New Ford Transit review

The Ford Transit has been an icon in the van market since it was launched in 1965 and has held an unprecedented grip on the title of best-selling van in the UK.

These days, though, the Transit's name is used on several other models (the Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier), plus two all-electric vans, the Ford E-Transit and the Ford E-Transit Custom. So to be clear, this review is all about the diesel-powered Ford Transit large van.

It's been around in its present form for 10 years, with engine and styling updates in 2019 plus a 2024 update that includes a long list of new driver-centric technology to make the working day easier. The refreshed interior has a new infotainment system taking centre stage, along with other refinements.

Although it's the UK’s best-selling large van, the Transit faces stiff competition from the van world’s other big household name, the Mercedes Sprinter. Rivals also range from the Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer to the Renault Master and VW Crafter.

Read on to find out whether the new Ford Transit deserves a place among the best large vans...

The Ford Transit is available with a range of 2.0-litre diesel engines, tweaked slightly and now delivering 103bhp, 129bhp, or 163bhp, depending on spec.

You can have front, rear and even all-wheel-drive, all with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The popular 10-speed automatic gearbox option lives on for some models, but a new eight-speed automatic has been added for front-wheel-drive vans.

Despite its size, the Transit is a great driver's van, thanks to its responsive steering and impressively compliant suspension. It’s pretty heavy, which adds to the feeling that you’re driving a big vehicle, but once you get used to the bulk, it's pretty agile.

Stiffer suspension than Transits of old ensures that the van corners better, and helps to limit body lean if you go into a bend a little too quickly. It’s a much more engaging large van to drive than the Mercedes Sprinter, although it's not as smooth over bumps. The Vauxhall Movano is in a much lower league, feeling like a van a couple of generations behind.

The Transit's firm suspension can result in some bouncing around, particularly when unladen, but when you add some weight – even a small amount – it settles down. Considering most drivers will spend most of their time carrying a load of some description, we think this won't be a big concern.

Of the three engines on offer (we’re not counting the electric motors of the Ford E-Transit) we’d recommend the 103bhp entry-level model for its overall performance. Because of the low-down torque on offer, it has a more than adequate oomph, even for a large van.

If you're going to maximise the payload of a van with a 3.5-tonne or greater gross vehicle weight, though, one of the higher outputs will be necessary, with the 129bhp engine offering a fine balance. It’s no rocket ship, but the 163bhp unit adds yet more power and, with it, more performance.

The six-speed manual gearbox is a little notchy and requires a firm hand to find each gear. A long sixth gear makes the Transit well suited to motorway driving though, with little engine noise at cruising speed.

You won’t be short of storage options in the Ford Transit. There are compartments all over the top of the dashboard that will allow you to store all sorts of stuff, but will work particularly well for paperwork and phones. There’s even a USB port there, although there’s no cover to keep valuables hidden from prying eyes.

A spacious overhead shelf will give easy access to anything you want to keep hidden, and there’s also storage under the Transit's passenger seat bench. The glove box provides more concealed storage, and a small compartment on the driver’s door is only accessible when you open it up, so there are plenty of options to keep things secure.

Cup holders for both driver and passenger can be found towards the end of each side of the dashboard, and two large pockets beneath these are suitable for large water bottles, so hydration shouldn’t be an issue.

The only downside is a shortage of small trays and cubby holes for coins and pens. The lower central compartment – probably intended for documents or clipboards – is where you’ll end up stashing most of your small bits and pieces, but retrieving items from there could be tricky.

The Transit has plenty of leg room for the driver and front passengers, including anyone in the centre seat, which isn’t always the case in large vans (the Vauxhall Movano, for example).

The driver’s seat adjusts in eight different ways, and the steering column is adjustable for both reach and height so you can be properly comfortable. There’s a good range of adjustments, too, so only the unusually tall or short will find any problems.

The Transit's dashboard layout has a neat and stylish aesthetic that feels reasonably close to the interior of a relatively modern car – which is high praise for a van.

