On The Road
We’ve been impressed by the road behaviour of the new Transit cab, and the chassis-cab is equally good. The handling is pretty much failsafe, with no nasty surprises from the steering or brakes.
We were not able to perform a full brake test in the rain, but the equivalent Transit van gave exceptionally good results. Admittedly that test was using slightly fatter 215-section front tyres. Overall, the dropside felt much the same.
Ford has fitted 16in wheels all round, which seem to benefit both ride and handling. We were surprised to see Hankook tyres front and rear, but they certainly gave us no cause for complaint.
Even unladen the ride was acceptable – a long way from the bone-jarring rattle of an older vehicle, probably helped by the Transit’s variable-rate front springs.
The engine was smooth and torquey, enough through the rev range to stay in fifth during most of the A25 section of our route, but it just doesn’t light our fire. Perhaps Ford should build in a bit of turbo lag or a peakier torque curve to give a bit of character.
It doesn’t quite give the performance you’d expect, either: in the 0-80km/h sprint it was thoroughly outdragged by the Movano, and in-gear acceleration was no better. Mind you, the Transit matched the Movano up our M20 hillclimb, so it can dig deep when it needs to.
The gearchange is a nice surprise: the floor mounted lever is as short as any on the market, but the shift is strong and crisp.
It was easy to push the lever too hard at first, until we realised that a light flick of the wrist was all that was needed.
Cab Comfort
Ford has long understood the basics of a good driving environment, and its Transits have just got better and better. This generation is the best yet, and defines the state of the art as far as vans are concerned.
Visibility is good, the seat is adjustable in most directions and the instruments and controls are clear and sensibly designed. The build quality is well above average too, using markedly more attractive materials than, for example the Mercedes Sprinter (though there isn’t a coat hook inside the cab). In-cab noise levels aren’t bad, particularly at speed, though the engine can sound surprisingly agricultural at tickover.
We do have a couple of gripes, however: the doors don’t open very far at all (just over 45o) and the long gearlever limits cross-cab access.
And while the ultra-deep windows are good for vision, they necessitate long window frames and a very short spread between the door hinges. This is probably why the top front corner of the floor flapped noticeably at speeds over 40mph, increasing wind noise in the cab. This is not a problem in the shirt term, but it may not bode well for the door’s durability.
Ford certainly has got it right when it comes to security: the door locks are fully shielded and should be immune to Slim Jims, while the internal catches are tucked away and difficult to hook open. Central locking is standard, and Ford makes a virtue of it by blanking off the lock in the passenger-side door; just don’t park with the driver’s side door next to a wall and then get out of the passenger side. Even the bonnet is lockable, which is a rather nice touch.
