Ford transit with 2.2 engine is just superb.

Excellent Drive:

Ford recently upgraded the Transit at the tail end of 2011 and added Euro 5-compliant engines to this whole range. Every single engine on offer is now a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engines and they come nicely in 100PS, 125PS, 135PS, 140PS and 155PS guises. If one is wondering why there is such a wide spread of engines, it’s because not every engine is proposed with every version. This is mainly due to Ford offering the Transit with front, back and all-wheel drive.

The four-wheel drive model is only sold along with the 125PS, 350Nm version of the 2.2-litre engine, which is actually the least common selection among Transit buyers. Much more common is the 125PS 2.2 TDCi that is smartly offered in both front and back-wheel drive versions, alongside the 100PS low-power engine. For the front-wheel drive Transits, there is also the decent choice of a 140PS engine, while back-drive models can be had with a 135PS engine along with either 355Nm or 385Nm of low-rev shove.

Gear Box:

All of these various engine options receive attached to a six-speed manual (non-automatic) gearbox as standard. This transmission deserves special highlight for the quality of its shift action. It may be a quite small detail, but when drivers of van spend so much time and so many miles at the wheel it’s definitely the details that count. The revised Transit’s gear shift is a real pleasure to use and in fact puts many passenger cars’ gearboxes to extreme shame.

Comfort:

Comfort is truly another Ford Transit strong point all thanks to supple suspension that deals with probably every type of lump and bump without any fuss or distress.

This is all the more striking when one notices the Transit doesn’t show any untoward body lean in corners, even when laden, while the steering is very direct and responsive yet light around town. It also include a tight turning circle at 10.8m in short wheelbase form to improve the Fiat Ducato’s more than decent turning ability.

Start/Stop Feature:

It is also worth mentioning the Transit now comes along with engine stop/start, calmly switching off the engine when the car is at a standstill with the gearbox in neutral and the clutch free. It aids saves fuel and could have a considerable bearing on fuel costs for those who use to spend a lot of time in urban traffic conditions. Ford also now perfectly fits regenerative charging, so the battery is all charged up as the van slows, saving otherwise wasted energy.

Speed Limiter:

New for the revised Transit is a standard speed limiter gracefully set at 70mph.

More unusual is the button placed on the dash to disable the limiter, which appears to defeat the purpose of having such a device in the first place if a driver of car can switch it off the moment he or she is out of sight of the depot.

Technology:

Ford’s ECOnetic technology has been stretched further across the Transit range along with the new Euro 5 engine. One can now has a 280S short wheelbase front-drive model or a 350L long wheelbase front-driver with this very fuel-saving technology. It also helps lower emissions of carbon dioxide, with the 280S emitting almost 173g/km and the 350L a respectable 189g/km.

All of this is indeed, welcome stuff, but at heart this Ford remains thrill to drive. The engines pull sturdily and the famous 125PS front-drive model constructs light work of heavy payloads. It deals with both, hills and steep inclines easily, rarely demanding a drop down from the higher gears to maintain momentum.

Noise:

Ford has addressed the Transit’s noisy cabin. By cautiously isolating every possible source of noise intrusion from the engine, as well as the road and wind at quite higher speeds, Ford has stylishly made the Transit’s cab easily the quietest and most fine-tuned of any it’s sector.

It may feel like a small matter on first acquaintance, but surely the reduction in noise inside the Transit has a huge impact over long days on fatigue of the driver, making it a more pleasant place to spend the working day.

Verdict:

Ford has designed amazing engines in terms of efficiency and technology.