The Transit van has been Ford’s bread and butter for decades… five decades as of last year in fact. As popular as some of its competition is, for many, the Transit is still the go-to van on the commercial vehicle side of things.
The Transit’s sales figures are certainly representative of this, with April 2016’s figures being up 18.9 per cent when compared to the same time last year.
With over 50 years’ experience in the market, the Transit has now come to offer much more than just a large five or six metre van. There are now four Transits to choose from, each offering bigger and better practicality – there’s the Transit Courier, Transit Connect, Transit Custom and, the largest and most aptly named of them all, the Transit.
The new and improved Transit range offers a plethora of upgrades and tweaks – although the limelight is purely on its two largest models, the Transit Custom and Transit, this time around. New features include an automatic gearbox, improved driving dynamics, better driver assist features, improved SYNC technology and, most important of all, a new 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel.
A chunk of updates for the Transit range will only be added later on in 2016 however. These include the automatic transmission, an AWD option and new rear air-suspension.
Ford’s new 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel
Built in Dagenham and developed in both the UK and Germany, the EcoBlue diesel draws on technology used in the EcoBoost engine line-up but adopts a new architecture. This new 2.0-litre unit replaces the outgoing 2.2-litre diesel and offers a 20 per cent improvement in low-end torque and also a 13 per cent boost in fuel efficiency, with CO2 from just 157g/km.
Power outputs include 104bhp, 128bhp and 168bhp, with an increase in torque of 50Nm, 35Nm and 20Nm respectively when compared to outgoing equivalents.
Although improvements in power and efficiency are great news, the bigger news with this new EcoBlue diesel is that it will eventually be available in Ford’s car range. Which models it will be made available in has yet to be announced, but as it is a 2.0-litre diesel, it could be available in everything from the Focus hatchback to the Edge SUV.
Transit Custom 2.0-litre 104bhp EcoBlue
The model we tested was the rear-wheel drive 2.0-litre 104bhp Transit Custom mated to a six-speed manual gearbox – and for those with a keen eye, you may notice the subtle chrome strip at the front-end, Ford’s way of identifying its new EcoBlue fleet.
We were a little sceptical about the 104bhp 2.0-litre (360Nm), especially when comparing it with the other meatier engine options available. However, pull out of a junction or drop a few gears and the 104bhp model is very capable. In fact, when we tested the 168bhp and the 104bhp models side by side with 400kg of cargo, we couldn’t really tell the difference… at first, anyway.
Low down the revs, all of the new EcoBlue derivatives have plenty of pull – however – start to rev out the 104bhp model and get up to motorway speeds and you definitely feel the difference. If you are using a van for navigating through urban and city streets then the 104bhp version is great, but it does struggle a bit on the motorway.
With the 104bhp 2.0-litre EcoBlue – which claims an average of around 40mpg - Ford estimates that you could save up to £1,250 over an 80,000 mile period when compared to the equivalent 99bhp 2.2-litre diesel that it replaces.
We would have to drive past and present Transit models side by side to tell the difference between driving dynamics, but the bottom line is, the Transit offers an incredibly competent ride with sharp steering and excellent body control (even when carrying cargo).
The new ‘Side wind stabilisation’ feature further enhances body control by assisting in braking and keeping composure in the event of a large gust of wind or the passing of a high-sided vehicle. Its flurry of new driver assist features make it feel more car like than ever before too, with pre-collision assist and traffic sign recognition now available.
