| Something of an icon in Britain, the Ford Transit has been in production since 1965, with the five-millionth example rolling off the Southampton production line 40 years later. The sixth-generation Transit was launched at the Commercial Vehicle show in Birmingham last month with new engines, new front-end styling, new interior, and improved security and safety features. It is built in Southampton in the UK and at Kocaeli in Turkey.
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| New Transit has improved chassis dynamics |
Development work started three years ago and involved engineers at Ford’s technical centre in Dunton and Merkenich in Germany. Much of the ride, handling and durability testing was carried out at the Lommel test track in Belgium.
Fine tuning to the chassis aims to improve the driving dynamics. An electronic stability program (ESP) is an option although Ford says the chassis design of the new Transit offers inherently good, safe handling without it. All-disc anti-lock braking (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) is standard across all models.
The interior is completely new, one of the biggest changes being the relocation of the gearchange to the dashboard. This makes the cab “walk through” and can allow for more ergonomic layout of the driver controls. Taking design cues from Ford’s passenger car range, the overall impression is more Mondeo than commercial vehicle.
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| Not so workman-like in here |
Seven new engines are offered, all four cylinders: six diesels, three each of 2.2 litres and 2.4 litres, and one petrol, of 2.3 litre displacement. All engines are Euro IV compliant.
The Duratorq TDCi diesels feature common-rail injection, turbocharging and intercooling. Water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is employed, helping reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Particulate filters have not been used, which Ford says helps to reduce the operating cost of commercial vehicles, especially large fleets.
Barry Gale, chief engineer, commercial vehicles, said: “To achieve Euro IV emissions without a particulate filter, we had to do a lot of work on the cylinder head, combustion chambers and the fuel system.”
The 2.2 litre engine is a product of the joint development with PSA Peugeot-Citroën, and is fitted to front-wheel drive variants. The 2.4 litre engine is used exclusively by Ford, and is found in rear-wheel drive Transits only; it was designed solely for north-south installations. Power and torque ratings range from 85PS/250Nm up to 140PS/375Nm.
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| 2.4 litre Duratorq TDCi with variable nozzle turbocharger offers highest output (140PS/375Nm) |
All transmissions are manual. The six-speed gearboxes are produced at Halewood, with production of the five speed gearboxes split between Halewood and Cologne. There is no automatic gearbox option.
Ford says that there is little demand, although several competitors offer them. The new Mercedes Sprinter is unusual in that both a V6 engine and an automatic transmission are available together.
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