When Ford decided to pull the plug on the Ford Econoline, there were big shoes to fill. There was a need for another light commercial vehicle. Introducing the Ford Transit, a vehicle that was marketed only in Western Europe and Australia before it expanded to Canada and North America in 2013.
The Ford Transit offers a number of variations. According to Transit Assistant Program Manager Milton Wong, there are over a million combinations. You can customize the Transit precisely to best suite your needs. Mix and match between features like colours, wheelbase lengths, overall lengths, roof heights, cargo or passenger or chassis cab configuration, and technology packages.
You have three engine choices with the Transit. The base engine is the identical 3.7L V6 offered in the Ford F-150 truck. This engine delivers up to 275 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The second engine option is the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost with 320 horsepower and 400 lb-ft.
The third engine option is the new 3.2L I5 diesel engine option. This option offers 185 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The 3.2L IE diesel engine is expected to be the desired fuel economy and long-term durability option for the Ford Transit, and that’s why it is the most expensive option between the three engines.
The inside of the Transit is massive at 486 cubic feet. To compare with the old Econolines, you can replace the size of two Econolines with one Transit. Getting into this enormous cube is also easy. The dual swinging doors at the back open wide, up to 270 degrees, and the sliding side door is 50 percent larger than the largest Econolines’ opening.
We took the new Transit vans for a spin on the road and found them remarkably easy to drive.
The Transit is a quiet vehicle. In fact, it is really impressive how quiet the van is. There’s almost no wind noise at any speed that is typically expected with an empty interior. The Transit is also effortless when driving around town and merging into traffic with fully-loaded cargo. For you safety, the two-part wing mirrors enables you to see what’s going on behind and to the sides of the vehicle.
The new Ford Transit has done a good job of succeeding the Econoline. The Transit embodies the combination of capability, comfort, convenience, and technology. In 2014, half of the vehicles on the road for Canada Post are Ford Transit Connects.
Visit us at Kitchener Ford for all your Ford needs. We are located at 707 Ottawa Street South, in Kitchener, Ontario. At Kitchener Ford, we are committed to delivering the best customer service and providing expert advice on our services, vehicle lineup, and used car inventory.