New Ford Transit previewed by Tourneo Custom Concept | Car Advice

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New Ford Transit previewed by Tourneo Custom Concept

By Tim Beissmann |

The Ford Tourneo Custom Concept will preview the new Ford Transit van range when it debuts at next month’s Geneva motor show.

Developed for the European and Asian markets (but not North America), the Tourneo passenger range will launch this year, with the related Transit commercial range will follow before the beginning of 2013.

The Tourneo Custom Concept adopts the brand’s Kinetic design language, with broad headlights, trapezoidal grille, prominent wheel arches and modern interior giving the van a much-needed injection of personality and style.

Ford says its designers worked hard to create an interior space that contains both a driver-focused cockpit and a luxurious cabin with the ambience and quality materials of a sedan.

The Tourneo Custom Concept features a suite of technology systems, many of which are only offered on high-end passenger vehicles. Among those is Ford’s Sync in-car connectivity system for phones and media devices, which includes an integrated emergency assistance function. The extensive safety package also includes front, side and curtain airbags, rear-view camera, lane departure warning and a tired-driver alert system.

The concept is powered by a 114kW 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine. The engine will also be available in 74kW and 92kW tunes across the Tourneo and Transit ranges, and will be equipped standard with stop-start technology as Ford targets class-leading fuel economy.

Ford says the Tourneo Custom Concept is based on a new Ford global platform that has been engineered to deliver “car-like dynamics [with] agile, responsive handling, enhanced ride comfort and reduced noise levels”.

Ford has produced the Transit-based Tourneo people mover since the 1990s. The current Tourneo – based on the Mk6 Transit – is sold in Europe and Asia, including the right-hand-drive UK market.


 
  • JHP

    wow, not bad for a commercial van.
    possibly one of the best looking van on the market.

  • O123

    “concept” looks good

  • Troll No. 47

    Hang on a minute, I thought with all this ‘One Ford’ bullsh!t the Transit and the North American E-series van platforms were going to be merged?? This One Ford seems to be more like one Ford for everyone else bar the US…

    • Rocket

      When I can buy a Mustang and an F150 in Australia for the same price they sell them in the USA then Ford can claim to be “ONE FORD”.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YQLKLFNYP3UFBFAGOV2LNDSREA Robert Ryan

      Well Mike Levine (Publicity Spokeman for Ford US) commented on a recent article on pickups .com about the Tourino that “The US version will look better”

  • Poison Eagle

    US will be taking this generation of Transit. I hope its been beefed up to tow and carry more, maybe take some bigger engines than the current model.

  • pdp2190

    The Transit is available in FWD and RWD, this is the FWD version of the next generation. The States will be getting the heavy duty RWD version, which hasn’t debuted yet

  • Tee Jay

    Everything looks like something from Toyota now, a Hiace to be exact, not good!

    The air con switches are in the wrong place, will need a long arm.

    The triangular hole near the gear stick must be for the sandwich.

  • theillestlife

    looks good, but i wouldn’t take one over a hiace.

    hiace are just beasts of the trade. without hiaces, australia stops.

    • MattP

      Hiace has been outshone by the Hyundai iLoad and iMax.  Superior space and exceptional turbodiesel engine option with five speed auto and traction control which Toyota cannot match.

      Hiace are obsolete.

  • Sam

    @ Tee Jay

    If you think this looks like a Hiace then …..

    Nice van Ford, bring it here to replace the ageing Econovan/Transit!

  • Peanut

    A competitor for the iLoad maybe.
    Will we ever see it here? 

  • MisterZed

    What the heck is the point of a numeric keypad with numbers 0-9 on it? 

    • Lox

      Do you need a keypad with a “10″ on it ???

    • Guest

      Its used in conjunction with bluetooth and allows you to dial telephone numebers