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There was plenty riding on the Ford Transit, not least

22nd November 2007
Page 48
Page 49
Page 48, 22nd November 2007 — There was plenty riding on the Ford Transit, not least
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the fact tnat it holds the European Van of the Year title. It's already garnered the CMthumbs up; tested here in 2.4-litre, 114hp RWD guise this legend of the CV world faced its stiffest challenge yet.

Driveline The verdict from the majority of testers was that the 114hp lump in the Transit was a strong engine that did its job with ease, though one driver felt that it could have done with a touch more power during the hilly, winding sections heading towards central Wales.

Coupled with the slick, six-speed manual transmission this made for comfortable and smooth driving; noise levels were pleasantly low.

Dynamics The Transit's steering feels as accurate as a sporty hot-hatch, yet it did not require any more bicep input than any other van in the group and feedback from the road was excellent.

While its roadholding received much praise, one item came in for unanimously criticism-the brake pedal feel. The brakes themselves were good enough; it was the spongy feel of the pedal that put people off, It sits rather high and moves a long way before the brakes really start biting. As arguably the most important control on the vehicle it would be nice to see the travel in the brake decreased and the brake response sharpened up a touch.

Cabin While the Transit's cabin is one of the smarter examples in the bunch, it also felt as though it had the least space. As with the Citroen, some drivers felt that the headroom could have been higher for those over six feet tall and the dash was a touch too bulky.

But it did incorporate a range of useful storage compartments, catering for the majority of the average van driver's needs.

The stereo received much praiseit's easy to use with a sound quality most modern cars would be proud of. Visibility came in for some criticism, with some drivers feeling that the blindspot mirror was inadequate. he previous version of lveco's Daily didn't do too well in the ages of CMdue to its lack of inspiration and focus. But the latest carnation rolled off the line boasting styling by famed Italian esigner Giorgetto Giugiaro, both inside and out.

Then there was the claim of improved build quality: an issue that lighted the earlier version.

Arriving with 135hp under the bonnet (evidently it was the only odel on Iveco's test fleet that had been sufficiently run in) it certainly ad enough power, and with a truck-derived ladder frame chassis nd rear-wheel drive it also came with heavy-duty credentials.

iriveline

swell as inevitable references to the power there were also ompliments for the engine's refinement and strong torque delivery: here was plenty of go from low down, and with only five ratios this llowed torque to be used instead of constantly changing. However, references were also made to a degree of snatch in the nit becoming raucous as it approached the red line.

itriveline and noise levels weren't as muted as some, with the 2.3-litre ynamics ith rear-wheel drive there can be difficulty getting the power down n the asphalt but the iveco managed to remain composed in orners when under pressure, though it didn't feel as wieldy and fleet f foot as some. The steering was also vague and the truck-like size Ef the wheel demanded serious arm twirling, But it was also easy to drive, allowing drivers to hop in and start up ithout having to adjust your style or work round any character traits.

abin There were mixed feeling when it came to the interior, with the overall design getting the thumbs up thanks to the practically laid out controls and sound storage — practical cubbies and well placed switchgear abound.

However, this was let down by a level of build quality that couldn't touch the likes of the Mercedes. There was a lack of crispness to the controls.

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