WHITE van man has never had it so good, according to Ford as the company celebrates 45 years of its iconic Transit van.
Described by Ford as the backbone of Britain what is probably the best recognised commercial vehicle is now more affordable than ever.
In a range that has hundreds of permutations a brand new Transit can be bought for just under £12,000.
The Leader models are the latest entry level Transits and there’s no doubting they offer great value for money.
The Transit Leader 260 short wheelbase is priced at £11,995.
And buying into the Transit family can come even cheaper.
The Transit Connect is a ‘mini-me’ kind of Transit for those who need a van but can get by with a little less space.
It might not be a Transit in the true sense of the word, sitting a lot lower and with considerably less carrying capacity but at £9,995 for the entry level Leader model it manages to stay under that £10,000 ceiling.
Whatever the case, the van market seems to be booming.
One theory suggested to me by a commercial vehicle expert was the rise of Internet shopping.
With more and more people ordering goods online the business of delivering all that shopping rests ultimately with van drivers.
It might be colloquial rather than scientific evidence but it would certainly seem to make sense.
The Transit Leader 260 short wheelbase comes with a 2.2-litre TDCi 85ps engine that might lack refinement but has plenty of punch.
One of the great things about the evolution of the Transit is that over the years it has got progressively easier to drive.
My first Transit experience was behind the wheel of a 17-seater minibus in the early 80s. Looking back it felt big, unwieldy and kind of awkward, with a gearbox that would probably have been more at home on a tractor than a road-going vehicle. At times it required two hands rather than one to make the long journey from first to second gear.
The first thing that impressed about the current model was its smooth and slick gearbox, Located high up in the centre console it’s within easy reach and the gear changes are fluid and short.
The current crop of Transits are far more comfortable than their predecessors of a few decades back offering ride quality and an overall driving experience that’s far more car-like than truck-like.
Step up to one of the longer wheelbase versions and it starts to feel a little more commercial vehicle-like, though only because of its sheer size more than anything else – the driving experience is still pretty good it has to be said.
Mark Simpson, Ford of Britain marketing director, said: “For 45 years Ford has delivered reliable and robust commercial vehicles to UK van drivers. Now Transit has become more accessible with the arrival of Transit Leader and Transit Connect Leader for customers looking for the best possible proposition.”
The Transit Leader 260 SWB offers decent economy – 34.9mpg on average – and is only available in white.