The Ford Transit van is Ford’s excellent offering in the large-van category. The commercial vehicle that started it all, this big Ford Transit is hard-working, reliable, and everything you would expect from a van of its reputation. It’s in the same overall class as other large vans like the VW Crafter, Mercedes Sprinter, and SAIC Maxus Deliver 9, and it benefits from Ford’s decades of expertise and pioneering spirit.
Ford Transit Body Styles
The Transit is available as a traditional panel van and also as a DCiV (Double Cab-in-Van, double cab, or crew cab). While the van seats two or three including the driver, the Transit DCiV / Transit double cab can accommodate up to seven in total. It’s a great option if you know you’ll need to carry passengers along with your cargo, and it still has ample loadspace.
Engines, Drive Systems, and Transmissions
Ford provides a selection of engines for the Transit, all of which are based on their efficient and powerful 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel. You can choose from 105hp / 310Nm, 130hp / 360 Nm, 170hp / 390Nm, and 185hp / 415Nm. There’s also the option on models with manual transmissions for an to upgrade to an EcoBlue Hybrid with “mild hybrid electric vehicle technology”, or mHEV. This uses a 48-volt lithium-ion battery to recover and store unused energy, and this energy can then be used to power some of the van’s electrics and support the engine. It’s a little extra eco touch to lessen the Transit’s footprint while still ensuring that you have the power you need, when you need it.
And of course, all of the EcoBlue diesel models are equipped with an AdBlue tank to keep them in line with the Euro 6.2 emissions regulations and reduce nitrogen-oxide particulate pollution. The AdBlue tank will last you quite some miles, and you can refill it yourself (easily!) when it’s empty.
There’s a choice between front-wheel drive (FWD), rear-wheel drive (RWD), and driver-activated all-wheel drive (AWD) depending on which overall configuration you choose. In terms of gearboxes, the Ford Transit van is most commonly available with a 6-speed manual gearbox, but there’s also a 6-speed automatic transmission on some version. There’s even one 10-speed automatic option: the Jumbo. More on that below!
Transit Body Lengths and Dimensions
The Transit big van as a van and a DCiV is available in three wheelbase lengths: L2, L3, and L4. It also comes in three roof heights (H2, H3, and H4), and these lengths and heights are combined as L2 H3 or L3 H2. Load volume, load height, and overall height depend not only on the body style, length, and height, but also on what drive system the van has. As such, the overall-height, loadspace-height, and load volume figures below — apart from in the case of the Jumbo L4H3 — cover the full range possible, with the lowest figure for FWD first and the highest figure for RWD / AWD second. I hope that makes sense! (The L4H3 only comes in RWD / AWD, so mercifully, that simplifies things.)
L2 H2
Overall length: 5531mm
Overall height: 2413-2534mm
Wheelbase: 3300
Loadspace length: 3044mm
(DCiV: 2038mm)
Loadspace height: 1886-1786mm
Load volume: 10.0-9.5m3
(DCiV: 6.1-5.7m3)
L2 H3
Overall length: 5531mm
Overall height: 2652-2771mm
Wheelbase: 3300
Loadspace length: 3044mm
(DCiV: 2038mm)
Loadspace height: 2125-2025mm
Load volume: 11.2-10.7m3
(DCiV: 6.6-6.4m3)
L3 H2
Overall length: 5981mm
Overall height: 2411-2533mm
Wheelbase: 3750
Loadspace length: 3494mm
(DCiV: 2488mm)
Loadspace height: 1886-1786mm
Load volume: 11.5-11.0m3
(DCiV: 7.6-7.2m3)
L3 H3
Overall length: 5981mm
Overall height: 2676-2769mm
Wheelbase: 3750
Loadspace length: 3494mm
(DCiV: 2488mm)
Loadspace height: 2125-2025mm
Load volume: 13.0-12.4m3
(DCiV: 8.4-8.0m3)
L4 H3
Overall length: 6704mm
Overall height: 2715-2778mm
Wheelbase: 3750
Loadspace length: 4217mm
(DCiV: 2488mm)
Loadspace height: 2025mm
Load volume: 15.1m3
(DCiV: 10.6m3)
And now, some straightforward, easy-to-follow stats for all Transit big vans:
Overall width: 2474mm (with mirrors)
Loadspace width: 1784mm
Loadspace width between the wheel arches: 1392mm
GVWs and Payloads
If you’re still with us after all of that, here are some more numbers for you! Ford refers to the Transit’s gross vehicle weight (GVW) as its gross vehicle mass (GVM). Whatever you call it, the GVW / GVM is the total combined permitted weight of the vehicle. This includes the van itself, the driver and any passengers, the payload, and the fuel. The Transit’s GVM ranges from 2940kg (or 2.9 tonnes) at the low end to a whopping 5000kg (5.0 tonnes) at the high end for the L4H3 Jumbo, but a GVM of 3500kg / 3.5 tonnes is the most common.
