Latest news with #vans
Top Gear
a day ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
The most important review you'll read: Top Gear's Medium-Sized Diesel Vans MegaTest!
Time to delve into the undercover heroes of the UK's road network: medium-sized vans This is the most important test you'll read right now. Why? Because it's about vans. The workhorses of the UK stable, the nervous system of order fulfilment, the dieselly enabler of your online shopping habit. You, or someone you know, owns a van. In urban areas they're like rats – you're never more than 49 metres from one. And the numbers are growing. As of 2024, there were approximately 4.6 million licensed vans in Great Britain, one for every 15 people in the country, and the Ford Transit alone has over 960,000 vehicles licensed and gambolling about our road network. So yes, vans. The most important vehicles you never notice... The truth is that vans support everything. From small businesses to construction to retail, to propping up the near instantaneous delivery of your sweatshop specials, vans are the key to that 'last mile' delivery puzzle. And while you might think that vans haven't changed much over the years, you'd be wrong. They're cleaner, more equipped, handle better and last longer (in some cases) than they ever did. Interestingly though, the stats show that 96 per cent of vans are still vehemently diesel powered (electric vans only account for a single per cent of the current van ecosystem), so we thought we'd take a look at three of the most popular medium sized diesel vans currently on the market to see which is the best. Now, obviously we could have used spreadsheets and science, instead preferring tactical stupidity and inaccurately applied smartphone stopwatches to determine the winner, in the grand tradition of Top Gear professional chaos. Don't say we didn't warn you. Photography: Jonny Fleetwood First we need to meet our contenders. The Transit needs little introduction, it being the most popular van – in its various forms – in the UK. The basic Transit Custom we have here is the most popular bodystyle, combining generous payload with a road footprint that stills fits in car parks and through urban width restrictors, but still with enough space to fit three people in bright orange safety wear. Which means the VW Transporter we have here isn't much of a surprise, given that it sits pretty closely to the Transit ideal. More than closely, seeing as it's the same van with a bit of badge engineering and different trim. Yep, the T7 VW Transporter is a Transit Custom. Or possibly the other way around, but they're both built at Ford's plant in Turkey on a slightly out of register photocopier. So they get the same engines, the same transmissions, the same bodies – with a bit of Vee-dub or Ford veneer thrown over the top. So they should be pretty much identical. In the same vein, our third contender is our control subject and actually also our fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, seeing as the Vauxhall Vivaro is Stellantis' shared platform panel van with manufacturer specific tinsel. So the Vivaro is also the Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, Fiat Scudo and Toyota Proace with different faces. And it's a solid van. Much cheaper than the other two, with slightly less power and a manual box where the other two are eight speed autos, but it's got all the right ingredients. So. Unsurprisingly, there are challenges. A multidrop delivery section with bonus slippery surface skidpan, timed laps on a dedicated handling circuit (both loaded and unloaded) and a comfort and usability gymkhana. None of which our two testers were briefed about, prepared for, or indeed capable of. Still, you work with what you have, and the multidrop delivery sounded pretty easy: stop on the skiddy bit, find and deliver a package, reverse around a corner, repeat.
