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LIVING LIP TO ITS NAME
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It isn't completely new, but the latest Transit offers plenty of innovations that justify its recent election to International Van of the Year.
hen it comes to panel vans the ubiquitous Ford Transi t has tended to fall into the 'close but no cigar' category —teetering on the edge of greatness hut never quite having that certain something that would have us walking away thinking happy thoughts.
En the real world it did everything required of it and could handle serious abuse without complaint. In fact, its sales success and iconic status have always contributed to the confusion about where it stood in van hierarchy.
Here,after all, is a van that has been a permanent fixture in the British psyche since its launch in 1965 as a replacement for the Thames 400E. With the arrival of the latest variant on the Transit theme we hoped Ford could finally add the CM thumbs up to its long list of achievements. As positive signs go, winning the International Van of the Year Award for 2007 (as it did in Hanover in September) is probably a good place to start. But from Ford's point of view its biggest accolade has yet to be bestowed, so read on.
Having all the bases covered is one of the benefits that comes with the Transit. Its range of shapes and sizes enables it to meet most operators' needs, giving it an impressive degree of flexibility.There are four wheelbases on offer with GVWs ranging from 2,600 to 4,250kg: at the business end the load volume starts at 5,2m and tops out at 12.3m VDA for the aptly named LWB Jumbo.
Ford is also sticking with its choice of front and rear-wheel-drive configurations, matching them to two different engines.The RWD gets the company's own 2.4-litre Duratorq rated at 99.114 or 138hp:the FWD gets the eagerly awaited turbo-diesel collaboration with PSA — a company known for its diesel expertise— with outputs of 84, 109 and 128hp.Th ere have also been revisions to th e Transit's suspension and cabin, as well as improvements in ownership costs thanks to extended component life and better structural integrity —Ford reports that the latest models have 1,800 new components.
Prices range from £1 1401) for the 260 85 SWB low-roof to £21550 for the 350 140 LWB EL Jumbo SRW double-cab.
Our test vehicle is a 280 FWD SWB 2.2TDCi 130 (128hp) double-cab, coming in at £16,750 plus £1,400 for the GLX Pack.This includes six-CD autochanger, air con, front fogs, metallic paint, body-coloured trim and steering-wheel-mounted controls, plus powered windows and door mirrors.
Productivity
We expected a strong performance from the Transit in terms of fuel consumption thanks to its 'fresh out the box' engine, and we weren't disappointed.A laden run produced 35.1mpg, which pipped the competition;Vauxhall's Vivaro double-cab came in second with 33.8mpg.The unladen run changed the order slightly with the Transit's 37.1mpg being overtaken by the Mercedes Vito and Volkswagen Transporter which managed 38.1 and 383mpg respectively.
Moving to the rear of the Transit the load area is well up to par, considering its crewcab layout.A payload of 1,084kg is complemented by a load volume of 5.2rrr'. However the usual rules apply: if you are loading up with five or six burly passengers your legal payload will decline accordingly.
What does work to the Transit's advantage is its load area design. Thanks in part to the front-wheel-drive set-up the load lip is commendably low, allowing you to reach around without having to climb in.
And one thing Ford has got spot-on compared with its rivals is the door-release buttons that allow them to open out 180, avoiding the latch fiddling that can be a real hindrance when in a rush.Also available as an option is the configurable locking and security system, allowing the user to decide which doors lock and unlock on command. And to avoid that most annoying of situations the ignition key is both waterproof and rechargeable.
On the road
According to Ford, one of its main priorities with the newTransit was to improve on its predecessor's all-round driveability.it has listened to drivers' requests to make vans' responses closer to those of passenger cars, so its revisions have focused on improving driver communication and input.
This package includes reconfigured suspension, revised steering, electronic aids such as ESP (standard across the range from next year) and EBD to keep over-exuberant drivers on the straight and narrow.
And the results of these revisions are easy to see, hear and feel. Firing up the 2.2-litre Ford/PSA unit, we were struck by its lack of clatter and rock-solid idle. Moving off, it offers up plenty of torque from low revs to make takeup brisk.This ability is a welcome feature when operating in the urban environment, enabling you to accelerate smartly without having to build up the revs when moving along in traffic. Yet for all its impressive performance, we felt let down by its intrusive behaviour when revved through the mid-range and upwards.
The engine's urge is complemented by the steering, which features a nice degree of weighting (in contrast with many of its rivals' lighter, less communicative efforts), and the gearshift. which moves from gate to gate in a civilised and precise manner.When stretching its legs, the Transit retains its feeling of solidity. High-speed cruising has it firmly planted, while it corners with an assurance that inspires confidence. However the lack of a six-speed box is a slight negative. Granted, the engine's torque didn't call for an extra cog, but to aid fuel economy and further exploit the usable grunt it wouldn't have gone amiss.
And while we're at it. the cruise control function decided to go missing despite an array of buttons to work it; our second experience of this fault on a Transit.
Cab comfort
Where once a heater and a padded seat were enough to satisfy, the cab has become a mobile office that has to accommodate laptops and paperwork, and must be able to interact with new technology.
The revised dash is certainly car-like in its design, with the steering wheel and column stalks being lifted straight from Ford's passenger-vehicle parts bin.Access is slightly hindered by the wheelarch hump, which also limits the door aperture, but once inside you sit in a commanding position that gives good forward vision without haying you too upright.
This is aided by various seating adjustments, but this search for perfect comfort is limited by the static steering wheel, which has you stretching slightly to meet it if the seat is too far back.Not good if you plan to indulge in a lot of arm twirling.
As for ergonomics, the revamped cab's design is as practical as it is attractive, The use of decent plastics lifts the ambience to a high level while touches such as the twin stowage bins on the top of the instrument panel (one with a 12V power point) are appreciated. There is also a central tray that folds out. complete with cup holders.
Add a glove box that comes with hanging rails for A4 files and Bluetooth capability, and it becomes clear that Ford has done its research and acted on it.Three rear passengers fit in comfort, although the space below the bench could have been used for secure storage, rather than being permanently sealed. •