2014 Ford Transit w/ 3.2L 5cyl diesel

With high roof, extended body & a diesel...finally in the US!
This is full on competition to the MB sprinter and i'm guessing less $ and cheaper service.

The RV industry is gonna be all over the van and cut-way model like flies on poop.

http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transit/2014/features/#page=Feature10
http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transit/2014/combinator/

Not sure about the RV industry, it's a unibody so wouldn't that be a lot of work to keep it together/stong while putting a new body pretty much on it.

good question.
the cutaways are just a rear frame that the mfg can put what ever they want on the back. as for the vans, the mfg just add internal components for the design they want within the weight limits of the vehicle. as a work van it's gotta be able to carry alot of weight in the field. the DIYers is gonna jump in for sure.

Good competition for the Sprinters... but does Ford have the quality control it will need to measure up?

I'm sure they do, they've been selling the things for years everywhere else. Hopefully they can manage to not rust away like the Mercedes/Dodge units are doing.

Looks like someone pasted a Ford logo on a MB Sprinter.

Ford seems to be on a roll these days with quality vehicles, plus it's not a new van, just new in the US so the 1st year issues are not there.

As for (Japanese) quality control, Nissan jumped into the fray but they approached it wrong with a big truck front end and a big gas motor.
MB and Ford have it right with the smaller diesel motors.

The question is will that motor make it into other US Ford vehicles???

Well, it seems like the ford transit has a great rep in the european market, and I would put the reliability/cost of ownership of the E series vans toe to toe with the sprinter any day. It remains to be seen if they can get this van with these motors working well right out of the gate or not. I'm hopeful, the commercial van market is big for Ford, I'm sure they spend a lot of time having nightmares about the possibility of a bunch of fleet customers all buying GM vans for the next few years.

I sure as hell wish they'd quit re-announcing it and start seeing some of these vans on the road. We've been talking about this for years now.

In Europe IIRC Ford owns this segment.

any guess on the price?
how does these come in vrs the sprinter?

what about MPG? don't see that listed anywhere on the Ford US site.

NICE!
about time... USA gets a smaller diesel engine vehicle, that rest of world has had for decades...
still don't understand why GM, Ford, Dodge think that Americans would not want small diesels that get 30-50+ mpg..

it's not epa ... they've had clean burning diesel engines for decades

Ford only confirmed the diesel a few months ago
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/10/ford-confirms-3-2l-diesel-five-cylinder-for-us-spec-2014-transit/

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Advanced, Fuel-Efficient 3.2-Liter Power Stroke Turbo Diesel Makes North American Debut in All-New 2014 Ford Transit

-Already a proven global workhorse, Ford adds 3.2-liter five-cylinder turbo diesel to fuel-efficient North American lineup in all-new Transit commercial van range

-This innovative engine features state-of-the-art fuel, turbo and emissions systems that meet stringent U.S. clean diesel standards

-The 3.2-liter Power Stroke® Diesel will deliver outstanding performance, exceptional fuel economy and low operating costs

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 10, 2012 – Ford's all-new Transit full-size van, which goes on sale late next year, will be offered with a new clean-running 3.2-liter Power Stroke® five-cylinder diesel, further bolstering Ford's lineup of fuel-efficient cars, trucks and SUVs.

The new diesel, Ford's second in North America, already has established a proven record for reliability, durability and refinement in the global Ford Ranger truck sold in world markets. The new Power Stroke Diesel will be the only five-cylinder diesel engine available in a commercial van in North America.

"Commercial van drivers spend most of their working hours behind the wheel. We know they want a fuel-efficient diesel engine with smooth, responsive performance and low operating costs," said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering. "The 3.2-liter Power Stroke engine has been developed and proven globally to deliver a world-class combination of power, fuel economy and refinement."

The 3.2-liter will join the most fuel-efficient lineup in Ford Motor Company's history. Next year, Ford will offer eight vehicles rated at 40 mpg or higher – double today's total, and more than any other automaker. Ford tops Toyota in fuel economy in every segment in which both companies compete.

While power has not been certified for North America, the new diesel engine is rated in Europe at 197 horsepower and 347 lb.-ft. of torque.

