When you have a name as iconic as Transit, you make the very best you can of it. And when it comes to vans, the blue oval badge and the Transit name are the best known in Ireland and Britain.
With the recent arrival of the all new Transit Courier van, the full new Ford Transit range has now been completed and is available in Ireland.
In ascending order of size, the new Transit range comprises: Transit Courier (max payload of up to 660kg ); Transit Connect (max payload of up to 1,004kg ); Transit Custom (max payload of up to 1,507kg ) ; and the Transit itself (max payload of up to 2,281kg ).
Speaking about the completion of the new range, Eddie Murphy, managing director of Ford Ireland, summed it up very well: “Over the past two years, we have totally revamped the Transit line up with fully redesigned models that integrate the latest technologies and utilise the most fuel-efficient engines that we have ever developed to deliver class leading total cost of ownership within the commercial vehicle sector.
“The Transit nameplate has been Ireland’s favourite van since it first arrived here in the 1960s. Since then, it has been the number one choice of Ireland’s van drivers and fleet operators. Fans of Transit have always cited its reliability, versatility, and great value for money as key attributes and now all of those award-winning features are available from the fully revamped Transit range, going from the jumbo two tonne Transit right down to the compact urban delivery vehicle that is our newest model, the all new Transit Courier.
“Our new Transit range is arriving into a rebounding commercial vehicle market in Ireland that is significantly outpacing the growth in the car market. Year to date, van sales have increased by some 36 per cent while car sales are up 23 per cent. The outlook is for that level of CV sales to continue as buyers who have put off renewing or upgrading their vehicles are increasingly coming back to the market.”
Murphy concluded by saying: “This new range of state-of-the-art commercial vehicles puts Ford in an excellent position to maintain its leading role in the market in Ireland. And with a range of offers such as four year/150,000km warranty and a great low rate APR of 3.9 per cent on selected models – there really has never been a better time to upgrade to a new Ford Transit model.”
Here is a summary of the completed modern Transit range:
Transit Courier completes the line-up
Ford says that its first small Transit van delivers unsurpassed fuel economy. The 95 PS 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine achieves a claimed 3.7 l/100 km (76.3mpg ) and 97g/km CO2 emissions achieving best in class efficiency. And from my experiences it offers the best drivability of all vans in this class that I have driven.
The stylish all-new Transit Courier offers 10 per cent more load volume than its direct competitors with 2.3m3 behind the bulkhead, as well as longer load length at floor level, and greater access width through the sliding side doors.
The compact and versatile van also brings a new level of technology and functionality to the segment with class-leading safety features, in-cab stowage space and connectivity, including Ford SYNC with Emergency Assistance.
For the Irish market, Transit Courier is available in two series: Base and Trend with the choice of powertrains 1.5 litre 75PS TDCi or 1.6 litre 95PS TDCi and prices start from €13,990 including VAT.
Transit Connect
The new Transit Connect offers a spacious and practical load area (2 Euro pallet carrying capability ) with total volumes of 2.9m3 and 3.6m3 with a full bulkhead, or 3.7m3 and 4.4m3 including the front loadspace area.
Maximum payloads of up to 1,000kg match the best in class figure. An ingenious load-through bulkhead also enables the stowing of pipes, ladders and other loads up to 3.0m long in the L1 and 3.4m long in the L2, safely inside the vehicle.
The main powertrain for the Irish market is the highly-efficient 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel with a choice of 75, 95, and 115 PS, offering best in class fuel efficiency (4.0l/100km ).
The vehicle provides great flexibility for work teams as it is available with a flexible dual front passenger seat that can carry up to three people in the van model, as well as the double-cab-in-van version which is able to carry up to six.
Transit Connect is available in two series: Base and Trend and prices start from €15,700 including VAT.
Transit Custom
The most popular model from the Transit range, the Ford Transit Custom, achieved a rare double when it carried off both the International Van of the Year and Continental Irish Van of the Year titles in 2013. And in another significant ‘first’, it was the first van to achieve a Euro NCAP 5 Star Safety Rating.
Designed to be the most stylish and safe Transit ever, the all-new Transit Custom offers low running costs start with the class-leading fuel economy, delivered by Ford’s latest 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine (100, 125, and 155PS ), with combined fuel consumption of 6.6 l/100 km (42.8mpg ) and 174g/km CO2 emissions – a reduction of up to eight per cent on the equivalent current Transit.
Available in both Base and Trend series, Transit Custom is priced from €22,650 including VAT.
Transit - the big one
Named ‘Transit’, the largest member of the Transit family, with a gross payload of up to 2,281kg, is the vehicle of choice when the need is for a vast carrying capacity. The all-new Transit provides businesses with best-in-class cost-of-ownership and load carrying capability.
All-new Transit offers customers outstanding fuel efficiency with the extended choice of Transit ECOnetic models; and delivers – across the full range – significantly reduced maintenance and repair costs, exceptional durability, increased cargo volumes, and smart loadspace features.
It is powered by a uniquely calibrated 2.2-litre 125 PS Duratorq TDCi diesel equipped with Auto-Start-Stop and Ford’s innovative Acceleration Control feature. Compared to the already highly fuel efficient ECOnetic version of the outgoing Transit, fuel consumption has been reduced by a further six per cent.
The standard Transit powertrain features the fuel-efficient 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel engine with a choice of three power ratings (100PS, 125PS, 155PS ) and a 6-speed manual transmission.
Available in both Base and Trend series, the Transit is priced from €25,300 including VAT.
All prices quoted here include VAT, but exclude delivery and other related charges, so check these costs with dealers.
