtrak double cab 2.0-litre EcoBlue automatic. Following on from this aspect of wheelchair user position we also need to consider where a wheelchair user sits relatively inside a lowered floor WAV; in relation to what is around them. Moving on to other driving aids that instil us to confidently press the loud pedal we find Pre-Collision Assist which will warn you if it looks like you are going to have an impact. Based on your search find the dealership nearest to you. Having deliberately chosen a rough and narrow road to be transported down and, bear in mind I was in a basic manual wheelchair, I was again surprised by the lack of juddering and bouncing in the vehicle. Ford Options Finance payments quoted are subject to a deposit allowance, a customer contribution, and finance approval by Ford Credit (FCE Bank Europe) with a typical representative APR. The Custom I am driving is an L1 lowered floor Titanium X with four standard seats plus a tip and fold seat in the rear as opposed to the original 8 standard seats in an unconverted X and it handles extremely well instilling confidence when driving the vehicle and, in very testing road conditions. Pye Motors is a limited company registered in England. The emphasis can be adjusted around the vehicle, to the front cabin or the rear as well as having fade and balance so it really is surround sound. Further charges may be made subject to the condition of the vehicle, if the vehicle is returned at the end of the finance agreement. The tip and fold seats we can fit in the L1 and L2 Tosca are the most comfortable we could find, and we tested a few! In this Tosca conversion, the distance between the seats and the floor space in front means my wheelchair sat far enough forward for me to be sitting exactly where the middle seat would have been with passengers on either side of me, not just in front of me but exactly where I wanted to be, with them. *Finance Facility Fee is payable with the first instalment. The width at the entry of the SmartFlare ramp is 1082mm which narrows to 782mm and this is the maximum ramp width the Custom can accommodate, this means that the maximum floor width inside the Custom is a tad greater. Despite its size and heritage, I can truly call the Tourneo (that word distinguishes it from its more basic Transit sibling) Custom a car because thats exactly what it feels like to drive. It has three settings so you can change the sensitivity and it is intelligent. There is bags of room inside with plenty of sensible storage spaces and ample head and leg room. We are also happy to fit dashcams that can be switched to an internal view so a front passenger can observe a wheelchair user in the rear if necessary and there are also several other specification benefits we can have fitted at the build stage, locally or during conversion so please ask. Further down the page, you will find a glossary of the specification and descriptions of what each really does. Of course, if you are entering in an electric wheelchair that is different, but I think a winch should be considered here too, most electric wheelchairs have a neutral switch (and a finite battery life) and coming backwards out of any WAV can certainly be a challenge for some and sometimes a little intimidating too. Interestingly on a standard Custom with 8 seats, you do in fact lose approximately 150mm from the bottom of the rear window because of the 3rd row of seats. Finance subject to status. I have travelled in all seats in a Custom Titanium X as well as both the Tosca and Lucca conversions seats with wheelchair users present. Electrically operated, heated and power-foldable auto-fold door mirrors with body-colour housings, blind spot eliminator and integrated side indicator the mirrors are superb and almost all blind spots are eliminated, Integrated sunblinds on second row windows, plus third row windows on L2 models increase your privacy or cut the sunlight down, Rear-view camera in conjunction with the 8 touchscreen display which shows you the vehicle direction as it changes and where you will end up on your current course and it is pinpoint accurate. Now, I know this is not innovative technology but how many WAVS come with something like this, the truth is not many. The X also makes light of 3 point turns and manoeuvring generally is quite simple and nimble too. With Ford Acquire you can tailor your finance package to suit your budget and lifestyle. All seats can fold, tumble, stow or be removed maximum flexibility which is perfect for our Lucca x conversion allowing for a wheelchair friendly space quickly, Front & Rear air zoned conditioning with pollen filter, Leather-trimmed steering wheel leather on a steering wheel always feels good in the hands and helps with grip to as well as being warmer, Cruise control with Adjustable Speed Limiter adaptive cruise control means the vehicle will slow down and speed up when it senses traffic ahead, this is very helpful and does take getting used to. Power now comes from a much cleaner 2.0-litre 128bhp diesel powering the front wheels coupled to a six-speed automatic gearbox which has exceptionally quick and smooth gearchanges. It really does perform when you need or want it to. No car with all these features is going to feel safe unless it can handle properly and this for me was probably the biggest surprise. We use cookies on our website to analyse our traffic and share information about your use of the website with our analytic partners. Choose from one or more of the options to find the car for you. Remote control central locking with two key fobs will beep the horn twice if the vehicle is not 100% secure when locked, Front and rear parking distance sensors these give extremely good indicators of where your vehicle is in the tightest of spots, Privacy glass on rear windows we can take this to a chauffeur tint although it is a good grade of opacity from the factory build, Versatile