Test drive Ford Transit Custom
GAZ has been the leader in the light commuter niche for a long time, and foreign cars have only a small share of the market. Ford Transit Custom re-equipped and claims at least to push the competition
A rare case: two different novelties were brought to a location near Frankfurt for tests at once. Pinch me: there's a whole row of Aston Martin DB11s here! But they are for German journalists. “It's good with James Bond, but I'm a chauffeur,” I walk past to the updated Ford Transit Custom vans. I am comforted that there is also something Astonian in the changed facings.
Ford Transit Custom is a notable player in the European light commercial vehicle segment, where it was named the best van of 2013. We carried out its SKD assembly, then removed it from the market. But a year ago, they returned cars already of Turkish production: a base body, a gross weight of 2,7-3,3 tons, a Duratorq diesel engine of 2,2 liters (100 or 125 hp) with a 6-speed manual gearbox, and the price is from 22 600 dollars.
By October, Ford had sold only 229 units - five times the Russian circulation of Aston Martin in the same period. We will see the new Russian price list in January, and deliveries of the model will continue from Turkey.
An increase in external solidity by the standards of a commuter is just a pleasant bonus. The news of the cockpit is much more important: the atmosphere here has become more laconic and friendlier, the steering wheel and instruments have changed for the better. The air conditioner remote control was modernized and raised from the cubbyhole to a prominent place. Offered 4- or 8-inch multimedia screens. SYNC 3 supports Apple CarPlay with Android Auto, and navigation can be set by voice: “Looking for a gas station”, “Looking for a coffee shop” or “Find an address”.
There were different-sized compartments, niches, holders, and there was something with a margin, but now they added three more large niches in the doors. One thing is bad: things in the upper trays are obtrusively reflected in the windshield. The finishing has become better, the upholstery is more durable. And the sound insulation has been slightly improved: for example, the door seals are thickened.
The workplace, as in a cozy office, sets you up for a positive: a close-to-vertical fit is comfortable, visibility is good, the controls on the steering wheel and the menu structures are clear. Not a hint of "freight" associations. And the disadvantages are not critical: the leg rest area is too extended, the armrest is without smooth adjustment, the pointer on the temperature knob is shallow, the bottle in the holder interferes with switching the light. There are also a couple of assembly flaws.
The model has two base lengths to choose from, low or high roof, version with one or two rows of seats. Gross weight 2,6-3,4 t, payload up to 1450 kg. In compartments with a volume of 6 cu. m includes three Euro pallets, a hatch from the body to a niche under the right seat allows you to place lengths up to 3,4 m. And on the test, vans carry ballast of 400 kg.
Under the hood is a completely new 16-valve EcoBlue 2,0 liter turbo diesel (105-170 hp). It features a lightweight aluminum head, reduced friction loss, 2000 bar Common rail injection, eight-hole piezoelectric injectors, 16.5 compression ratio, variable turbine geometry, exhaust gas recirculation, oxidation converter and particulate filter.
Compared to the 2,2-liter TDCi, the traction of the two-liter novelty at the bottom is 20% more efficient, the economy with the optional Start / stop system is 13% better, the noise is four decibels lower, and the service interval is increased to two years or 60 thousand km. The Euro-6 engine requires a 20-liter AdBlue tank to be filled, and our market is promised Euro-5 without urea.
The leanest version of the 300 ECOnetic (105 hp) has special ECU settings, tires with low rolling resistance and a 100 km / h limiter. The average consumption of 5,7 liters of diesel fuel is declared, and in a year a rechargeable hybrid with a 3 liter EcoBoost 1,0-cylinder petrol engine and an electric ship reserve of 50 km will be released. True, the Russian prospects for these modifications are not even considered.
But finally, automatic transmission will be available in Russia. The American 6F6 55-speed transmission can digest up to 415 Nm and shifts in less than half a second. On tests, it is equipped with a 130-horsepower van. But it is logical to assume that the basic 105-horsepower with a 6-speed manual gearbox will be more popular. There is in the parking lot and such, I'll start with him.
