2014 Ford Transit We've been hearing about Ford's plan to build and sell full-size Transit vans in North America for some time, but this is our first official look at the finished product. Ford notes this particular van is a European-spec model, but the Americanized model should be near carbon copy of what you see here. The new Transit should not be confused with the Transit Custom, which debuted earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. Although both vans are larger than the compact Transit Connect, the Transit trumps the Transit Custom in terms of payload size, powertrain configurations, and available body styles. Aesthetically, the new Transit appears to be a blend of new and old -- the upright, cab-forward form is traditional Transit (or European cargo van, for that matter), but the angled headlamps, trapezoidal grille, and sculpted body sides echo those of the smaller Transit Custom. The large, one-piece grille, along with the thick black bumper and chunky body-side molding, give the Transit some added visual bulk.
2014 Ford Transit
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2014 Ford Transit
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2014 Ford Transit
In Europe, virtually all Transits will be fitted with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel I-4 and a six-speed manual transmission. As is the case with the current Transit, buyers will be able to choose from front-, rear, or all-wheel-drive forms. In North America, Ford promises a "tailored range" of several gasoline options, including the 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6. North American Transits will also be available with a new diesel offering that has yet to be revealed in detail. Regardless of the engine selected, North American Transit models will feature a six-speed automatic transmission, and be offered only in rear-wheel-drive form.
European models will be sold in a multitude of body styles, including a cargo van, passenger van, and a chassis cab. Ford will offer three wheelbases and roof heights for the Transit van models, though it's yet to specify which ones will be offered in our market. We'd expect at least one high-roof model to cross the pond in order to counter similar features offered by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Nissan NV2500 and 3500. U.S.-spec Transits will be built within Ford's Kansas City, Missouri factory, which presently assembles F-150 trucks. Production should start in 2013, but Ford notes there will be a period of time -- likely through the 2014 model year -- where it will build and sell both E-Series and Transit models simultaneously.
