Can a van be all things to all men?
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RJR CHOICE for the first road est from Ford's new Escort van ange was the 1.3-litre 55L nodel which has a higher stenlard of trim than the standard. Extras include such items as 3bric trimmed seats, carpeted oor covering, extra sound insultion, a three-speed demister lower with inboard and side findow vents, a glovebox and ide protection mouldings.
Further options are available nd our test van was equipped fith a full mesh bulkhead, eadrest and a combined radio/ assette player.
The vehicle was delivered to M half loaded, without any inication of what the full weight iould be. I added more weight the body angle looked )out right and headed north to le MIRA test track.
As it turned out, I had been a tie too cautious for when eighed the van was light by 27kg (2.5cwt) below the 3rmitted maximum.
On a fine day, but with a wet ack, the speedometer was lecked for accuracy at 30mph, was spot on.
The extras did not include a v counter so speeds in each of e forward gears were meared just as high as the engine )uld allow. Eighty-five miles hour in third gear is higher 3 n many saloon cars can reach top, and I had to take the unual course of using the higheed track in order to take a 3ding of 98mph — the van's iximum speed in fourth.
wet track, high power-to!ight ratio and light front-drive e weight influenced the accelition performance precluding y time being taken at the inph mark as the wheels conJed to spin under full throttle fond 25mph.
-leaven knows what the boy ers will make of a loaded de)ry van that can accelerate m 0 to 50mph in just 13 onds and gives all the sound .3cts of a Grand Prix start. ack of weight on the drive a was also the limiting factor he hill restart test. There was : a hint of wheel spin as the van pulled away on the one in five gradient. On a 25 per cent gradient, the angle was just too acute to allow adequate traction, while a gradual feed in of the clutch produced slip.
The ability to start on a one in five slope is enough for most occasions, but there maybe the odd occasion when a van might encounter a steeper gradient than this.
Under maximum application the brakes were almost pei-fect with the van coming to rest only a little out of line on each of the stops from the various speeds.
The wheels of both axles locked on the wet surface, but overall stopping was good considering the conditions — progressive pedal effort producing the expected graduated response.
As with the other foot controls, the pad size could be made larger — after all, the van is a commercial vehicle. As for handling, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't induce that violent change from understeer to oversteer which occurs after a sudden lift-off of the throttle during cornering on some front-wheel-drive vehicles.
The loaded van was well down on its springs, but still had some movement in hand. The ride was firm but not harsh, and even fast cornering produced only a slight body roll.
Later on, we unloaded the van, and it remained remarkably sure footed. Only on a near-flooded M40 in torrential rain was there any indication that under extreme conditions the van could become unstable.
Less than four turns of the steering wheel is needed from one lock to the other; and the minimum kerb-to-kerb measurement of about 10m (33ft) makes the vehicle very manoeuvrable.
Over CM's van test route west of London, Ford's new CVH engine with its hemispherical combustion chambers gave a frugal performance both laden and unladen returning respective fuel figures of 8.1 lit/1 0 0 km (34.7mpg) at an average speed
of 51km/h (31.8mph) and 7.4 lit/100km (37.7mpg) at 47.6km/h (29.6mph).
The unladen journey was slightly slower due to heavier traffic.
Fore and aft adjustment of the driving seat was adequate and a variable backrest rake setting produced a comfortable driving position. Long-legged drivers., however, may find the clearance below the steering wheel somewhat restrictive.
A clear view of the neat, if somewhat sparse, instrument panel is given through the top half of the steering wheel. Two gauges indicating fuel and temperature levels are balanced by the speedometer on the opposite side of the binnicle, while other functions such as ignition, oil-pressure and battery charge are indicated by warning lights.
The facia provides a shelf with dimensions adequate enough to hold a pad or map — it's reassuring to know they won't fall to the floor every ten seconds, while the lid of the small unlit glovepocket is suitable for a thermos and a cup to stand on.
On the L-model, stowage space is provided in the door trim. Both the gearshift and the park-brake lever are placed on the centre line within reach and are easily operated without stretching. A number of outlets above in the centre and below the facia allow heating and ventilation in all directions, while a three-speed fan gives an adequate range of air flow. The temperature control could not bE easier to understand or operate but didn't emit a constant leve of heat.
All-round visibility is very good. Two large door-mounter mirrors accompany the interna screen-mounted rearview mir ror, and with careful settinc leave only the narrowest of blinr spots. From the driving seat th( small side windows to the rea of the doors adds to the angle o rearward vision and is particu larly useful at acute road junc tions.
In wet weather the large wipe blades clear close to the top o
the shallow curved front screei but leave a segment unwiped 01 the near side.
For the first time Ford has in troduced a load cage behind th seats, and this should be ir
cluded as essential equipment ti contain goods in the cargo are Front-wheel-drive has allowe, redesign of the rear suspensio
to give a lower floor height an increased internal capacity without adding to the lot overall height achieved with ea lier models. This model is als wider, improving the rear-door access by 210mm (8.3in).
Ford claims that the floor length of 1.83m (6ft) makes it the best in its class, improving the volume behind the seat from 2.03cum (72cutt) to 2.26cum (80cuft).
The rear doors open to a full 90°, or to 180° if the restraining straps are released, but then they foul the rear light clusters. The slam shut facility, however, is a positive asset.
Greater volume still may have been achieved if the designers had favoured vertical side panels. Instead they made the aesthetic choice, complementing the van's overall aerodynamic efficiency. Even so the large panels, having only minimal support, add body boom to what otherwise would have been an exceptionally quiet vehicle.
The front end, as far back as the seats, is very similiar to the Escort car. Accessibility to components under the bonnet is good, and in particular Ford claims that engine seals, camshaft and main bearings can all be changed without removing the power unit from the van.
The battery is of the low maintenance type and the central fusebox, similar to that used on the Granada, houses nine relays and up to 18 fuses of a new pattern which are said to give better electrical contact.
Further reductions in maintenance will result from the fact that the transmission, steering suspension and door hinges stay permanently lubricated.
Clutch and brakes are self-adusting, while the CVH engine ncludes compensating valve -:.learance and electronic Neakerless ignition.
Summary The Escort 55L van has every ;hence of succeeding in being ll things to all men. It is quick, ;omfortable, economical, sureboted and has the capacity to ;arry a good payload in terms of )oth weight and volume.
This front-wheel-drive version as some inadequacies but ;osting just over three per cent nore (at £3,627 excluding vat), han the old 45L model, though he vans are not directly compaable, the 55L should become he natural successor.