The Ford transit 2.4 engine is simply exquisite
Specialty:
All AWD Transits are well powered by the same engine; a 2.4-litre Duratorq TDCi four-cylinder 16-valve engine common rail efficiently turbocharged and intercooled diesel providing 140hp at 3,500rpm.
Top torque of almost 375Nm kicks in at 2,000rpm and a six-speed manual (non-automatic) gearbox is a standard feature. It does not come along with a low-ratio set of gears.
Independent suspension particularly with MacPherson struts is fitted smartly at the front along with an anti-roll bar while leaf springs aid support the back. The Transit’s 16ins steel wheels were shod along with 215/75 R16C Pirelli Citynet tyres.
Restricted specification vans are normally adjusted with alloys, but eliminating them in favor of steel saves you probably £350. The odd reserving here and there might come in handy given that we’re not discussing about a cheap vehicle here.
ABS is standard, though the AWD system means that Electronic Stability Programme and Hill Launch Assist are not properly installed or up for grabs as options. Disc brakes are fixed all round and power-assisted steering gives an 11.9m kerb-to-kerb turning circle. It increases almost to 12.5m wall-to-wall.
Gross payload is about 1,284kg — 81kg less than the equivalent standard 4×2 van — and our demonstrator could pull a braked trailer grossing at up to 2.8 tonnes.
Performance on the road:
If you are in a hurry, then you needn’t worry. This Transit actually shifts, with rapid acceleration all thanks to big dollops of torque in all the right places. Once you are up and driving on the motorway, your main focus is reining the engine in while keeping an eye out for the speed cameras.
A slick gear change comfortably adds to the driving pleasure and Transit AWD handles well too, with enough feedback through the steering. On the downside it doesn’t drive as well as the standard Ford Transit and the engine is somewhat noisy. That’s specially the case at idle, when the noise is supported by a touch of vibration.
Turn down a damp, muddy rural track that might cause a standard front- or back-wheel drive Transit to fight and you’ll keep moving quite merrily. The only things that will slow you down or bring you to a juddering halt are quite deep potholes and big boulders. As indicated before, Transit AWD has inadequate ground clearance and suspension articulation to cope with them.
Keep within the limitations of vehicles, however, and you’ll find AWD an invaluable help to mobility, especially when the weather gets unfavorable. It’s then that you’ll require the sharp front fog lights that have been fitted as standard.
As far as consumption of fuel is concerned the demonstrator attained an average of 33mpg in our hands. Remote central locking is involved in the deal along with an alarm and side-rubbing strips are adjusted to protect the bodywork from the minor scratches.
Unfortunately no protection is given for the wheel arches. A step in the front bumper makes it simpler for the driver to climb up and clean the heated windscreen along with its rain-sensing wipers. Transit is decently protected by a three-year/100,000-mile warranty along with roadside assistance and needs servicing every 15,000 miles.
Opinion:
Ford’s cleverly-designed Transit Double Cab-in-Van AWD is really invaluable if you need to get a gang of workers and all their tools to an awkward-to-access site. With easy seats for six people and more space in the cargo bay than you might hope, it offers bags of performance on the public highway, handles very well and the six-speed manual gearbox is a fun to use.
Fine, it won’t go where a Land Rover will go — it doesn’t include the ground clearance for one thing — and in our case noise of the engine and some vibration were reasons for concern.
Nor is the quality of some of the interior installations and fittings all that it should be. That said, it is a versatile, if pricey, piece of kit that should win plenty of companions; and nobody ever got shot for purchasing a Transit.