Ford LIGHTNING

The Transit Courier is the smallest of the four and sits on a small-car platform; depending on trim, its gross vehicle weight runs from roughly 1,910 to 2,165 kilograms. The Transit Connect is a separate model with a longer wheelbase, with a gross vehicle weight of about 2,220 to 2,450 kilograms. Both count as the compact class among Ford's vans and are mostly used for urban delivery work. For tradespeople with smaller loads, they are often the more economical choice compared with the larger Custom.

The Transit Custom forms the mid-size class, with a gross vehicle weight of roughly 2,770 to 3,225 kilograms depending on the 280, 300 or 320 payload rating. The large Transit panel van covers a range of about 2,940 to 3,500 kilograms. As a double-cab chassis, Ford has offered a 5-tonne version since 2020. That heaviest variant exceeds the 3.5-tonne threshold of the N1 category and is legally classed as N2, with different licensing and registration requirements.

When buying used, it is worth checking the exact type designation on the registration document, such as "Transit 350" or "Custom 320", since payload and towing capacity differ considerably between them. It also matters whether the vehicle is a panel van or one of the passenger Tourneo Courier, Tourneo Connect or Tourneo Custom variants, which share the same platforms but are registered and taxed differently. Anyone needing high payload should ask specifically for the higher-rated version, since base models usually sit at the lower end of their weight bracket. For the heaviest 5-tonne chassis, a category C1 licence is required, which private buyers can easily overlook.