As you might expect, there’s a huge range of payloads too — the payload being the maximum permitted weight of what you can carry apart from the van and the driver — from 895kg to 2209kg in the normal range and 2383kg on the Jumbo.
Transit Interiors and Trims
The size of the Transit big van and what it can carry are obviously important, but so is what’s in the cab. You spend a lot of time in your van, so it needs to be comfortable, convenient, and somewhere you don’t mind being. Transit trim levels start with Leader. Then you have Trend, then the new Trail trim (which is a little more suited to difficult terrain), and finally the Limited trim. All trim levels and models come with a basic set of safety features too; we’ll detail those below the trims. So, without further ado, here are the trims.
Leader includes:
- DAB/AM/FM radio with 4.2” screen (not touchscreen), 2x USB ports (with iPod functionality), Bluetooth, Ford Pass Connect
- Electric front windows
- Full-width unglazed metal bulkhead (van) or glazed bulkhead (DCiV)
- Driver’s seat with 4-way adjustments, cushion tilt, and armrest
- Trip computer
- Rubber floor covering in the cab
- Rubber floor covering everywhere in the DCiV
- Steering column adjustable for height and reach
- Door mirrors with indicator and blind-spot eliminator
- Sliding load door (passenger side)
- Halogen Projector Headlights with courtesy delay
- Remote central locking
- Load tie-down loops
Trend includes (in addition to Leader):
- DAB/AM/FM radio with Ford SYNC 2.5, 8.0-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, Applink, USB port with iPod functionality, remote audio control, Ford Pass Connect
- Cruise control with speed limiter (adjustable)
- Quickclear heated windscreen
- Lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat
- Steering wheel with leather trim
- Shoulder-height trim board in the load compartment (van only)
- Easily cleaned load floor
- Power-folding door mirrors
- Project-style halogen headlights with cornering lights (static)
- Parking-distance sensors (front and rear)
- Rain-sensing windscreen wipers (front)
- Front fog lights
Trail — the one for more difficult terrain — features (in addition to Trend):
- Seat trim in full leather
- Front air-conditioning (manual)
- 16” 10-spoke alloy wheels, painted black
- Special upper grille design
- Front skid plate (painted silver)
- AWD or FWD with mechanical limited-slip differential (manual transmission only)
- Locking wheel nuts
And finally, the Limited trim includes (in addition to Trend):
- Front air-conditioning (manual)
- Gearshift knob in leather trim
- 16” 5×2-spoke alloys wheels
- Bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights
- Side Park Assist
- Front bumper in the body colour
- Locking wheel nuts
Safety features on all models:
- ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (electronic brake-force distribution)
- Driver’s airbag (optional front passenger and curtain airbags)
- ESC (electronic stability control)
- Hill-start assist
- Curve control
- Roll Stability Control (RSC)
- Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
- ISOFIX attachments in the DCiV
Transit Customisations and Extras
There are countless extras and upgrades available for the Ford Transit van. You could have a roof base carrier, a rear ladder, and interior roof rack, side bars, wind deflectors, an engine undershield, a wooden load floor, etc.: plenty of options to be sure your van does everything you need it to.
Conversions and Specials
The Transit is a big van, and the Jumbo especially is big and heavy enough that it could be used as an ambulance, welfare vehicle, or for another special purpose. Ford offers a variety of options to help you make sure that your conversion has all the features you need, so if you have specific requirements not mentioned here, that definitely doesn’t mean they’re not possible.
The Transit also comes as a chassis cab ready for conversions to a tipper, dropside, or Luton van. It’s a seriously versatile, seriously strong vehicle for a huge range of industry applications, and it’s great as a camper conversion too!
Ford Transit Van Finance
Here at Swiss Vans, we always do our best to find you the best deal on your new van. Whether it’s a Ford Transit lease or an affordable, low-rate finance agreement, we can help. We offer a wide variety of options including finance lease, lease purchase, contract hire, and hire purchase (HP). We also have fantastic deals on cash sales, so no worries if you want to buy outright.
The Big Van For You
Give us a call at Swiss Vans today and speak with our friendly sales team about the Ford Transit van. They can help with questions about finance, technical specs, conversions and more, and we’ll get you on the road as soon as we can. And if the Ford Transit big van is just a little too big for you, consider the Ford Transit Custom, Ford’s superb medium van!