Unveiled at the manufacturer’s Go Further event in Amsterdam, the range is topped by a two-tonne Transit which will be the first time the large commercial vehicle has been sold globally. European buyers will be offered front and rear wheel drive, with engines including the 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel. In America, the largest Transit will eventually replace Ford’s long-standing E-series range.

The mid-size Transit Custom is a one-tonne van with a retractable roof box, capable of carrying pipes up to three metres in length thanks to its bulkhead design. This is designed to be more car-like to look at and drive, and will meet the new Euro NCAP safety requirements for commercial vehicles. Ford has also worked to reduce cost of ownership for operators, with service intervals of up to 30,000 miles.

Transit Connect launches with long and short wheelbase versions, featuring a range of downsized petrol and diesel engines, and first deliveries are due by the end of 2013. Like the Transit Custom, this will be available as a Tourneo passenger carrying version, which will carry up to seven people with fold-flat rear seats for a long load area when needed.

New to the commercial vehicle line-up is the Transit Courier, which uses an all-new platform and will be aimed at city-based businesses and netting sales from the PSA-Fiat joint venture vans, Renault Kangoo and Mercedes-Benz Citan which are all launching into that segment. 

‘These new products will carry more, work harder, last longer, and cost our customers less to operate – just as Ford Transits have done for 47 years,’ said Barb Samardzich, vice president Product Development, Ford of Europe.