A pleasant surprise
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I’m stuck on a coach somewhere in Turkey. It’s 35C outside and, thanks to the dodgy air conditioning, it’s no cooler in here. I’ve just had two long factory tours and I’m desperate to get to the hotel so I can lose my suit and down several pints of Efes. I’m here as a guest of Ford Otosan – the outfit that’s been manufacturing the Ford Cargo since it disappeared from our roads. This is the firm that’s also responsible for building most of the Transits and Connects we buy in Blighty.
If I’m honest I came here with low expectations, but these have well and truly changed. Not only have these factories proved to be among the cleanest and quietest I’ve visited, but earlier today I got to drive the all-new Cargo 1846T. I was expecting it to be a throwback to 1982, but was wrong. Unfortunately I can’t go into too many details at the moment (on account of it being embargoed), but what I can tell you is that the only thing this truck has in common with its predecessors is the blue oval on its grille.
Ford has high hopes for the 1846T, which was jointly designed in Brazil. One in four trucks sold in Turkey and Brazil is a Cargo – and not only is Ford Otosan expecting the 1846T to increase this impressive market share, it also has its eye on a lot of new markets.
But the big question is: will it be coming to the UK soon? I hope so, because I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that it might actually sell. OK, it’s not a Scania – but it won’t have a Scandinavian price tag either. If you’re wondering about build quality, I doubt that will be a problem, at least not if the vast number of 20-year-old Cargos still working in Turkey are anything to go by. Will Shiers