Ford’s new Transit bus moves many, much, and how!
The new Transit 12-seater bus from Ford offers a practical, safe and grunty option for fleet buyers.
A rear-drive bus/van with a 2-3-4 seating row combination, the mid-roof Transit bus also has Ford’s 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine with 114kW and a chunky 385Nm of torque to haul a 1,426kg payload or 2.5-tonne braked towing capacity. The staunch workhorse is shifts using a six-speed manual gearbox.
Key features include hill-start assist, cruise control with adjustable speed limiter, auto stop/start, dynamic stability control and traction control, trailer sway control, torque vectoring/curve control, roll-over mitigation (useful at 2.6m high), emergency brake assist and brake warning, airbags for front driver/passenger plus side curtain and seat side, and Ford Emergency Assist operated through its SYNC infotainment system – operable through controls on the rake/reach adjustable steering wheel. Smart regenerative charging and economy gear shift indicator also help reduce load on battery use and fuel consumption, with battery management system improving battery durability.
The trusty light commercial bus comes with power-folding and heated electric door mirrors, manual levelling headlights and a rotund 100-litre fuel tank with emergency fuel pump shit-off in the vent of an accident where airbags deploy. There are also numerous storage compartments in the front doors for a drink bottle and clipboard, plus large stowage space under the front dual-passenger seat. The $1500 optional City Pack adds front/rear parking sensors and rear camera, electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, and front fog lamps. Prestige paint (Moonlight SIlver) is an extra $500 and a single passenger seat (instead of dual) is $150 – go figure.
List price for the 12-seat Ford Transit is a respectable $57,680 plus on-road costs, carrying over from the previous MY15 price.
