Ford vans bring pain and pleasure

The Tourneo and Transit variants are easy to drive (except for the long wheel-base models which make their length felt, particularly in multi-floored parking garages).

Those with grey hair and long memories will remember how popular the Ford Transit was in this country in the sixties and seventies when it was built in Port Elizabeth and bought in big volumes by small businesses.

It is one of the most popular one-ton vans in Europe where about 250,000 of them are sold every year, about a quarter of those in the UK where they are known as "flat cap and brown overcoat wagons."

The local market, which currently tends to supports mainly contenders such as the VW Transporter, Hyundai H1, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Chrysler Voyager and Toyota Quantum, will welcome the newcomer, particularly as it offers the choice of a wide range of models at competitive prices AND because it proudly wears the laurels of International Van of the Year 2013.

And your choices are...

The new Ford van choices are between four eight-seater passenger models (and two specification levels (Ambiente and Trend) and five one-ton load-bearing variants (and three specification levels, Ambiente Low and Ambiente High, plus one Sport model) known respectively as Tourneo Custom and Transit Custom.

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There also choices between long or short wheel bases but all are powered by the same 2.2 TDCI engine linked to six-speed manual gearboxes which put power down via the front-wheels. There are three power output levels on offer; 74kW/310Nm; 92kW/350Nm and 114kW/385Nm (the latter only being available in the commercial van configuration).

Prices vary from R385,200 to R414,700 for the Tourneo options and from R302,700 to R364,600 for the Transit options.

Nice, but that gap...

I drove both the Tourneo and Transit variants at the Media launch in Gauteng and enjoyed the general feel of the vans. They are easy to drive (except for the long wheel-base models which make their length felt, particularly in multi-floored parking garages). My only real complaint would be the dramatic gap between first and second gear which is particularly noticeable at uphill start off. It feels as though the gearing is much too high in second and the engine has to take a deep breath and flex its muscles quite hard to pick up momentum.

The sliding doors make entry and exit a breeze - even in a confined parking spot.

Other than that I liked the high driving position, good visibility and the smart finish of the living quarters. Although not plush, the quality and styling is as good as it gets in this segment.

Bags of options

The Tourneo models with their two side-doors are designed for carrying eight passengers and it is a task they perform more than adequately with easy access and lots of space between seats, particularly between the first and second row of seats. Ford says the Tourneo offers about 30 different cargo/passenger permutations, including the removal of both rear rows of seats.

Ford says the Tourneo offers about 30 different cargo/passenger permutations, including the removal of both rear rows of seats.

The ride is comfortable and the Tourneo Ambiente short wheel-base I drove pumps along quite readily. Once up and running the 2.2 diesel, which produces 74kW and 310Nm, feels quite capable, even in the energy-sapping thin air of the Highveld. However, the multi-passenger vehicle we drove never carried more than two occupants so it is difficult to judge how it will perform with a full load of pax aboard, particularly in a howling Cape south-easter or in the undulating Midlands of KZN.

The features

On board niceties are heated driver and front passenger seats with armrests, front, side and curtain airbags, three ISOFIX child seat anchors, remote central double locking, ESP with Hill launch Assist, Roll Over Mitigation and Adaptive Load Control, Drive Away Locking and Crash unlocking, and ABS with Emergency Brake Assist.

Connectivity features include a radio/CD with two speakers, USB connector, aux connector and Bluetooth and steering wheel mounted controls. But only front air conditioning, assisted by a heater although Ford says it is sufficient to warm the whole cabin. The front windows are one-touch power operated but the second row has only flip windows.

The dramatic gap between first and second gear is particularly noticeable at uphill start off.

In addition to the above features, optional extras include metallic paint, rear air conditioning, Ambiente Pack (that includes cruise control, trip computer, multi-function display, SYNC and two additional speakers) plus rear and front park distance control all of which will push up the purchase price by more than R23,000.

Great load capacity for all those large items

Ford claims fuel consumption (in near perfect test conditions) of 6.5 litres/100km and emissions of just 172g/km but experience has shown that claimed fuel consumption figures are seldom the same or even close to those achieved during actual on-road driving so they should be regarded as a rough guide and not realistic fact.

What a sight for your local contractor... space for just about anything, any size.

The Transit vans have features such as a single sliding door, the capacity to accommodate 3m-long items, a roof rack system and tie-down fixing points on the side of the body to give more floor space for packing.

Safe, my mate

The safety levels are impressive, particularly on the Transit which is aimed more towards business than leisure, and include stability control and a Euro NCAP five-star rating, but strangely enough not a front passenger airbag which costs an extra R1,370 to fit.

Small businesses, families and pleasure-leisure players will find much to like and appreciate about the new Ford vans and although there are no taxi variants planned for the immediate future don't be surprised if you see a couple of the Transits that have been converted into kombi-camper style family wagons with on-board catering and sleeping features.

Tie-down fixing points on the side of the body give more floor space for packing.

One thing is sure though, the new Ford vans are going to be received with open arms by the market and with more than modicum of pain by the other one ton players.

The new Ford collection offers peace of mind features such as a four-year/120,000km warranty, a five-year/50,000km service plan and a three-year/unlimited kilometres roadside assistance.

Specifications

2013 Ford Tourneo Connect - Exterior and Interior Walkaround - 2012 Paris Au

New Ford Transit Custom 2013 - Test drive

New Ford Tourneo Custom Concept - Footage (Please note: No sound)

Ford Transit Custom - First Drive