IT is so ubiquitous and has been around for so long that it is easy to overlook just what a brilliant thing the Ford Transit actually is.
I like to think of it as the Porsche 911 of vans - a vehicle honed to perfection over the years by a team of experts, laser-focused on making it the very best of its kind (the first Transit van was launched in August 1965, two years after the first 911).
Ford has just given its vans some major updates, once again staying ahead of its many rivals. Here are some of the highlights.
There are new 'rough-road capable' Trail versions of the Transit (£35,685) and Transit Custom (£29,250), which can be ordered with all-wheel-drive. Front-wheel-drive versions get a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential.
You can spot a Trail version by the oversized 'Ford' lettering in a matt black grille, with black cladding around the bumpers and side panels. There are also 16-inch alloy wheels and you can fit roof rails and running boards. There are also leather seats, air conditioning, power-fold door mirrors, a heated windscreen and auto lighting.
The Trail comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, with a choice of 128bhp, 168bhp and 183bhp power outputs. There are also three hybrids, also with 128bhp, 168bhp and 183bhp, which use 48-volt mild-hybrid technology.
Trail models can be ordered as either a panel van or double-cab-in-van body styles.
Active arrives on the Transit Custom (£30,000) and Tourneo Custom (£37,950) vans, adding some SUV-inspired styling, new interior trim and the option of a limited-slip differential. There are also Transit Connect (£21,675) and Tourneo Connect (£21,285) variants of the Active
Ford says the Active version is designed to support "multi-activity lifestyles". It gets 17-inch alloys, a mesh grille, cladding on the wheel arches, body cladding, rear bumper and mirror caps, and a set of roof rails.
There's a very wide range of body configurations, but whatever option you choose, flexible seating is the Active's party piece. "The seats can also be reversed to create a conference seating layout or removed entirely for more luggage space," says Ford. "The seat mounting points can then be used to mount in-vehicle racks to carry bicycles more safely."
In other Transit news, 168bhp diesel models can be had with a 10-speed automatic gearbox. It's the same transmission found on the Mustang sports car, albeit tweaked for heavy-duty rear-wheel drive applications.
