Ford’s ubiquitous E-Series vans are a familiar sight on American roads, but that’s soon to change. The long-running E-Series is finally being retired, and the all-new Ford Transit van is being launched at dealerships in the U.S. and Canada this summer. The European look of the Transit is no accident. As a product of Ford’s “One Ford” plan to leverage the company’s global assets, the Transit’s design was a collaboration between Ford of North America and Ford of Europe. Though its looks might seem jarring to those accustomed to the old-school layout of the E-Series, the Transit offers a level of fuel economy, tractability, comfort, and configurability that the old van could never hope to match.
In place of the thirsty V-8 and V-10 engines of the old E-Series, the Transit offers a choice of three efficient V6s– a 275-hp 3.7-liter, a turbocharged Ecoboost 310-hp 3.5-liter, and a 185-hp 3.2-liter Power Stroke diesel– that help it attain fuel-economy ratings up to 46% better than its predecessor.
Ford offers the Transit in three different lengths and three different roof heights. Chassis-cab and cutaway versions will also be available in a variety of upfit-friendly packages. (We’ll take a look a few of these in a separate gallery.)
We took the new Transit vans for a spin at a recent press event and found them remarkably tractable and easy to drive. We even hustled them through a few fast corners and a mini slalom course in a closed parking lot, and they handled surprisingly well for their size. We sampled all three of the V6 engines too, and each provided more-than-adequate power in their respective applications.
Check out some of the neat details of the vans we drove in the pics below.
At the end of the road: The long-serving Ford E-Series vans are being retired after the 2014 model year.
This long-wheelbase low-roof Transit did just fine with the base 3.7-liter V6.
This long-wheelbase medium-roof model had decent acceleration with its Ecoboost 3.5-liter V6.
This extended-length high-roof duallie passenger van was ably propelled by the 3.2-liter PowerStroke diesel V6.
When properly configured, the Transit can carry up to 15 people. Six-footers can easily stand up straight inside the high-roof model.
The Transit’s dashboard has a European feel similar to many of Ford’s current passenger vehicles. Cup holders and ingenious storage solutions abound.
A handy little slot on the dashboard is sized just right for a few business cards, a credit card, a key card, or what have you.
Have a wallet, cell phone, or other valuable you’d like to securely store? The Transit has a slick little door pocket…
… that completely disappears when the door is closed.
The fuel filler uses Ford’s EZ Fuel system, so there is no fuel cap to mess with. (This is a diesel model, hence the diesel-exhaust-fluid filler neck.) The ingenious feature here is that the fuel filler door is located just aft of the driver’s door. That small tab on the fuel filler door is covered by the driver’s door when it is closed, locking the door in place and making it almost impossible for thieves to steal fuel.
A clever storage area under the passenger-side front seat houses a tool kit.
That inlet on the front bumper doubles as a step, making it easier to wash the Transit’s expansive windshield. The front-end components are designed for easy and economical repair in the case of a collision.
