Friday, July 19, 2013
All-New Ford Transit Connect Delivers Class-Leading Loadspace
- All-new Ford Transit Connect features innovative loadspace design, creating the most flexible and capable load area in its class
- Transit Connect, launched late this year, will be the only van in its class to carry bulky building sheets and load a Europallet via the side door
- Load-through hatch in bulkhead accommodates cargo up to 3.4m long
BRENTWOOD, Essex, UK, July 18, 2013 - Ford's all-new Transit Connect offers class-leading load-carrying ability to make work easier for all traders.
The new Transit Connect simplifies the transportation of awkward and bulky items with a load-through hatch in the bulkhead, fold-up front passenger seat and - via the widest opening in the class on the long wheelbase model (L2) - the unique ability to load a Europallet through the sliding side door.
A special profile at the top of the full steel bulkhead also offers the unique-in-class ability to accommodate 2.4m x 1.2m (8ft x 4ft) sheets in the L2 van; while the Kombi L2 features rear seats which fold into a flat load platform.
"We studied the loading and unloading of commercial vehicles to make sure we got the design just right," said Stephen Lesh, Transit Connect chief program engineer, Ford of Europe. "This van is ready for anything. It can haul all manner of tools and materials - and transport a work crew in safety and comfort."
Ford engineers developed the innovative load-through system to ensure the Transit Connect could safely transport long items such as pipes or rolls of flooring up to 3.4m (L2) and up to 3.0m in the short wheelbase (L1) version. This involved the development of a hinged access panel in the bulkhead and a special ‘fold and dive' mechanism for the outer passenger seat; creating a dished profile in the surface of the passenger seat back; and designing the instrument panel so long items could slide underneath.
The all-new Transit Connect also offers customers further smart features including:
- Flexible dual passenger seat which enables two passengers to travel with the driver. The outer passenger seat folds upwards to allow large boxes on the cab floor, or flat to accommodate longer items through the bulkhead
- Ultra-bright LED lighting for the cargo space, enabling it to function as a working area
- Standard bodyside fixing points at waist and shoulder height in the load compartment, which allow additional tie-down loops, racking or framework to be fitted more easily
- Functional mobile office features in the cab including Ford SYNC connectivity and generous stowage space; the inner dual passenger seat folds flat as working space, or flips up to reveal a stowage box
- Versatile rear seating in Kombi and Double-Cab-in-Van models, with a movable mesh bulkhead; L2 models offer class-unique fold-flat seating for the second and third rows to create a flat load platform.
The all-new Transit Connect van offers total load volumes of 2.9m3 (L1) and 3.6m3 (L2) with full bulkhead fitted, or 3.7m3 (L1) and 4.4m3 (L2) without bulkhead including the front loadspace area, both measured according to SAE; the van has a maximum payload of up to 1,000kg, matching the class-best figure. Deliveries of the new model are scheduled to start from the end of 2013.
DATED: 19.07.13
FEED: HA
