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Ford sales on the up amid the gloom!
Times may be tough out there, but there are those bucking the current trend and we, for one, are not surprised that Ford are among them, as Van Ireland’s David Stokes has been finding out on a recent trip to Oxfordshire.
 Not so long ago, there was an issue of availability, but Ford tell us they are now well stocked across most of the commercial van range, with customers only having to wait just a few weeks, and if you’re lucky they can put you on the road as soon as the ink is dried on the contract!
“Generally speaking, of course, the supply situation across the van sector has eased, but as far as Ford are concerned, it has eased considerably,” commented Steve Kimber, commercial vehicles director, Ford of Britain.
It is a strategy that is working well. “Last year, we sold 95,600 vehicles, which was well up on the year before, but I think we could have sold close to 100,000 in 2007 had we had the vehicles in stock,” he told Van Ireland.
“With increased volumes coming off our production lines now, we are winning back customers who went to other manufacturers when we couldn’t meet their needs, and this year so far we have increased sales by about 1,800 units.”
So where is the new business coming from? “The utility and municipal sectors, as well as some of the corporate areas, are holding up strongly, though there is some nervousness in the construction sector,” revealed Steve.
There is, of course, a van in the Ford range to meet virtually every application, which helps. That much was illustrated during our trip to Oxford to experience the versatility of the Connect range, which is also finding a home among many of the UK’s police forces where they are used as patrol vehicles, complete with fitted and secure two-man cells.
 Crew Van
They are also being used increasingly to transport crew and equipment between sites, with the Ford Transit Connect Crew Van even more flexible now as it features a moveable bulkhead, developed by Ford as a result of direct feedback from businesses.
Securing catches allow the bulkhead to be adjustable easily and quickly to maximize convenience and flexibility. When required, the bulkhead can travel forward on the roof-mounted rails, lock securely in position behind the folded seats and allow larger loads to be accommodated with ease.
Commented Steve: “Once again, by listening to our customers, we have developed a valuable addition to the Transit Connect range. As well as having the credentials of a durable Transit, the Crew Van is versatile enough to meet constantly changing demands and get class-leading payload and price.”
With a second row of foldable seats, the Crew Van can carry five (four plus driver) in comfort, with plenty of room for cargo. It is available in both long and short wheelbase models and comes with the same selection of diesel engines, 1.8-litre TDCi 75PS, 90PS and 110PS.
Action Van
Meanwhile, the new Ford Transit Connect SportVan will hit the streets this September priced at £15,325, but if you want one, you better be quick off the mark, because Ford tell us they are only building around 300 of them!
Transit Connect SportVan is based on the SWB 200 van and is fitted with the acclaimed 1.8 litre Duratorq TDCi engine, delivering 110PS and 250 Nm of torque, the most potent of the three engines available to Transit Connect customers.
We got to drive it around the country roads outside Oxford recently and can confirm it is everything you would expect from Ford. It looks good, handles great and performs superbly.
“The reaction to the Connect Sport concept shown at last year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, left us in no doubt that there is strong showroom demand. It looks great and we anticipate it will be just as popular as its big brother, the Transit SportVan, which has been a fast seller.
“The SportVan is all about style and individuality. It’s for people who want to be a bit different – and there are plenty of our customers who feel that way.”
The Transit Connect SportVan has an array of additional exterior and interior styling features over and above the established Transit Connect.
The exterior colour is striking Performance Blue with bold “Le Mans-style” white stripes. The sporty exterior styling features include: full body coloured bumpers, a bright chrome grille and side skirts, front and rear sports skid plates, body coloured roof spoiler, silver door mirror housings, exhaust finisher and 18in, seven-spoke alloy wheels.
The sporty theme continues inside with leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, silver surround to the centre stack, leather seats with eight-way seat adjustment, ABS with anti-spin, traction control and park distance control, air conditioning, power windows and mirrors and dual side loading doors. High specification audio equipment is also included: six-CD changer, Bluetooth and remote control operation.
High Sales
All of which is contributing to the continuing success story of the Connect, with more than 8,000 of them having been sold so far in 2008.
“We know from recent research that our customers want a van that reflects their business and a professional image. This is exactly why they buy Transit Connect. Such exceptional levels of ruggedness and durability remain unparallel in the small van sector,” said Steve.
Sales of Transit Connect split roughly into one third long wheelbase, to thirds short wheelbase. The difference between the two models is long wheelbase has 32 per cent more cubic load space and 14 per cent more load length than its baby bother.
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