The Australian
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Australian
New Ford Transit Custom: The $63k van that rivals popular utes
No self-respecting British tradie would be seen dead in a ute. What a Pommy geezer needs is a Ford Transit van. Preferably in white and on steel wheels – hazard lights working overtime as it's slung up a kerb, blocking traffic for 'just a minute, mate!' While Aussies buy utes, pick-ups or American trucks for work and lifestyle, the Brits' relationship with the mighty Transit goes back to 1965. Aussies buy roughly ten times more utes than vans, but it's vice-versa in the UK. As a kid growing up in England, Transits were an integral part of daily life. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Why 'dumb ute' incentives don't make sense Ambos and posties had them, a rusty 1976 example was our school sport bus, and a police Transit would sit outside the local pub at closing time. Transits remain the patriotic choice of UK delivery drivers, market traders, removalists, fruit 'n veg sellers and dodgy Del Boys literally selling out the back of a van. 'Thieves chariot' is common slang for Transit. As part of my birthright, it was my duty to test the new-generation Transit on Aussie soil. Ford facilitated me being White Van Man for a week, furnishing me with a Transit Custom Trend LWB (long wheelbase). At around $63,000 drive-away, it's the cheapest available bar a 367mm-shorter SWB at a grand less. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied It's a lot of coin in the 'one-tonne' medium van segment. Rivals include the Hyundai Staria Load (from $46,740), LDV G10+ (from $37,884) Toyota HiAce (from $48,886) and Renault Trafic (from $49,490). But look to van tests here and overseas, and it's the pricey Ford scooping awards. On first drive, it's apparent why. A 'car-like driving experience' is a cliche for any commercial vehicle, but the Transit really is an easy, composed and comfortable thing to live with. Piloting one isn't a huge departure from a large SUV. There are all your driver aids, adaptive cruise control, a small digital driver display, giant 13-inch landscape infotainment, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, sat nav and 5G modem. Two of its three bench seats are heated. There's fancy independent rear suspension helping ride quality and handling, and unladen or with almost a tonne in the back, the Transit absorbs bumps well and corners safely. And proves incomparably useful. My daughter got a (pre-assembled) bunk bed, we bought a new Queen mattress ($70 delivery fee saved), and for tradition's sake, we even transported an old piano. Damn, they're heavy. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Jet pilot tech to change Aussie cars The Transit's easier to load than a ute with its kerbside sliding door and mighty wide opening rear barn doors. And the cargo stays dry, protected and locked under the metal roof. But I hear you, Ford Ranger faithfuls, a Transit won't off-road or tow a 3-tonne caravan. Even so, there's 2500kg towing and 1223kg payload capacity. Its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel offers only 125kW, so it runs out of puff quite quickly, but its chunky 390Nm makes it rapid off the mark in town, where these Fords are at their best. We retuned an impressive 6.9L/100km over 630km of delivery jobs. Bar a few stutters, its eight-speed auto's a smoothie. The turning circle's adequate at 12.8 metres, but this LWB is 5450mm long, so parking's a hassle. But nobody seems to mind you abandoning a Transit up a footpath … Van traits remain. You sit very high almost over the front wheels; scratchy cabin plastics feel a long way from a $60k vehicle, and seat cloth is rather workmanlike. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied In this entry-level spec you must adjust seats manually and wheels are titchy 16-inch steelies. I also found its giant 6.8 square metres load area too spartan. The walls have soft cladding and there are eight tie-down floor points, but nothing to secure loads up high. Insulated ceiling wiring looked too exposed, and I had to towel-wrap the tethered car jack to stop it damaging my cargo. Rear visibility's poor through the rear cabin glass, and at night the giant screen reflects on it, making things worse. A digital rearview mirror showing the (excellent) rear camera view would solve this. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Bold plan to seduce millionaires Positively, Transit choice is lengthy. There's also a full size van; a 12-seater bus; cab chassis; five-seat double cab Transit Custom; a Sport grade and all-wheel-drive Trail grade. Greenies can ditch the diesel and go plug-in or full EV. Are these big white boxes as sexy as your tricked up dual-cab ute? Of course they're not. But you'd be fool to underestimate the versatility of a Ford Transit. They securely haul a lot more stuff and the drive experience is rather lovely. And there's nothing quite like leaning out the window, putting on your best London accent and shouting: 'Get out that way, ya Muppet!' to fellow road users.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City to stop using buses for public transit, transition to ride-share service
