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Ford first to break cove
Page 31
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Ford's Transit will be one of the stars of this year's Commercial Veh Show in Birmingham. Andy Salter has had a sneak preview...
Take a look at th,. pictures and you could be forgiven for thinking the new Transit is just a minor facelift.At the front end there's a new grille and headlamps. while the rear end gets a minor tweak to the light cluster. But don't be fooled. With approximately 40% of the parts changed or replaced this seminal panel van has had much more than a wash and brush up.
There's no room here to go into all the detail changes. that will come later, hut on the evidence of our first look Ford has moved to address virtually all the shortcomings we. and many others, have identified in the outgoing version.
For starters van drivers will be pleased to note the interior noise issue has been addressed. New common-rail engines, improvements to the instrument panel and minor structural improvements have cut noise intrusion from the engine. A full bulkhead is now a standard fit (it's a delete option if you insist) which blocks road noise from the back end.
Other in-cab improvements include the relocation of the gear stick to the dashboard, aiding cross-cab access:criticism about the lack of storage space has been addressed with a plethora of cubhy holes and boxes, including a new glove compartment which is big enough for hanging A4 folders.
Power gets a boost across the range. The 2.0-litre engine in the front-wheel-drive version has been superseded by a 2.2-litre motor developed in the joint-venture with PSA. Top rating is now 130hp. up from 120hp in the old twolitre; torque gets a boost too. Likewise the 2.4-litre diesel in the rear-wheeldrive variant has been revamped to offer a top rating of 140hp with a whopping 375Nm of torque.
All engines feature com mon-rail combustion technology and meet the Euro-4 emissions limits for small diesels without resort to particulate filters. And in this case greener also means leaner: Ford claims the 2.2 and 2.4litre Transits are respectively up to 4% and 2% more fuel efficient than their predecessors.
Other changes include better braking with rear disc brakes. improved ride and handling and a new instrument panel which borrows much from Ford's car line-up.
At the business end Ford has listened to its customers and left the loadbox well alone.
Apart from some structural changes to improve its torsional strength the body is unaltered, which is good news for operators
who want to transfer racking and other bespoke equipment across to the new model. •