Conference Seating with second-row individual seating, which can rotate, and third-row 2+1 seats. Improvements to the chassis and suspension make it a whole different ball game - this Tourneo even had the 1,104 option of rear air suspension to further improve comfort. Remember too, there are more than enough USB ports located near the passenger seats in the vehicle and the rear air conditioning is zoned separately from the front, so you are in control in the rear. We have now added as standard Fords BLIS to all new order vehicles which you can read about below at the end of this blog under additionally included specifications. I must say when the X first did this, I was a bit puzzled but within a couple of minutes the benefits are very apparent, we dont realise how much we have to fuss about with our lights without this feature. Incidentally, I know WAV drivers do worry about upsetting other drivers in car parks as they often have to inconvenience other vehicles movements but my advice is dont worry about what other people think, those that are small-minded enough to be that intolerant arent angry because of your needs, its just them and you are best to ignore what think, the SmartFlare ramp will help of course as it means your vehicle wont be so far forward and less obstructive to others. The only way you will know this of course is to come and try it for yourself and we know that not all Customs are equal. I seem to be led to turn the key as if I had driven this vehicle many times before. As we use the Ford original seats, we are also very pleased to confirm that one of the row 2 seats can be reversed so a passenger can face backwards during travel which can be highly advantageous for a carer supporting a wheelchair user with greater or ongoing needs whilst in transit. It was all fairly crude with no comfort but it did the job. The Tourneo Custom Titanium X combined with our conversion and all the options you, our customer, decide on make our WAVs unique in the marketplace. The dashboard is clear and concise in its lay out and there's an infotainment system plus heated seats and door mirrors, cruise control, adjustable speed limiter, LED daytime running lights, blind spot warnings, a rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors and much more. Having the winch between the two front seats gives maximum access and floor space forward for the wheelchair user allowing them to go right between the second row Ford leather Dark Palazzo seats which only we use in our conversions. I can make it with the X in one turn which some smaller cars cant do which is remarkable and very helpful too. By David Ward on 2019-02-02 - David Ward is a motoring journalist with over 40 years of continuous coverage of the motor industry working for national, regional and local newspapers along with motoring and consumer magazines. I recently had to drive through some quite severe side winds and very heavy rain in the X, and I am very pleased to report that the Tosca xs L1 Tourneo Custom Titanium X I was driving behaved itself very well indeed. With wheelchair accessible vehicles, the importance of all who travel in them being helped and supported whilst the vehicle is in use is paramount in our view. You wont have any trouble stopping in a hurry if you need to, I have felt in total control in an emergency braking situation as I tested it to see how it behaved. We have tested all combinations of seating with 6 passengers in the rear of an unconverted vehicle and both our Lucca and Tosca conversion models too with their various seating patterns. Of course, you can come and test drive ours and see for yourself, we are all different, but heres what I think and feel to give you some insight. Required fields are marked *. This is almost certainly down to the 17 tyres, a superior chassis and Fords attention to the stability of this vehicle which has certainly paid off because I can now happily confirm there is nothing so far that has phased me, or the X, whatever the road conditions are. Automatic headlights with auto dip and full beam these are magic, and I have never been flashed by anyone, they just work brilliantly and I never realized how often I switch the lights between dip and full beam or how many times driver error has annoyed another driver. The SmartFlare, as its name suggests, is flared so a wheelchair user has a greater angle to enter from and this means the vehicle doesnt have to be so far away from whatever is behind it for a wheelchair user to enter. Dont get me wrong I am not claiming the Custom is superior to these marques, but it does represent excellent value for money against them and is quite different too. I was truly amazed that almost immediately I sat in the Custom I felt confident to start it up straight away. Nighttime driving is an absolute treat in the X as the headlights have Auto High Beam assist which means the vehicle will automatically switch between high beam and dip when appropriate. That having been said, it really isnt all about the driver when it comes to WAVs but the driver does need to know what its like to be in and drive because after all a confident driver driving safely generally makes for relaxed passengers too. After all, we know that when people come to us for a WAV they ask many questions that are quite different than when people are looking at standard vehicles so we know whats important to a driver, a wheelchair passenger and seated passengers too. To this end, included on all our vehicles from December 2019 on are the following: Your email address will not be published. We will of course advise you on the best ramp option for your circumstances and, although they will all work well, we know which ramp suits different types of the wheelchair so you can be assured of getting the right one for you. If its not for you it can be switched off via the steering wheel controls, Carpet floor covering in passenger