A sizeable 12in infotainment touchscreen dominates the centre of the dashboard, with an 8in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel. The screen reacts well to finger prods and has crisp and clear graphics.

It’s a smart system, using a 5G modem to offer connected navigation with real-time traffic. Or, of course, you could just plug your phone in and use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to mirror your phone's sat-nav apps and other features.

The 5G modem also means you can connect to the internet, but its primary use is to allow a new level of connectivity through the Ford Pass app. With this, you can monitor all sorts of status information about the Transit and even remotely unlock it. If you share your data with Ford, a team at a control centre in Essex will monitor your van, advising of any potential issues and organising repairs, theoretically keeping downtime to a minimum.

If you’re a courier, the most interesting new upgrade will be the Delivery Assist system. Available on long-wheelbase panel-van variants with an automatic gearbox, it automates repetitive security tasks for delivery drivers by stopping the engine when in Park, activating the hazard warning lights and alarm, and locking any door the driver doesn’t use. Once the driver is back in the cab, pressing the brake pedal restarts the engine and deactivates the hazard lights.

There’s a range of body weights for the Ford Transit, starting at 3.1 tonnes gross and going up to five tonnes. As you can imagine, with so much variation, there's enormous potential for the Transit van to carry just about anything you want.

Payload limits range wildly, from just under a tonne to close to three tonnes, although you can expect a payload allowance of between 1,100kg and 1,500kg on the core 3.5-tonne models.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox option increases front-wheel-drive vans' maximum payload by 700kg, and extends its towing capacity by an enormous 1,750kg. A heavy-duty Gross Axle Weight Rating pack boosts the front axle weight from 1,850kg to 2,000kg, offering converters more potential for heavier loads and enhancing safety by improving load distribution for operators running at high weights.

Rear load space dimensions range from lengths of 2,900mm to 4,073mm and roof heights of 1,786mm to 2,125mm. That means the largest Transit van can transport 15.1m³, which makes it smaller than the Mercedes Sprinter (17m³) or the VW Crafter (18.4m³). The Vauxhall Movano and the closely related Citroën Relay, Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer peak at 17m³.

The single side door’s aperture of 1.3m is the best on the market, although there’s only 5cm between it and a Movano’s side door. The rear doors, meanwhile, open to 180 degrees, but you can specify 270-degree hinges on the largest Transit models. The Trend model gets half-height plywood panelling, with full-height protection as an optional extra.

Interior roof racks are a smart optional addition if you need extra load space options. They can support up to 50kg and can be fixed in different positions inside the van, keeping items such as smaller ladders held securely in the vehicle.

The Ford Transit is priced broadly in line with the Mercedes Sprinter and VW Crafter, which means it's not particularly cheap to buy. That said, servicing and maintenance costs for the Transit should be lower than those of the German competition.

The entry-level trim is called Leader and comes with touchscreen infotainment, steering-wheel controls, a DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and USB and auxiliary ports.

Mid-spec Trend – which is our recommended trim – adds air-con, sat-nav, parking sensors and automatic wipers and headlights, plus a leather-effect steering wheel and gear knob.

The range-topping Limited model gets you adaptive cruise control, a digital rear-view mirror, powerful HID headlights and some swish alloy wheels.

Ford makes a lot of noise about the Transit’s safety features, which include Hill Start Assist, Emergency Brake Warning and Electronic Dynamic Cornering Control. It also features Load Adaptive Control, which adjusts the electronic stability control based on the van's weight.

The Transit comes with other advanced systems such as Pre-Collision Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking, and lane-keeping assistance to help avoid an accident. Optional driver assistance packs offer a Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert and adaptive cruise control with lane-centring.

A driver’s airbag is standard, while passenger and pillar airbags are available as cost options. If you can afford a little more again, the Driver Assistance Pack, which includes a rear-view camera and Lane Keeping Alert, also represents money well spent.

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