This is the lightest Transit Custom: short and low roof. But the least powerful diesel engine, although it pulls gloriously from 1200 rpm, does not indulge in generosity of return, with displeasure perceiving "erroneous" transmissions and increases through one. You don't feel a lack of strength, but ballast matters. Although the suspension with a MacPherson pattern in front and springs at the rear, seemingly tuned for comfort, even under load constantly gives excessive nervous vibrations. The steering wheel is disturbed by vibrations, especially at idle.
At the other extreme: a van with Sport body kit and racing stripes. The same dimensions, MKP6 and the main pair 4.19. But the diesel is already 170-strong: cool, energetic and almost forgiving. Speed up to sixth - no problem. Vibrations are noticeably diminished, but the suspension here, too, seems to work out the scattering of balls. By the way, on the cargo-passenger version there may be optional rear pneumatic elements with automatic level control.
Combination of 130 hp and I try the automatic transmission on a maxi-van. The base is 367 mm longer than the standard, the body is 343 higher, the weight is plus 200 kg. And the main pair is different - 3.65. The capabilities of the diesel engine seem to be optimal, the box is not stupid, but it is clearly determined to save on speeding up, it goes down with doubts, and seems to resist the reset of a couple of steps. In this case, the first and second automatic gearbox is trained to hold at the cutoff.
Interest in maxi acceleration loses only 100-130 km / h (and faster in Europe is almost everywhere illegal). Sailability is noticed already at medium speeds, and the steering wheel lacks precision, so it is more expensive to drive. The long wheelbase rides are expectedly smoother, more restrained in the swing. Onboard computer consumption - 9,4 l / 100 km. The standard car delivered 8,2 liters, while the Sport reported 9,8 liters.
The gusts of wind should be compensated by the ESP function - not felt. In general, there is a lot of smart electronics here: help when starting up an uphill, support for the trajectory of a trailer, rollover protection, control of marking with vibration signals and adaptive cruise control at speeds of 30-140 km / h, monitoring of interference within a radius of 40 m. Systems can recognize signs and slow down to the permitted speed, detect and illuminate night pedestrians with warning lights.
Let's check the vans of competitors. The Volkswagen Transporter, priced from $ 23, offers two base sizes, three roof heights, 600 liter engines on petrol (2,0-149 hp) and diesel (204-102 hp), front and all-wheel drive ... Mercedes-Benz Vito with a price of $ 180 has two bases and three body lengths, diesels 23 (200-1.6 hp) and 88 (114-2.2 hp), gasoline 136 (163 hp). ) and all three drive types. For a front-wheel drive Citroen Jumpy they ask from $ 2.0, the Peugeot Expert double is 211 more expensive, two bases and three body lengths are available, diesels 16 liters (800 hp) and 645 liters (1,6 hp). The French have the MKP or AKP, the Germans have the MKP, AKP or RCP. All have passenger modifications. So the Ford Transit Custom arrives in the Tourneo Custom minibus company with a similar ton of news.
| Body type | ||
| Van | Van | Van |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | ||
| 4973/1986/2000 | 5340/1986/2343 | 4973/1986/2000 |
| Wheelbase, mm | ||
| 2933 | 3300 | 2933 |
| Curb weight, kg | ||
| 2035 | 2241 | 2092 |
| Payload, kg | ||
| 765 | 959 | 808 |
| engine's type | ||
| Diesel, R4, turbo | Diesel, R4, turbo | Diesel, R4, turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | ||
| 1996 | 1996 | 1996 |
| Power, hp with. at rpm | ||
| 105 at 3500 | 130 at 3500 | 170 at 3500 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm | ||
| 360 at 1375-2000 | 385 at 1500-2000 | 405 at 1750-2500 |
| Transmission, drive | ||
| 6th st. INC | 6th st. АКП | 6th st. INC |
| Fuel consumption (horizontal / route / mixture), l | ||
| 6,9/5,8/6,2 | 7,8/6,8/7,2 | 7,1/6,0/6,4 |
