Ford Transit 2016 Review

Ford Transit 350L
2016 Large Van Comparison Test

Ford's VO Transit arrived in late 2014, boasting more room, a new cabin, new convenience and safety features and updated styling. The six rear-drive models on offer are powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that produces 114kW and 385Nm, the urge fed through the sole choice of a six-speed manual transmission. The Ford Transit range is priced from $47,680 to $54,180 with the 350L with high-roof option on test here coming in at $49,180 (plus on-road costs).

Ford's Transit nameplate celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and that half-century of commercial experience culminates in the current VO Transit.

Not to be confused with the lighter one-tonne Transit Custom, the two-tonne Transit also represents a significant progression from its predecessor, featuring more generous dimensions, a new roof design said to free up more internal space, a new cab interior and a long list of new features.

The exterior styling has been smartened up but it's when you step up into the cabin that the Transit immediately impresses. The sculpted and flowing lines of the dash, the fit and finish of the panels and the leather-wrapped steering wheel all deliver an impression of quality more readily associated with a passenger car than a commercial, and that theme also extends to the level of comfort.

The driver's seat features a high range of adjustment and comes with an adjustable armrest, while electric heating for both the driver's and passenger's seats is standard. With a tilt-and-reach adjustable steering wheel it's easy to find a comfortable position and the all the controls – perhaps bar the switches for the heating and cooling – are just a short stretch away. One small gripe concerns the high position of the brake pedal, but we acclimatised soon enough.

There are well-placed cup and bottle holders and cab storage is generous. There are three dash-top trays, the one on the driver's side having a lid plus USB, 12-volt and 3.5mm auxiliary audio inputs, and there's a neat four-compartment overhead shelf plus a large glovebox and a heap of room under the twin passenger seat unit.

The Transit benefits from a standard steel bulkhead with window and this aids cabin comfort greatly, reducing noise and increasing the efficiency of the heating and cooling, which is ducted through large and effective vents.

The driver's door opens wide but there are no A-pillar grab handles to assist entry – fortunate then that the Transit has the lowest seat height of the vehicles on test.

Vision is generally good, with relatively skinny A-pillars and large side mirrors, which incidentally have a handy power fold-in feature. The bulkhead window is fairly small and features a mesh grille, obscuring rear vision (though aiding safety), while the Transit is the only vehicle on test to be fitted with wipers on its rear barn doors (plus washers and demisters).

The car comparisons continue with the Transit's ride and handling. For the vehicle with the longest wheelbase (3750mm), the largest internal volume (12.4 cubic metres) and the highest roof (this 350L sporting a high-roof option, $1500), the Transit delivers a remarkably relaxed, easy drive.

Our test vehicle's six-speed manual transmission is a little notchy in the lower gears but otherwise fuss free, while the clutch is light and progressive.

There's a degree of low-end lag to the Ford Duratorq 2.2-litre oiler, but when the tacho hits 2000rpm it surges forward, surfing an impressive wave of torque that doesn't tail off until 4250rpm. Lag isn't an issue in the other vans on test but once the driver has adapted it doesn't prove too problematic in the Transit.

The lack of NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) is impressive; engine noise is nicely subdued, without any of the usual diesel rattles or clatter, and the Transit returned the lowest ambient noise reading on test – just 75dB(A).

The Transit handled the 975kg test weight without complaint and continued to streak up steeper hills without issue. In fact the Transit was the third-strongest performer in our acceleration runs, behind the Sprinter and Master.

The handling is difficult to fault. The Transit remains largely flat through the bends loaded or not, while it's remarkably compliant and composed over speed humps and all the usual bumps and dips that Australian roads throw up. The front-end didn't push through tight, rain-lashed roundabouts either, and with the weight in the back the smaller road imperfections simply melted away.

The Transit certainly doesn't want for features. An idle-stop function is standard as is a hill-hold feature, cruise control and a speed limiter. There's a 3.5-inch digital multifunction display at the top of the centre stack, while the audio system (AM/FM/CD/MP3/Bluetooth streaming) is hooked up to four speakers. The Transit also benefits from Ford's SYNC voice command system; it worked well and pairing a phone via Bluetooth is simple.

Our test vehicle was fitted with Ford's optional City Pack, which for $1500 adds front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera (displayed in the rear-view mirror).

There's a gear shift indicator to promote fuel economy and over this test the Transit returned a healthy 9.5L/100km. That makes it one of the better performers, with a long range afforded by the 100-litre fuel tank (the largest on test, equal with the Daily and Master).

The well-appointed load bay features full-height sidewall protection and a plastic floor liner as standard. The latter does offer good protection but it is slippery in the wet. There are four internal load bay lights, 10 tie-down anchor points and a 12-volt socket at the rear; there's no rear grab handle to aid entry but there is one at the side, and there's further storage space over the roof of the cab.

The Transit's load bay floor was the equal highest on test, tying with the Daily at 655mm, while it offered the narrowest width between its wheel arches, at 1300mm.

The Transit impresses for its comfort and features but it should be said that it also has the lowest payload in this company, at 1267kg – a fact that could well be a deal breaker depending on its intended application. Its towing capacity meanwhile falls mid-pack, at 2750kg.

Given its size it's also relatively nimble, with a 13.3m turning circle and just 3.25 turns of the well-assisted steering from lock to lock.

Ford has certainly taken safety seriously with its Transit. There's a class-leading six airbags as standard, plus a comprehensive stability control program with load adaptive control, roll-over mitigation, trailer-sway control and more.

The Transit faces some stiff opposition when it comes to warranty, however. The Transit's three-year/100,000km warranty period falls short of the 200,000km that comes with the Sprinter, Ducato and Master (and the unlimited kilometre coverage of the Crafter), and roadside assistance is only included for the first year.

Its service intervals, meanwhile, are indicated at every 12 months or 15,000km – its rivals take that distance to double or more.

The Transit is a very modern, comfortable and high-tech van. It's a delight to drive as far as commercials go, but the lower payload and shorter service intervals will deter some buyers, as may the lack of an automatic transmission.

However, if the application allows you to look past those issues the Transit won't fail to impress with its easy-driving nature, well-appointed load bay and long list of creature comforts.

Related reading:
>> Large Van 2016 Comparison: Introduction
>> Ford Transit (from $47,680 plus ORCs)
>> Fiat Ducato (from $44,000 plus ORCs)
>> Iveco Daily (from $49,501 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (from $44,490 plus ORCs)
>> Renault Master (from $40,990 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Crafter (from $41,990 plus ORCs)
>> Large Van Comparison - The Verdict

2016 Ford Transit 350L pricing and specifications:
Price: $47,680 (plus on-road costs, add $1500 for high roof option)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 114kW/385Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Drive: Rear
GVM: 3550kg
Wheelbase: 3750mm
Payload: 1267kg
Load space: 12.4 cubic metres
Towing (braked): 2750kg
Fuel: 9.5L/100km (as tested)