Ford Transit Gets New Improvements

Ford Motor Company's European arm (Ford of Europe) adds up a new engine variant for the Ford Transit van. Ford will continue providing customers with a practical and functional van for commercial use with the release of the new powertrain unit. This action is a part of the commercial vehicle program proposed by Ford of Europe. The Ford Transit van was recently named as the 2007 International Van of the Year and Ford aims to defend this title.

The new power unit, which is 3.2-litre five-cylinder in line Duratorq TDCi common rail diesel engine will be offered in the European market. The engine is capable of producing a maximum of 200 PS and pulls out 470 Nm amount of peak torque rotating between engine speeds of 1,700 and 2,500 rpm.

Using the turbo diesel common rail injection technology (TDCi), the engine boasts an impressive and smooth performance while offering low fuel consumption and low exhaust emissions. In fact, the engine already complies with the European Stage IV Emissions standards. A Durashift 6-speed manual transmission completes the powertrain package for the Ford Transit van.

According to Simon Palmer, Powertrain Programme Manager for the Ford Transit:
"The new addition of the 3.2-litre 200 PS Duratorq TDCi five-cylinder engine to the Transit powertrain line-up adds further versatility to the Transit range. Combined with the upgraded transmission long-haul driving, towing capabilities and overall driving quality are all significantly enhanced. With one of the largest capacity engines in its class, the new 200 PS delivers more power than any of its two tonne segment key competitors."

"Many of our customers told us they needed a more powerful engine for their long-haul deliveries, and our new 200 PS Duratorq TDCi engine is bound to impress both in terms of performance and efficiency," said Henrik Nenzen, Director Commercial Vehicles, Marketing Sales & Service, Ford of Europe.

Meanwhile, other new features of the Ford Transit van include new front bumper, new bumper beam, new heat shields, modified grille opening panel, newly designed front grille, modified air intake, and a new exhaust system and cooling system. Ford also offers standardized features like the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Active Yaw Control (AYC), Roll Over Mitigation (ROM), Roll Movement Intervention (RMI) and Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA). Anti lock braking system (ABS), Load Adaptive Control (LAC), and Hill Launch Assist (HLA).

In addition, Ford of Europe also improved the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) capability
of the popular Ford Transit. This allows the van to achieve a higher payload capacity, thanks to the van's strengthened front and rear axles.