Ford Says It Pushed Transit to Limits During Development

Ford makes 100 product improvements to its all-new Transit after an intensive testing regime crams the toughest possible 10-year working life into just six months.

Prototypes covered the equivalent of 6.8 million miles (11 million km) – 275 round-the-world trips – with customers, on proving grounds and across four continents in temperatures ranging from 104° to -40° F (40° to -40° C)

Testing included corrosive salt- and mud-baths, nonstop driving for two months at top speed and continuous figure-8 maneuvers for a month.

As the first Transit to be sold in both Europe and North America, the model was subjected to testing at Ford’s facilities in Lommel, Belgium, and Romeo, MI.

At Lommel, the Transit, including van, chassis cab and minibus versions, was put through more than 30 punishing road tests. These included the trailer-tow general durability test conducted at maximum weight with a fully loaded trailer and being driven at top speed nonstop for two months, pounding over rough gravel roads and through salt- and mud-baths.

Engineers drove the Transit more than 5,000 times over an extreme course of potholes and bumps and conducted a strength test by driving it at 37 mph (60 km/h) into a 5.5-in.-high (14-cm) curb.

Ford also tested prototypes from the Austrian Alps to Death Valley, in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.

Vehicles faced the 104° F heat of Arizona, Dubai and South Africa, the bitter -40° F cold in Finland and Canada, as well as challenging journeys through Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Turkey and the U.S.

The prototypes also were tested for corrosion resistance in high-humidity chambers for 12 weeks and put through non-stop figure-8 maneuvers for one month.

Prior to launch, the new model covered more than 300,000 miles (483,000 km) of tough real-world use with high-mileage Transit customers.

In the test laboratories, the Transit’s 2.2L Duratorq diesel engine was subjected to 46 days of continuous high-load urban driving on specialized rigs, as part of testing that ran for tens of thousands of hours.

Component test rigs were used to simulate real-world punishment, replicating the full 10-year vehicle lifecycle in just 30 days.

The more than 100 improvements that resulted included the redesign of the side rail on jumbo-van models and strengthening of the rear crossmember on chassis cabs.

Ford of Europe Transit Chief Program Engineer David Gregory says he doesn’t think many customers will believe what this vehicle has been through.

“We inflict the worst possible treatment that a van could endure, and we’re only satisfied when our new vehicle comes through with flying colors – just as the Transit has done,” Gregory says in a statement.

“Pushing the van to the limit and beyond helps us to deliver a stronger, more robust product,” he says. “This translates directly into everyday reliability for the customer, however tough their working environment.”

The all-new 2.2-ton (2t) Transit is the flagship of the completely redesigned and expanded Ford Transit range. It is on sale in the U.K. and across Europe alongside the Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier models.