Ford Transit Custom Envisioned As Toyota Beater In Australia

The Ford Transit Custom has long been a top-seller across Europe, where consumers gravitate heavily toward vans – particularly, in the commercial side of the business. However, the all-new Ford Transit Custom was just added to the automaker’s lineup in Australia recently, and there are plenty of units already sitting on dealer lots. There, it seems as The Blue Oval feels like the new Transit Custom poses a threat to one of its chief rivals as well.

That rival is Toyota, according to CarExpert, and FoMoCo feels like the Transit Custom is well-poised to take the medium van sales crown in Australia from the HiAce. Last year, that model commanded 35.3 percent of its segment in Australia, with 7,133 units sold – far ahead of the second place LDV G10 (3,638 units sold last year for an 18 percent market share), as well as the third-place Ford Transit Custom, which sold 2,843 units in 2023 and held a 14.1 percent share of the medium van market. In Q4, the E-Transit Custom will also launch in Australia, giving customers an all-electric alternative that Toyota doesn’t currently offer, too.

“I think there’s no doubt that it has all the hallmarks of a commercial leadership position for vans, absolutely,” said Ford Australia’s fleet general manager, Christine Wagner. “One of the strengths of HiAce has been the fact that they’ve had excellent supply, so if you needed a van you were able to access one and you were able to access it rapidly. I think we just need to do a great job of showcasing [the Transit Custom’s benefits], and I suspect there’ll be a lot of customers – HiAce included, probably others – that will come along for the ride. Right now, we think the BEV is the right solution for Australia at the right time, and we really want to maximize its opportunity for success.”

The Blue Oval – which has been eyeing Toyota as a quality benchmark as of late – has already watched the Ford Ranger take the mid-size pickup sales crown from the Toyota Hilux in Australia. Now, it’s keen to replicate the success the Ford Transit Custom – which will enjoy a rather long 11-year production cycle in its current form – has long enjoyed in Europe and the UK, too.

We’ll have more on the Ford Transit Custom soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and ongoing Ford news coverage.