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Spotted! The new Transit out on the roads in Michigan

23rd August 2012
Page 8
Page 8, 23rd August 2012 — Spotted! The new Transit out on the roads in Michigan
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By George Barrow

THIS IS THE first picture of the new 2-tonne Ford Transit, which was seen on test in the US ahead of its launch next year.

Following on from the arrival of the Transit Custom at the CV Show in April, the newer, larger Transit van is expected to be similarly radical in design.

Although heavily disguised, this picture clearly shows revisions to the headlights, with wider and shorter units likely to make way for a more trapezoidal grille as seen on the Transit Custom.

The frontal dimensions also look to have been altered, with what looks like a higher bonnet line hinting at a shorter front overhang.

Dimensions for the new Transit aren’t expected to change radically, which means any savings upfront could lead to a roomier cab or larger loadspace area, while GVWs for the new model are expected to take up from where the Transit Custom (2,500kg to 3,325kg) leaves off.

This will mean the new range will comprise 3.5-tonne panel vans, crew cabs, chassis cabs and minibuses, but also rear-wheel-drive models of a similar GVW to the current generation 4.6-tonne models.

More importantly, with the new chassis no longer having to accommodate lightweight shortwheelbase models, it may allow Transit to punch even higher up the weight range and take on the likes of the Iveco Daily, which offers 5-tonne, 6.5-tonne and 7-tonne variants.

Unlike the Transit Custom, which will not be available in North America, the larger Transit, codenamed Trunker by its Essex design team, will go on sale worldwide. It will be powered by several variations of Ford’s recently launched 2.2-litre TDCi Stage V global engine. Internally, the new Transit is expected to focus on the communal requirements for larger vans, with a stronger focus on the passengers. This should mean more seating space for the second and third occupants, better storage and a less driver-focused dashboard than the Transit Custom.

It is also telling that the Transit was photographed on the roads in the Ford heartland of Michigan, as the firm clearly wants to make sure that its first global CV appeals to the right audience beyond Europe, especially as the new model will replace the popular Ford Econoline when it goes on sale in the US.


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