Like the larger 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 offered in Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks, the fuel system has been carefully tailored and calibrated for combustion efficiency. It enables the newest Power Stroke to achieve exceptional fuel economy ratings without affecting power levels.

The 3.2-liter turbo diesel features state-of-the-art piezoelectric fuel injectors fed through a high-pressure common rail fuel system, and advanced emissions technologies.

Precise injection timing and calibration also ensures a smooth combustion process to reduce hard diesel combustion clatter, resulting in lower noise levels that are more like a gasoline engine. Each injector nozzle has eight spray holes and can deliver up to five injections per combustion cycle. A pilot injection controls noise levels and a main injection is used for power generation.

Technical features of the new Power Stroke 3.2-liter include:

-Quick-start glow plugs that enable smooth and fast startups at temperatures down to 25 degrees F
-Durable, rigid sand-cast gray iron cylinder block
-Aluminum cylinder heads with double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder
-Advanced common rail piezoelectric fuel injectors that deliver multiple injections per stroke to improve performance and reduce NVH; maximum fuel pressure is 26,100 psi
-Variable nozzle turbocharger with electronic actuation; maximum impellor speed of 197,800 rpm
-First application of selective catalytic reduction for reduced nitrogen oxide emissions in a Ford van
-Integrated diesel oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter to save space
-Expected to be B20 biodiesel compatible

Additionally, the engine features cast-aluminum, low-friction coated pistons with piston-cooling jets, which squirt oil on the underside of the pistons to keep the piston crowns cool under extreme operating conditions. Also included is a water-cooled high-performance electric-controlled exhaust gas recirculation valve that is better able to withstand coolant pressure drops.

The 3.2-liter Power Stroke is one of several engines that will be available for Transit in North America, including the proven 3.5-liter EcoBoost®gasoline engine. All engines are mated to a Ford 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission.

With a flat torque plateau – 90 percent of its peak torque is available from 1,700 to 3,500 rpm, providing better engine flexibility – Transit will be able to effortlessly haul full loads in town and on the highway, while offering flexible performance across each gear in the six-speed automatic transmission.

"The Power Stroke name is synonymous with power, work and long-term durability," said Bakaj. "We're confident our commercial van customers will be extremely pleased with the 3.2-liter's fuel economy, performance and running costs."

The Power Stroke 3.2-liter is manufactured in Ford's Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It will be exported to Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo., which received a $1.1 billion investment for the Transit.

Sounding better and better. Someday soon, I'm going to be setting up a nice diesel desert camper. Short bed, low roof, with windows... and a big enough Hi-Lift jack to get me out of trouble!

The Ford looks like a contender.

Definitely in. Glad that there will likely be a better dealer/service network than the Sprinter. Hopefully a lower purchase price than the Sprinter, too.

Like the concept, hate the nose. It reminds me of this:

I don't think there's any way it will be cheaper than the Sprinter. Ford pricing has moved to the premium side of every class they are in since Alan Mulally took over, and with an engine needing to be shipped over from another country, there's no reason to expect that to change.

It's inevitable, the concept in itself is ugly, not just one brand. The old vans, they look good with a short nose because proportion wise they fit- look in the pics above, the van looks better in the low roof configuration. The new style, with the oversized cargo space just doesn't fit- and there's no way someone gonna add a bigger nose just to please the eye
Once inside, who the heck cares as long as it drives nicely.

And no worries, Ford, unlike MB (who has a bad rep in Europe rust wise too), had solid bodies. Will it last 10 years plus like my current one with no rust? Time will tell...

I hope they didn't touch the engine (talking about the 3.2 duratorq , don't care about the other ones), it works just fine on other markets- mileage in other markets goes up to 28mpg. Same with the van, it's not like we're talking about a new vehicle, just new to NA.


Ko

It's not the length of the nose, it's that ugly-ass grille.

This config looks pretty good:


Has a decent cargo height (if it is the same as the promaster with a 100.8" roof height should be right @ 6' for cargo bay height), decent proportions, and with the ecoboost or diesel should have plenty of power. Me likey. Being Ford, I imagine these are going to be significantly less money than the Sprinters, or at least they better be, considering Ford is the staple of industry along with the GM Express/Savana.

Sprinter is a unibody too.