Practical and fuel efficient: Ford’s Tourneo Sport and Titanium X are  more than just minibuses

When I attended the launch of the Ford Tourneo Sport and Titanium X models in KwaZulu-Natal last August, we just had a day to feel the cars and get a sense of what they were like to drive. 

It left a good first impression on me but I needed to spend some more time with both vehicles. 

There are a few differences between the Sport and Titanium X models. 

The latter is a slightly more luxurious experience, with leather seats all around and heated front seats, a chrome-accent grille and 19-inch alloy wheels, while the former gets more design features on the exterior, with rear splash guards and sports stripes along the hood and comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, although customers do have the option of getting 19-inch wheels.

The Titanium X also includes a 360 degree camera system while the Sport only gets a reverse camera. 

It’s safe to say I enjoyed looking at the Sport variant more but enjoyed being in the Titanium X variant more. 

I just like that little bit of extra comfort when driving. I enjoy a heated seat when I’m feeling cold and I like having a 360 degree camera, especially on bigger vehicles. 

But that’s as far as the differences go. 

When it comes to driving, both vehicles use two litre turbocharged engines that deliver 125kW of power and 390Nm of torque that is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. 

The vehicle is an eight-seater and it is large, so it’s not going to be powerful but it is not meant to be. However, it is smooth and if you need the extra power, it’s no slouch either.

I used it as a daily vehicle to run errands, go to the padel courts and travel to see family but at no point did I feel like a bus driver or in an awkward spot.

It felt easy to drive, the handling was great and even though it was large, it didn’t feel bulky.  

What was most impressive to me is that the fuel consumption on both the Tourneo Sport and Titanium X was below 9 litres/100km. 

But it does come in handy when you have a lot of passengers and luggage. 

During my time with the Titanium X model, I had to shuttle my family from the airport. They had nine suitcases and the boot of the Tourneo ate up those bags easily. If extra space was needed, the flat floor will help as well. 

Essentially, we maintained the same comfort with six of us and nine suitcases. 

The only gripe I have with the Tourneo Sport and Titanium X is that the gear shifter has been moved to the right-hand column of the steering. Normally, a Ford’s indicator is located there. The indicator has been moved to the left side. I like consistency with brands and, although this is a small issue that you can get used to, it’s slightly annoying at first as you keep knocking the gear shifter when trying to indicate.

Pricing and verdict

Personally, I would opt for this over a seven-seater, because each passenger gets enough space. I find that seven-seaters generally give comfort to the five passengers but the third row of seats is meant for small kids at best. 

The Tourneo Sport and Titanium X are practical and also fuel efficient and go beyond just being small minibuses. They are actually vehicles that a family can enjoy. 

The Sport is priced at R1 218 000 and the Tourneo Titanium X at R1 264 000. 

Ford is looking to gain more of the market in the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment. 

As of 2025, they only held 6% of market share, while Hyundai leads the MPV segment with 37% followed by Mercedes-Benz which takes 32% of the market.

As impressive as the Tourneo is, it does not help their cause that VW has also launched the Transporter, which is pretty much the same as the Tourneo at a slightly more affordable price.