Ford has introduced a Transit skeletal chassis cab, said to open up opportunities for a multitude of body conversions – including grocery delivery vans.

Ford Transit Skeletal Chassis Cab

Available to order from the company’s 115 Transit Centres, the variant is based on a front-wheel drive platform and has an open-backed cab for walk-through into the load area. It features a 200kg reduction in weight and 100mm lower chassis height than a standard chassis cab model, plus a reduced step height to remove the need for a tail lift.

Customers can specify three different wheelbase lengths, with wide-track axles optional (standard on the longest). All have a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes. Engine options comprise 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesels, with 130hp or 170hp and six-speed manual transmissions, though a six-speed automatic is also available.

Ford hopes the skeletal chassis cab will build on the success of the Transit two-tonne, 52,000 of which have sold across Europe so far this year, with 20,000 of those going to UK customers.

Hans Schep, general manager, commercial vehicles, Ford of Europe, said: “The new Transit skeletal chassis opens up exciting new opportunities for grocery delivery vehicles and other low-floor body conversions where ease of access is paramount.”