Ford_Transit_history

The Transit goes back five decades – small wonder that for a while ‘van’ and ‘Transit’ were almost synonymous

Ford Transit goes global

Once it was just a British van – now the Transit is going global.

The Ford Transit will be built in Turkey, Russian production will come out of Ford’s Elabuga plant, and for the first time Transit is going Stateside with production based in Kansas City alongside the Ford F-150 pick-up truck.

However, the States will forgo the 2.2 diesel engine in favour of a V6 petrol unit. With twin turbos for extra oomph.

“It’s a British institution: 1 in 4 vans in the UK is a Transit,” said Mark Ovenden Ford’s managing director. And Transit still remains British at its core. The Transit has been designed and engineered at Ford’s Dunton R&D centre while the engine has been developed at Dagenham.

The Ford Transit might be going global under Ford’s ‘One Ford’ programme, but it remains a very British van at heart.

 

New_Ford_Transit

And the latest one is just brilliant to drive

It’s a big van Jim, but you wouldn’t know it

There’s no question the new Ford Transit is a big van – the longest L4 version measures 6704mm in length – and its frontal styling emphasises its road presence in an almost brutal fashion.

28_Ford_Transit_Interior_With_Large_Door_Mirrors

Lush inside too

But to drive the new Transit you just wouldn’t believe it’s so large.

The van wraps around you, helped by the huge door mirrors which provide excellent visibility, and the very car like driving experience.

The gearbox snicks through its six speed gate, the ride is settled with a 500kg load, the steering is precise and direct and the seats comfortable.

It’s a huge step up in drivability over the old Transit.

And despite being big – it never feels like it on the road.

Read our review of the new Ford Transit here.

 

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