We review the Ford Transit Van from price to economy and all its features

IT’S Britain’s best-selling van and a national motoring treasure. And now Ford think they’ve made the best van on the road with the all-new Transit.
Ford boss Mark Ovenden admitted: “With so much at stake we had to get the new Transit right and we believe we have – and it was designed and engineered in Britain.”

So does the Transit deliver? We got a world exclusive first drive on an epic 1,200-mile trip from Dagenham to Inverness and back to find out.

IT is the working van that has become a national institution.

You’ll find a Ford Transit on just about every city street, every motorway and even on the remotest roads in Scotland.

It’s the van that has been helping to service the needs of our everyday lives for the last 46 years.

The Transit has been the best-selling van in the UK every year since it was launched, with its own army of dedicated owners that now exceeds 2.1million.

Back in 1965 when it was launched, the cost was just £542. Today, prices for the new Transit start at £18,316.

But you only have to see the two vans alongside each other to see they are from different motoring planets.

Look inside the cabs, and the changes are even more drastic. The vehicle has gone from basic workhorse to executive-car levels of comfort and equipment.

Transit is already the most famous van in the country but now Ford think they have made a new version that is the best on the road.

The only way to put a van to a true test is to load it and then take it on a seriously long drive, such as Dagenham to Inverness and back.

That’s more than 1,200 miles of hard driving, a journey that will expose any weakness or highlight just how good a van is.

It also allows me to make a comprehensive verdict based on my bum sitting behind the wheel for nearly 26 hours, with just the occasional break for food and sleep.

And based on real driving, in real conditions from bright sunshine to torrential rain, with a full load on board, I can tell you the Transit takes White Van Man to life in business class.

A van, unlike a car, has to make its owner money. They have to pay their way. There is no emotion in buying a van — they are a functional tool.

Buyers have a list of priorities that start with reliability and durability, followed by practicality and payload, plus, in today’s climate, maximum fuel economy.

The new model gets a radical face, with streamlined LED headlights and deep double grille.

It’s far more stylish than the chiselled rugged looks of the current van and the fact we were photographed several times by other van drivers was a sign that they like the new look.

Ford have decided there’s also no reason why vans shouldn’t have car-like levels of comfort and equipment. After all, the cabin is a driver’s office and second home. Which is why, when you get into a Transit, it’s like stepping inside a Mondeo, with a car-like dashboard full of the latest technology to make life easier for the driver.

Compared with most vans, the interior has a premium feel, from the plastics and mock aluminium trim to the smart fabrics of the mega-comfortable seats. After a ten-hour day, I can testify that they deliver.

The multi-function steering wheel allows you to operate everything from the radio to cruise control but most importantly you get precision steering that again feels car-like.

Only a glance in your wing mirrors reminds you this is a van with a one-ton load but even then this is a superbly easy-to-drive machine.

The comfort of the electric and heated seat is underlined by the addition of a lumbar support, plus you get an armrest to add to the armchair feel.

There is a long list of executive-car options including cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, sat-nav, lane departure warning that vibrates the wheel if you stray into the wrong lane, and a rear-parking camera.

But the Transit is all about practicality with things such as a fold-down worktop with cup-holder on the double passenger seat, a really neat mobile phone-holder on the dash and large stowage points around the cabin.

Vans used to be noisy affairs that rattled and squeaked. The new Transit is near-silent on the move at motorway speeds, thanks to a tremendous 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine and a lot of extra sound insulation.

There’s a slight agricultural noise at low speeds but, with the radio on, you don’t notice it. It’s also quick and capable of speeds well above the motorway limit.

It’s seriously economical, too, thanks to the addition of stop/start technology that cuts the engine automatically when you halt at junctions, traffic lights or in heavy traffic.

Ford claim official figures of 42mpg. On my mega-trip, I returned 40mpg, a remarkable figure for a loaded van — and I certainly wasn’t hanging about.

CO2 has also been reduced to a very reasonable 178g/kg.

So the Transit goes straight to the top of the class for performance and driving pleasure. But what’s it like when it comes to the practical stuff?

I drove the big-selling short-wheelbase Custom model but clearly there will be the usual wide range of vans available, right up to the long-wheelbase, high-roof versions that will cater for the big-load boys.

The Custom has a payload of 871 litres and can carry three euro pallets loaded at least 3ft high — better than any of its rivals.

The long wheelbase increases the payload to 1,200 litres. It’s more functional and can take loads up to nearly 10ft in length, such as awkward pipes or ladders.

The tie-down hooks and fixing points have also been moved from the van floor to the body sides to stop loads being ripped on the floor.

In fact, the Transit is full of small but significant factors that are all aimed at making it easier for drivers to do their job. And they work.

Over the past 46 years the Transit has been on a never-ending journey — but after my test drive I can tell you that it’s now reached the pinnacle of excellence for a working van.

And a piper’s welcome when I arrived in Inverness seemed a fitting welcome for the new superstar of the van world.