People in Springfield will get around town using a van rather than the usual transit bus. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] City officials hired ride-sharing company Via to operate 16 vans as public transportation. Riders can request a van using their phone, offering a more flexible alternative to the traditional bus routes. TRENDING STORIES: Planned Parenthood announces closure of local clinic; 1 other Ohio health center closing 'A really hard decision;' Restaurant, cocktail bar closing in Troy Community not happy about planned trash facility in Clark County Sue Call works across the street from one of the city's busiest bus stops. She thinks more people will start using the new transportation system near the first of the month. 'First of the months is when you get the crowds getting groceries, paying bills,' Call said. The service, branded as Field Trip Vans, is allowing residents to try it for free until July 28th. Despite the free trial, some residents remain hesitant about the change. 'I haven't tried it, but you know, I don't know about the new thing yet,' Adam Whaley said. Springfield public buses will stop operations in August. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
New Ford Transit Custom: The $63k van that rivals popular utes
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. No self-respecting British tradie would be seen dead in a ute. What a Pommy geezer needs is a Ford Transit van. Preferably in white and on steel wheels – hazard lights working overtime as it's slung up a kerb, blocking traffic for 'just a minute, mate!' While Aussies buy utes, pick-ups or American trucks for work and lifestyle, the Brits' relationship with the mighty Transit goes back to 1965. Aussies buy roughly ten times more utes than vans, but it's vice-versa in the UK. As a kid growing up in England, Transits were an integral part of daily life. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Why 'dumb ute' incentives don't make sense Ambos and posties had them, a rusty 1976 example was our school sport bus, and a police Transit would sit outside the local pub at closing time. Transits remain the patriotic choice of UK delivery drivers, market traders, removalists, fruit 'n veg sellers and dodgy Del Boys literally selling out the back of a van. 'Thieves chariot' is common slang for Transit. As part of my birthright, it was my duty to test the new-generation Transit on Aussie soil. Ford facilitated me being White Van Man for a week, furnishing me with a Transit Custom Trend LWB (long wheelbase). At around $63,000 drive-away, it's the cheapest available bar a 367mm-shorter SWB at a grand less. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied It's a lot of coin in the 'one-tonne' medium van segment. Rivals include the Hyundai Staria Load (from $46,740), LDV G10+ (from $37,884) Toyota HiAce (from $48,886) and Renault Trafic (from $49,490). But look to van tests here and overseas, and it's the pricey Ford scooping awards. On first drive, it's apparent why. A 'car-like driving experience' is a cliche for any commercial vehicle, but the Transit really is an easy, composed and comfortable thing to live with. Piloting one isn't a huge departure from a large SUV. There are all your driver aids, adaptive cruise control, a small digital driver display, giant 13-inch landscape infotainment, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, sat nav and 5G modem. Two of its three bench seats are heated. There's fancy independent rear suspension helping ride quality and handling, and unladen or with almost a tonne in the back, the Transit absorbs bumps well and corners safely. And proves incomparably useful. My daughter got a (pre-assembled) bunk bed, we bought a new Queen mattress ($70 delivery fee saved), and for tradition's sake, we even transported an old piano. Damn, they're heavy. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Jet pilot tech to change Aussie cars The Transit's easier to load than a ute with its kerbside sliding door and mighty wide opening rear barn doors. And the cargo stays dry, protected and locked under the metal roof. But I hear you, Ford Ranger faithfuls, a Transit won't off-road or tow a 3-tonne caravan. Even so, there's 2500kg towing and 1223kg payload capacity. Its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel offers only 125kW, so it runs out of puff quite quickly, but its chunky 390Nm makes it rapid off the mark in town, where these Fords are at their best. We retuned an impressive 6.9L/100km over 630km of delivery jobs. Bar a few stutters, its eight-speed auto's a smoothie. The turning circle's adequate at 12.8 metres, but this LWB is 5450mm long, so parking's a hassle. But nobody seems to mind you abandoning a Transit up a footpath … Van traits remain. You sit very high almost over the front wheels; scratchy cabin plastics feel a long way from a $60k vehicle, and seat cloth is rather workmanlike. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied In this entry-level spec you must adjust seats manually and wheels are titchy 16-inch steelies. I also found its giant 6.8 square metres load area too spartan. The walls have soft cladding and there are eight tie-down floor points, but nothing to secure loads up high. Insulated ceiling wiring looked too exposed, and I had to towel-wrap the tethered car jack to stop it damaging my cargo. Rear visibility's poor through the rear cabin glass, and at night the giant screen reflects on it, making things worse. A digital rearview mirror showing the (excellent) rear camera view would solve this. 2025 Ford Transit. Picture: Supplied MORE: Bold plan to seduce millionaires Positively, Transit choice is lengthy. There's also a full size van; a 12-seater bus; cab chassis; five-seat double cab Transit Custom; a Sport grade and all-wheel-drive Trail grade. Greenies can ditch the diesel and go plug-in or full EV. Are these big white boxes as sexy as your tricked up dual-cab ute? Of course they're not. But you'd be fool to underestimate the versatility of a Ford Transit. They securely haul a lot more stuff and the drive experience is rather lovely. And there's nothing quite like leaning out the window, putting on your best London accent and shouting: 'Get out that way, ya Muppet!' to fellow road users. Originally published as 2025 Ford Transit review
