It was when firing up the engine that the big news was revealed. It’s silky smooth compared to the old one
and the cab seemed eerily quiet, not at all like our long-termer.

Ford’s claims about this new engine were no mere boasts – it’s a quantum leap forward.

Despite having 600kg of weight in the back, the 155bhp powerplant simply laughed at the hills and blasted on as if they weren’t there.

This model had the 70mph speed limiter which can be switched off when necessary by pushing a button on the dash – and as we write for the fleet industry this addition seemed a ludicrous one indeed.

If I was a fleet manager who had paid for a speed limiter to be fitted, the last thing I’d want is for the drivers to turn it off as soon as they got out of the yard!

I was assured by the Ford product team that the limiters can be embedded in the vans if necessary and the switch deleted.

This van also featured Ford’s new stop-start system, in which the engine is automatically turned off when idling and the van at standstill. A dab on the clutch sees it fire up again quietly and smoothly.

While the device won’t do much if your vans are blasting up and down the M6 all day long, it will certainly come into its own in town, where fuel savings of up to 16% are reckoned to be achievable.

Next up was the short wheelbase low-roof entry model with the 100bhp engine. This powerplant seemed slightly more raucous than in the last van, but still a whole heap better than in the present model.

We had 400kg of cargo in the back yet the engine still seemed willing and able to tackle all the hills and bends we threw at it and in my view is quite acceptable for most fleet needs.

Unfortunately, the 125bhp model wasn’t available for testing at the launch, but I’d say that would be the engine to go for in larger versions.

On top of this, don’t forget that Transit is one of the vans that offers ESC stability control as standard, which means that in the event of a sideways slip, the unit will bring the van under control again – unless, of course, the driver has lost it big time.

It’s a wonderful system that should be standard on all vans, but unfortunately isn’t at present.

Verdict

It must be so annoying for the opposition – every time they leap ahead, Ford makes the Transit even better.

The latest money-saving engines should ensure we see Transit at No. 1 for a good few years yet.