"Dependability is a Transit strength. It has to be the most dependable commercial vehicle on the market. If we didn't keep that promise we couldn't have stayed number one for all these years.
"Recognising the heavier duty cycles a commercial vehicle goes through means we have tougher test specifications than for cars and we've increased these standards even more in certain areas. For instance, because we now have more contact with and data coming from the Turkish market, our test procedures now reflect their rougher roads and higher dust content.
"It's also the first time we've used Ford's D C DQ – Dependability, Contemporary, Driving Quality – criteria so precisely on a commercial vehicle to set ambitious targets and achieve them. What we're trying to do is give customers great value."
Phil Collareno, Commercial Vehicle Director – Product Development

Owner expectations of their vehicles have increased in recent years and they are now no longer just the preserve of the workplace, but cross boundaries and are central to many owner's lives both personally and professionally.

"Everyone has a view on Transit," says Collareno. "People see it as strong, tireless, reliable, a hard worker, honest, a workhorse; traditional, functional, less of a car and more of a van. But with the shift in emphasis towards artisan owners, we wanted to build on that reputation with more style and finesse, while also appealing to the fleets."

Light and medium commercial vehicle customers are increasingly demanding the same features and equipment levels they find in their cars. Even in budget vans, owners expect power steering, airbags, and a decent radio-CD player. Transit features all of these items, plus new options like Bluetooth, satellite navigation and even leather trim. These combine to make the new Transit the best specified model ever, with a feature list that rivals any contemporary passenger car.

But essentially, for all customers the key benefit of Transit ownership is reliability. With this in mind, engineers have worked on the latest model in minute detail, extending component life in some cases to 250,000 miles or 400,000 kilometres.

Other factors which enhance Transit ownership, making it a worry-free owning and driving experience are:

• Car-like interior
• Best-in-class ergonomics and cabin storage
• Smaller steering wheel
• Raised gear lever with slicker action
• Side airbags available
• New instrument panel sub structure for improved structural integrity
• Reduction in squeaks and rattles
• Noise, vibration and harshness reduced significantly
• Revised engine layout for easier servicing and repair
• Coated panels in areas particularly prone to corrosion
• Eight year anti-perforation warranty as standard
• New door seals for reduced wind noise
• Improved door wedging and full bulkhead enhance body rigidity
• Increased front axle plating from 1750 to 1850kg (rear-wheel-drive only)
• Improved vehicle dynamics determined by Ford passenger car standards
• Better steering response
• Disc brakes all round with ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and roll-over mitigation
• Redesigned front structure reduces accident repair costs
• New headlamps that are easier to repair and service
• Improved roof rack loading
• Sophisticated hydro mounts for all engines
• New range of diesel and petrol engines are quieter, more fuel efficient and require less servicing
• Class leading fuel economy
• Improved starter motor durability
• Dynamic navigation system which can reduce journey times and thereby reduce costs
• Twin batteries ensure Transit can always be started
• Self-charging waterproof ignition key
• Menu of configurable locking profiles for even better security
• Electronic CAN-BUS network
• Three tapping points for additional electrical requirements
• Wiring harnesses re-routed to avoid accidental damage when modifying the vehicle
• Additional wiring protection to guard against chafing
• Tamper proof odometer prevents clocking

The focus during development has been on making owning and using this latest generation of Transit as satisfying an experience as with any other Ford product.

Loadbox and Payload

Ford undertakes extensive and ongoing user research for Ford Transit because the market is so demanding and specific. This has allowed the development team to establish very close ties to its customer base.

The research also includes the design team. They undertake a lot of immersive research with operators to understand how the vehicle is used, especially in relationship to ingress, egress and loading.

Over time, clear differences have been identified between one- and two-tonne operators: one-tonne Transits tend to be used for inner city delivery, small businesses and daily deliveries. Two-tonners tend to be used more for fast highway delivery of heavy goods. These long distance load carriers are cargo functional, carrying heavier payloads and needing a larger cube.

Even with more than 500 body variants available and Special Vehicle Operations that account for 30 per cent of Transit sales, customer research highlighted the need to add another model to the line up: a low roof, medium wheelbase variant with increased luggage space. This model is ideal for accessing limited height areas such as underground and multi-storey car parks. It is available in both van and bus versions.

The Transit range is comprehensive, and offers:

• A heavy-duty front axle for 'blue light' operators such as emergency services
• 60 basic structures and body styles, front- and rear-wheel-drive
• Unique van and chassis cab platforms
• Three wheelbases and four load lengths from 2.58 to 4 metres
• The leading load capacity in the 3.5-tonne GVM class
• Improved structural strength
• A 150kg roof rack load limit
• Two sizes of side load door, including biggest in its class