Ford introduces new Transit Custom in SA, targeting LCV market growth

Source: Ford

The Transit Custom van has been introduced locally with only one derivative, the Base Long Wheelbase Van, with more models to come later in the year.

Before we hit some of the pothole-ridden roads in Gauteng, we sat down with Ford SA’s president Neale Hill to hear about the Blue Oval’s new Transit Custom van.

Hill showed us where the Transit Custom fits in the local light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment in terms of sales. Last year 367 units of it were sold, only being outdone by the Toyota Quantum.

From 2018 the Transit Custom has performed modestly in the LCV segment (only seeing a dip in 2020 during Covid), and we predict it will continue to do so and even go beyond expectations with its updates that position it favourably.

Hill told us that in Europe the Transit Custom, which is built in Türkiye, is the number one selling one-ton van, and was the UK’s best-selling vehicle in 2021 and 2022.

Another interesting fact brought to us by Hill is that the Ford Transit has won the International Van of the Year title five times.

What will the new Transit Custom go up against in South Africa though? Hill said its competitors are the Toyota Quantum, Hyundai Staria, Volkswagen Transporter, and Mercedes-Benz Vito.

What’s new?

The new Transit Custom van has a plethora of updates. Starting with the exterior, the height has been surprisingly lowered to 1,961mm.

Hill explained that it was reduced to account for parking areas with height restrictions, which makes the height reduction unsurprising then.

Length-wise it has stretched to 5,440mm and is wide by 2,275mm (including mirrors).

The Transit Custom now boasts a clean-sheet design that has reduced overall weight by 100kg.

Ford says the body design of the latest Transit Custom was developed in an aerodynamic simulation, which resulted in a reduced frontal area that creates a lower drag for better fuel efficiency.

Source: Ford

The interior has also been updated extensively with a driving position that’s more car-like, according to Ford. After testing, we concur that the seating position is more car-like and less commercial-like.

The floor is now flat and there’s even a 13-inch landscape touchscreen, an almost luxury-like feature for a commercial vehicle.

The infotainment system comes with Ford’s latest Sync 4 system and Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Another convenience feature is the inclusion of a wireless charging pad.

One gets the sense that Ford has put a lot of thought into the type of person that would be driving its new Transit Custom van, and this is evident by the storage space inside the cabin with a large glovebox, numerous cupholders, and a lower storage shelf.

Source: Ford

When it comes to storage upgrades, the wheelbase has been extended for cargo space. The floor has been lowered as well for easier accessibility. Load volume has increased to 5.8m3 with the standard roof height, along with a payload of up to 1,269kg and a maximum load length of 3,050mm using the load-through feature.

Eight load area tie-down loops, partial rubber floor covering, twin 180-degree opening rear barn doors and ultra-bright LED interior lighting have been added to up its practicality game.

Source: Ford

Driven and tested

Ford SA gave us a taste of what it's like to be an operator of a commercial vehicle and how the Transit Custom van suits the needs of someone who needs to transport goods. We were given a task to load and unpack packages from the load area, which created a sense of how spacious the vehicle was.

We loaded up some packages to be loaded off in Soweto as part of one of the Blue Oval's CSI initiatives. Here we noticed the difference in a lower-loading space as one needs to move in and out with ease. The barn doors and the sliding doors open at the same time proved to be useful when we did our drop-off, which provided maximum accessibility.

What drives the new Transit Custom? Under the bonnet is a 2l Single Turbo EcoBlue diesel four-cylinder engine which produces 100kW of power at 3, 500 r/min, along with 360Nm of torque between 1, 750 and 2,500r/min. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with selectable drive modes: Normal, Eco and Slippery.

In Gauteng, our time on the road with it was pleasant as we had enough power under our foot to manoeuvre past traffic and keep up with the rest on highways. That extra sixth gear gives a much-needed extra push on a longer road and makes a noticeable difference.

When it comes to fuel efficiency, Ford SA masterfully demonstrated to us how frugal the new Transit Custom van can be. We were pitted against other journalists for the best fuel figure at the end of our drive route the winner produced a figure between 6l-7l per 100km.

Safety

Hill told media at the launch event that there are six airbags inside the cabin, which is a lot for two occupants and a welcomed feature. These consist of dual front and side and curtain airbags. According to Ford, one of the airbags is roof-mounted for the passenger, which is an industry first.

Other safety features include ABS brakes, electronic stability programme with traction control, hill launch assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, driver Alert with impairment monitor, collision mitigation, lane keeping aid, roll-over mitigation, intelligent speed assistance with speed sign recognition, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The new Ford Transit Custom van is priced at R692,200 with a four-year/120,000km Ford warranty, four-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty.