Prepare to fire up the... Ford Transit

A NEW Ford Transit is on the way for the first time in 12 years, the van's makers have confirmed this week.


Believe it or not, the current Transit is - give or take a facelift or two - the same as the one you would've bought way back in the year 2000, but with it still being Britain's best selling commercial vehicle The Blue Oval hasn't exactly been in a rush to replace it.

The new version, which makes its global debut this week at the Birmingham Commercial Vehicle Show and is part of efforts by Ford to revamp its entire commercial range within the next two years, is promising to offer more car-like gadgets than ever before, while offering the same sort of value which made its predecessors such a hit with small businesses.

Jesus Alonso, Ford of Europe's director commercial vehicle marketing, sales and service, said: “This is a stylish, modern van which customers will be proud to have on their driveway, while losing none of the hard-working attitude that they expect from a Transit.

”The launch of this new range marks the start of a far-reaching transformation of Ford’s global commercial vehicle range. With more new models set to be revealed in the coming months, 2012 is destined to be a very exciting year for our commercial vehicle business.“

Stylistically the new Transit loses the bluff-nosed appearance of the old one in favour of a style more closely related to Ford's cars, while drivers will be able to take up the same options - including reversing cameras and emergency assistance systems - you'll find elsewhere in the company's range. The company also reckons it's answered the all-important question of loadspace; not only is the new Transit roomier than the old one, it also claims it's now more capacious than any of its rival cargo carriers.

Will it pick up where the old one left off? That all depends on whether Ford's managed to pull off the same trick its predecessor and make a van that's good value and tough to boot, but as fun and easy drive as a Fiesta or Focus is.

The new Transit will be available later this year.