UP AND UNDER THE MIDI 15
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Launched in March 1985 as an alternative to the old CF model, the fifteen-seat
Bedford Midi personnel carrier flies around town but wanders on the motorway
• Since its launch in March 1985 the Bedford Midi has done much to shore up the company's market share in the panel van market. It has provided a narrow-bodied alternative to the ageing CF model and given purchasers the choice of a British version of a Japanese design.
Bedford offers the vehicle in a whole range of guises, including the top priced high-roof bus, which offers 15 seats, costs £8,185 plus VAT in petrol-engined form and accounts for around 7% of Midi sales.
By comparison the 1,993cc Ford Transit 130 is offered in 15-seat minibus form at £11,659, the 1,971cc Talbot Express Cargobus costs £9,560, and the 2,494cc Freight Rover Sherpa 310 is £10,928. Freight Rover also offers a 1,994cc Sherpa 250 with 15 seats at £6,865, but this is in crewbus form.
Unlike Ford, Talbot and Freight Rover, Bedford has chosen to fit 15 seats into a narrow. body. The result is a long, thin, high-sided minibus with the aerodynamic profile of a hamster.
The other notable difference between the Bedford and most other 15-seat minibuses is its forward control layout, which means the driver sits above and slightly in front of the front wheels.
As we reported in our roadtest of the short-wheel-base van variant (CM July 13 1985) the forward control layout makes entry and exit from the front of
the vehicle very awkward. The small step provided is practically unuseable and sliding in sideways is by far the best means of entry and exit.
• HANDLING
Recirculating ball steering provides light control when the vehicle is lightly loaded, and this is particularly noticeable on urban roads where the vehicle is surprisingly manoeuvrable. When loaded, however, the steering can prove heavy.
On motorways we discovered the most worrying aspect of the Midi's handling. Its high-sided shape and comparatively long overhangs at front and rear make the vehicle very prone to cross winds, parti any when unladen, when it lurches disconcertingly between motorway lanes.
When loaded the Midi behaves more sedately on the motorway, but the steering can prove heavy when yanking the vehicle back on course after particularly strong gusts. It also has a tendency to understeer at speed, an effect which is rather disconcerting, given its forward control layout.
• PERFORMANCE
Despite our reservations about its high speed handling, performance in town is nippy and the gears are well spaced.
The 15-seater model is 4.69m long, but its comparatively short wheelbase provides manoeuvrability and its turning circle is good for a vehicle of this length.
The 1,800c lsuzu petrol engine, rated at 56kW with 130Nm of torque, is flexible and fun to use. Access to the engine is provided through a hatch beneath the centre front-row seat.
• DRIVELINE
Power is delivered through an Isuzu fivespeed overdrive gearbox. The gearing is generally well spaced and provides good acceleration times with acceptable fuel economy of 11.431it/100km (24.7mpg). Fifth gear can feel a little breathless when loaded, however, and on MIRA's high speed circuit we consistently reached higher speeds in fourth than fifth.
Bedford fits a column-type gear shift in the Midi. Gear selection feels awkward, particularly fifth, which is selected with a down and forward movement. When re versing it is possible to knock the vehicle into neutral when releasing the umbrellatype handbrake which requires a tug and twist movement to release the brake. We kept tugging and twisting desperately but there was little positive indication of when it was prepared to let go.
• BRAKING
The vehicle's braking was unexceptional. The handbrake held when loaded on a 20% (1-in-5) incline, and the vehicle came to a halt in a straight line, and without fuss, in track braking tests.
The rear axle brakes recorded a 38.2% efficiency on our rolling road test, which is explained by the vehicle's small load, combined with the effects of the load sensing valve.
• INTERIOR
Visibility can prove a problem during wet weather when the heater system fails to clear the screen adequately. All the side windows steam up in wet weather too, no matter how many passengers are carried, so we would recommend the fitting of the optional interior heater (price 275 plus VAT) which would also prove useful in cold weather.
The existing cab-based heater is quite inadequate for heating the entire passenger compartment. The effect of the heating is reminiscent of a camp fire; hot sweaty feet and cold clammy back.
The seating is fairly comfortable, though adjustments are limited because the front row of seats is sited on short rails above the wheel arches which protude beyond the bottom of the seat into the footwell, and limit the space in which the driver can rest his legs.
It is surprising how quickly one comes to terms with the vehicle once in the driving seat. The driving position is good and the forward control layout gives the driver a clear and uncluttered view of the road.
Unfortunately, the Midi's controls look and feel rather flimsy. While we were testing the vehicle the switch for the heated rear window fell off and the horn refused to work. Strangely the switches controlling the interior step light and the rear wash wipe are not illuminated when the headlights are on, necessitating fiddly experimentation in the dark.
One obvious problem is the lack of storage space in the driving compartment. On the Midi we drove the glovebox was fitted with a tachograph, and there is no other storage space. There is also very little in the passenger compartment, so the vehicle is ill-suited for carrying holiday-makers or shoppers.
• SEATING
The seats are finished in herringbone cloth and vinyl — practical, rather than attractive. Bedford introduced wider seats earlier this year which measure 400mm (15.8in), and should provide greater support than on the vehicle we tested.
The 15 seats are arranged in five rows. Three of the seats have to be folded to allow access and egress from the vehicle. One or two passengers were wary of this layout and we are concerned about how swiftly the vehicle could be evacuated in an emergency.
Access to the passenger compartment i§ provided by a large side sliding door, and the vehicle's high roof allows passengers to stoop at a rather more comfortable height than in some vehicles in this class. One nice touch is the light fitted in the step of the side doorway, which helps passengers to find their way into the vehicle.
The Midi's rear door is a carry-over from the van model and merely provides access to a small luggage space behind the rear seats.
• SUMMARY
Bedford's Midi personnel carrier is an enjoyable vehicle to drive in town, despite its awkward handbrake and gear change. It is competitively priced, well suited to short urban routes, and would take some beating as a scout's football team bus, or a works bus operating on short journeys. Indeed, the GB cycling team has just purchased one. For more serious PSV work, however, the Midi's bulging roof and extended wheelbase fail to disguise a vehicle which is simply too cramped.
By Richard Scrase