WHITE Van Man can now go wherever he wants following the addition of a Transit 4x4 to Ford's latest line-up.
Voted Van of the Year, the Transit 4x4 it comes with the option of diesel power, six-speed transmission and intelligent four wheel drive.
It could be a winning combination for an increasing number of users whose carrier does more than trundle up and down motorways.
Although the Transit has power to the rear wheels most of the time it can now come with the option of what Ford calls intelligent torque on-demand.
In other words, when any semblance of wheel slip is detected the torque is immediately redistributed to include the front wheels too in order to improve grip.
There is a 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine generating 140bhp, which through a slick six-speed manual shifter gets its power to the wheels via a hydraulic freewheel system that does away with heavy differentials.
The result is an additional weight penalty of just 50kg and it means that under-floor ground clearance is unaffected so there is no need to raise the vehicle height.
Prices have yet to be determined but Ford is inviting potential users to express their interest now with a view to the vehicle making an appearance early next year.