You never saw that one coming, did you? There they were, three smug presenters of Top Gear Australia reckoning on an easy win: them in a V8 Holden Commodore SS Ute vs us in a shoddy old Ford Transit van.
Then some XJ220 happened, and the trusty Ford spanked the Aussies. And we're getting that 3.5-litre twin-turbo unit ready again, as the new Transit has just been revealed. Sort of.
Ford has given us the Tourneo Custom Concept van, showcasing the next generation of an "all-new family of one-tonne Ford Transit people movers and commercial vehicles". This makes us childishly excited because we're quite fond of the Transit: as much an integral part of the British landscape as Harry Potter flying over Big Ben on a broomstick.
It'll debut at next month's Geneva motor show, featuring a rather new design language for Ford's commercial vehicles, namely, that of its road cars. Doesn't it look like a pumped-up Focus?
There's more road-car goodness inside, too. There's a driver-orientated cockpit, a fully trimmed cabin with new rear seats, foldable into multiple configurations or removed completely, to make space for that 3.5-litre of course.
Speaking of engines, the Tourneo concept is powered by a 150bhp version of Ford's 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel engine, and features start/stop and regenerative charging. Production versions will come in three guises - 97bhp, 120bhp and 150bhp - as well as a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel-drive.
And Ford tells us the Tourneo is based on a new global platform engineered to deliver car-like dynamics: we're promised good handling, enhanced ride comfort and reduced noise levels. Wonder what Stig would make of that...
Let us know what you think of the new Transit - ahem, Tourneo - and then choose which modern engine you'd like to see stuffed in the back of this.
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What do you think?
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cianmg commented on this article
at 01:47 pm on 22 February 2012
cant wait for the twin axle 150bhp model to be made into a campervan itwill make camper vans look good finaly
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vovillia commented on this article
at 02:23 pm on 22 February 2012
Wow, it's not ugly, like the with the rest of the Transits
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fluffchucker commented on this article
at 02:32 pm on 22 February 2012
Will it be done as a 4x4 though?
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Wobbletastic commented on this article
at 02:44 pm on 22 February 2012
It is ugly, looks just like all the other vehicles they make these days.
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El_Misfito commented on this article
at 03:07 pm on 22 February 2012
I'm sorry, but those rear lights has to go. Imagine if your in an accident.
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