We recently wrote about the utilitarian role of the automobile, something that is occasionally glossed over in contemporary discussions around car design. How a car looks and drives – and whether you can easily connect your phone to it – are of course the first and most important questions to consider these days. But beyond that, what the car allows you to do is something that requires a bit of a deeper consideration.

When it came to creating the new Tourneo Courier, Ford’s design team had quite the challenge on its hands. This is a vehicle that straddles both the passenger and commercial segment, moving both people and goods. It needs to be undeniably useful and rugged, but also carry a softer side to hit the expectations of families and younger outdoorsy folk who would usually go for a crossover of sorts. (In a way, aren’t cars like the Tourneo the ultimate crossover?)

The new model was revealed earlier this year with production beginning last week at Ford Otosan’s factory in Craiova, southwest Romania. We caught up with the European design team, split across Cologne and Istanbul, to learn more about the project and how they managed to balance the needs of two very different sets of customers. At least, that’s what we assumed, but it turns out there are parallels between those using a Tourneo for work and those using it for play (and general family-like taxi services). 

As well as…