and luggage compartment, Electrically operated front windows with one- shot up/down on drivers side, Rear courtesy lights with theatre-style dimming the Titanium X is very well lit, not too bright and the lighting works very well, Inside and outside of the vehicle when starting up, powering down, running or stationery, Drivers airbag, front passengers airbag, front-seat side thorax airbags and side curtain airbags. The MPG figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results, are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience. Such vehicles have now moved up market and offer far more sophistication in their make up along with all the latest technology. Along with the front and rear parking sensors all eyes can be on the screen, Bi-Xenon headlights, including LED daytime running lights and static cornering lights bendy lights on cornering which really help with visibility from the driving position, Leather trim (Salerno Leather in Palazzo, or Dark Palazzo) we recommend Dark Palazzo as the light is very light, 10-way power-adjustable and heated drivers seat with lumbar support get comfy in any position with the driver seat and the steering wheel. Fords growth in the van market has certainly helped them to have the edge with the distinction that really does make it a better vehicle than anything else in its class in my humble opinion. It really is a most refined engine that's responsive enough with a stop/start system. David Ward is a motoring journalist with over 40 years of continuous coverage of the motor industry working for national, regional and local newspapers along with motoring and consumer magazines. Ford has been building this newest and most superior version of the X on the Transit platform since 1953 and they have always focussed on the driver and their needs since the early days, so it comes as no great surprise that 66 years later it has been developed to near perfection. Your email address will not be published. Drivers of large people carriers always tend to worry about the vehicle's height and whether it will fit into normal car parks. As a driver, I am always impressed with long lists of specifications for a vehicle but rarely do understand most of it before I start pressing buttons. The WAV industry is typically loaded with low specification vehicles and this is what inspired us to convert the X, it just has so many well thought out features that are beneficial to all who enter, we couldnt resist it! This is quite an achievement as usually we usually find ourselves craning our necks to ensure we dont have someone in our blind spot which the Custom just doesnt seem to have much trouble with. Secretly I also had more confidence in the winch than the person pushing me in which I dont think should be a surprise to some wheelchair users out there. All rights reserved. By using this website you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience. If you then compare Ford to other marques, the X fits in beautifully next to its Mercedes and Volkswagen cousins which also do a great job in the wheelchair accessible vehicle industry. Fords main (and obvious) contender, the Volkswagen Caravelle, is still considered to be the van to be in and for many years has ruled the roads in its size and class. As each of our conversions has a bespoke build and finish, we weigh up these factors when discussing the available options with the customer who buys each X and build to individual specification so we will always discuss all aspects of the build with you. Of course, if there are aspects of the X you simply arent interested in, we are more than happy to source you a Titanium or Zetec specification model, just ask and we will cost it for you. Registered number: 204727. Then and only then could I report on how it feels for a wheelchair passenger. Me, well it works for me and as I have tried most WAVs in the marketplace in a wheelchair myself and have realised its not just about the ramp angle and visibility, its all the little things that much of the industry seems to have forgotten or overlooked. That's a rather conservative figure and over some 600 miles of mainly motorway driving this Tourneo returned an impressive 41.4mpg, admittedly while not fully loaded. Once I am settled and am secured in properly, I take a proper look around me, I am between my fellow passengers and at eye level with them too with excellent all-round visibility too. Freepost Ford Credit. 4 Isofix seats this will depend on the conversion that works for you and is discussed during each customers vehicle build planning, An extended 5-year dealer warranty it says just what it does on the tin. If you set your vehicle up with the heated seats on when you use the FordPass app your seats will be heated when you enter the vehicle, such a bonus and a great touch by Ford in our view. The distance between the row 2 seats can vary if the Isofix seats are required as on a standard pre-conversion X these are located on the outer ends of row 2 and row 3 and number 4 in total. VAT number: 153686543, Chartered Trading Standards Institute logo, Leather trim in either Palazzo or Dark Palazzo colours, SYNC 3 DAB / FM / AM Radio with Satellite Navigation, 8" TFT touch screen, includes Applink, High Intensity Discharge headlights with LED Day Running Lights with static cornering headlights, Adaptive Cruise Control (Free of Charge option). For passengers the ride is a far cry from those earlier Transit days. The visibility in the rear-view mirror, and this depends on the conversion you have, gives confidence that you can see exactly what you need to see. The steering column has sensible flexibility about it ensuring the Titanium X will suit any driver or driving style. It's ideal too for hotels, posh restaurants and airlines transporting people around and has all the hallmarks of an expensive and luxurious mode of a travel - just like a top executive limousine.