Ford Transit 2011 European Launch

Ford’s Transit has undergone a very significant makeover and although it looks pretty much the same externally, it’s under the bonnet where the big changes have taken place. A whole new range of Euro 5 diesel engines are now in place.

New Engine Line-Up
Gone are the old 2.0- and 2.4-litre Duratorq diesels powering the previous generation front-, rear- and all-wheel drive Transits, replaced by a much simpler line-up. All Transits now have a drivetrain with an all-new 2.2-litre Euro 5 variable geometry turbo Duratorq diesel at its heart — complete with Diesel Particulate Filter — and a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. For front-wheel drive models the new ’box is derived from the one found in the Mondeo while rear-wheel drive variants get a modified version of the old six-speeder.

Based on the same powerplants that reside under the bonnet of the all-new Ranger when it goes on sale later this year, Transit’s new 2.2-litre engine line-up offers a choice of four outputs. The lead-in unit is now 100hp and top power — for rear-wheel drive models only — is 155hp. Slotted in between are the 125hp and 140hp TCDis. Peak torque ranges from 310Nm for the 100hp, up to 385Nm for the 155hp. The current 200hp five-cylinder 3.2TDCi has been dropped from the line-up, unfortunately.

All the engine options are sourced from either Ford’s Dagenham Engine Plant or the joint-venture Ford-Otosan facility in Inönü, Turkey. Service intervals have been increased from one year/15,000 miles to 20,000 miles and another piece of ‘whole life costs’ news is that the standard anti-corrosion warranty has risen from eight to 12 years.

Fuel Savings
One big advantage the Euro 5 Transits have over their predecessors, and being stressed by Ford, is the improvement in fuel consumption (click here for PDF of full comparisons). Apart from the increased efficiency of the new engines, there are also a couple of fuel-saving ‘eco’ technologies applied to the majority of the range; Smart Regenerative Charging and Advanced Battery Management System.

The former converts kinetic energy produced during braking and decelerating into electric energy, reducing alternator drag on the engine when accelerating or cruising, and therefore saving fuel. This ‘reclaimed’ electric current recharges the battery so it can be used by on-board electrical systems at a later stage. The battery management component continually monitors battery charge status and when levels are above 80 per cent, decouples the alternator to reduce engine load.

ECO

Ford has also extended the front-wheel drive Transit ECOnetic line-up beyond the short-wheelbase, low roof model (100hp). It now includes a 125hp long-wheelbase, medium roof variant for the first time. The SWB uses 8.5 per cent less fuel than the previous model. When fitted with the optional 62mph speed limiter, it achieves combined fuel economy of 43.5mpg with average CO2 emissions of 173g/km or 178g/km without the optional 62 mph limiter. The new LWB ECOnetic model manages combined cycle fuel economy of 39.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 189g/km.

Don’t want to go the ECOnetic route? Then, there’s always the new ECO Pack. This is optional on most of the new Transit range and brings with it Auto-Start-Stop combined with a 70mph speed limiter. Both can be de-activated at the push of a button, but if operators prefer, this function can be deleted.

Versatile Range

Naturally, the new Transit range remains as broad-ranging and versatile as its predecessor. Van gross vehicle weights span 2.5t to 4.6t, there’s a choice of three wheelbases and roof heights, and four body lengths. Gross payloads go from 772kg to 1,655kg and load space starts at 6.6m³, peaking at 14.3m³.

Transit doesn’t just come as van, however; far from it. It can be had as a Cab-in-Van (crew cab van), Shuttle/Torneo/Minibus offering seat configurations from eight to 17, chassis cab and chassis double cab. The latter two, as well as being available for conversion by an operator’s choice of specialist bodybuilder, form the basis for the Transit One-Stop Shop range of most popular conversions.

To differentiate Euro 4 and Euro 5 Transits, the latter get a new silver-detailed front grille, daytime running lights and the power output rating on the rear door is highlighted in blue rather than red. Bar these changes, Transit’s exterior and cab design remain the same.

As previously, five specification levels are on offer — Standard, ECOnetic, Trend, Limited and SportVan — and we’re very pleased to report that all Transits are fitted with ESP, which brings with it Hill Launch Assist, as standard. Even the entry-level ‘S’ equipment specification is pretty damn good, however. It includes remote central locking, electric windows, heated windscreen, tinted glass and a radio/single CD player complete with remote steering column stalk controls and a MP3 aux-in socket.

Click here for a PDF of specification comparisons.

On the Road

Attending the European launch of the Stage 5 Transit gave us the opportunity to sample a front-wheel drive 100hp SWB ECOnetic and a rear-driven 155hp long-wheelbase with a high roof. Without mincing words we were blown away.

These new engines are gems and even the SWB didn’t seem to notice it was carrying a 400kg test weight, ably assisted by the new six-speed gearbox which has the smoothest shift quality of any panel van; only Volkswagen’s Transporter comes close. The LWB totally ignored the 600kg it was hauling about and pulled like the proverbial locomotive.

By far the most impressive feature of the new Transit, however, is the reduction in noise levels reaching the cab occupants. Undoubtedly the engines themselves are more refined than their predecessors, but all the additional attention to detail carried out by Ford’s development engineers has really paid off. Re-designed hydraulic engine mounts, gear linkages, a new acoustic engine cover and improved dashboard insulation, floor, step well and headliner material have all been employed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Take it from us, it has worked.

Also worth a special mention is the Auto-Start-Stop system. It works efficiently and quickly and our advice is to specify it as an option without hesitation. The fact that the 70mph speed limiter can be knocked off at a moment’s notice is a real safety feature for those times when the driver gets hung out to dry in the outside lane of the motorway, needs to get past a potential accident-about-to-happen or happens to be lucky enough to be on de-regulated sections of Autobahn.

Verdict
Despite a price rise across the range — it starts at £17,405 — these latest Transits represent a major step forward. The new 2.2-litre diesels are superb with a wide spread of torque and if the predicted fuel savings manifest themselves in the real world the additional front-end cost will soon be absorbed. On top of that, the improvements in refinement are astonishing and will lead to a much happier, less stressed driver. No question about it, these are the best Transits ever.