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
2025 Ford Transit review
No self-respecting British tradie would be seen dead in a ute. What a Pommy geezer needs is a Ford Transit van. Preferably in white and on steel wheels – hazard lights working overtime as it's slung up a kerb, blocking traffic for 'just a minute, mate!' While Aussies buy utes, pick-ups or American trucks for work and lifestyle, the Brits' relationship with the mighty Transit goes back to 1965. Aussies buy roughly ten times more utes than vans, but it's vice-versa in the UK. As a kid growing up in England, Transits were an integral part of daily life. Ambos and posties had them, a rusty 1976 example was our school sport bus, and a police Transit would sit outside the local pub at closing time. Transits remain the patriotic choice of UK delivery drivers, market traders, removalists, fruit 'n veg sellers and dodgy Del Boys literally selling out the back of a van. 'Thieves chariot' is common slang for Transit. As part of my birthright, it was my duty to test the new-generation Transit on Aussie soil. Ford facilitated me being White Van Man for a week, furnishing me with a Transit Custom Trend LWB (long wheelbase). At around $63,000 drive-away, it's the cheapest available bar a 367mm-shorter SWB at a grand less. It's a lot of coin in the 'one-tonne' medium van segment. Rivals include the Hyundai Staria Load (from $46,740), LDV G10+ (from $37,884) Toyota HiAce (from $48,886) and Renault Trafic (from $49,490). But look to van tests here and overseas, and it's the pricey Ford scooping awards. On first drive, it's apparent why. A 'car-like driving experience' is a cliche for any commercial vehicle, but the Transit really is an easy, composed and comfortable thing to live with. Piloting one isn't a huge departure from a large SUV. There are all your driver aids, adaptive cruise control, a small digital driver display, giant 13-inch landscape infotainment, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, sat nav and 5G modem. Two of its three bench seats are heated. There's fancy independent rear suspension helping ride quality and handling, and unladen or with almost a tonne in the back, the Transit absorbs bumps well and corners safely. And proves incomparably useful. My daughter got a (pre-assembled) bunk bed, we bought a new Queen mattress ($70 delivery fee saved), and for tradition's sake, we even transported an old piano. Damn, they're heavy. The Transit's easier to load than a ute with its kerbside sliding door and mighty wide opening rear barn doors. And the cargo stays dry, protected and locked under the metal roof. But I hear you, Ford Ranger faithfuls, a Transit won't off-road or tow a 3-tonne caravan. Even so, there's 2500kg towing and 1223kg payload capacity. Its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel offers only 125kW, so it runs out of puff quite quickly, but its chunky 390Nm makes it rapid off the mark in town, where these Fords are at their best. We retuned an impressive 6.9L/100km over 630km of delivery jobs. Bar a few stutters, its eight-speed auto's a smoothie. The turning circle's adequate at 12.8 metres, but this LWB is 5450mm long, so parking's a hassle. But nobody seems to mind you abandoning a Transit up a footpath … Van traits remain. You sit very high almost over the front wheels; scratchy cabin plastics feel a long way from a $60k vehicle, and seat cloth is rather workmanlike. In this entry-level spec you must adjust seats manually and wheels are titchy 16-inch steelies. I also found its giant 6.8 square metres load area too spartan. The walls have soft cladding and there are eight tie-down floor points, but nothing to secure loads up high. Insulated ceiling wiring looked too exposed, and I had to towel-wrap the tethered car jack to stop it damaging my cargo. Rear visibility's poor through the rear cabin glass, and at night the giant screen reflects on it, making things worse. A digital rearview mirror showing the (excellent) rear camera view would solve this. Positively, Transit choice is lengthy. There's also a full size van; a 12-seater bus; cab chassis; five-seat double cab Transit Custom; a Sport grade and all-wheel-drive Trail grade. Greenies can ditch the diesel and go plug-in or full EV. Are these big white boxes as sexy as your tricked up dual-cab ute? Of course they're not. But you'd be fool to underestimate the versatility of a Ford Transit. They securely haul a lot more stuff and the drive experience is rather lovely. And there's nothing quite like leaning out the window, putting on your best London accent and shouting: 'Get out that way, ya Muppet!' to fellow road users.
