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Ford targets grocery fleets with new Transit variant

Ford has introduced a Transit skeletal chassis cab, said to open up opportunities for a multitude of body conversions – including grocery delivery vans.

Ford Transit Skeletal Chassis Cab
Ford Transit Skeletal Chassis Cab

Available to order from the company’s 115 Transit Centres, the variant is based on a front-wheel drive platform and has an open-backed cab for walk-through into the load area. It features a 200kg reduction in weight and 100mm lower chassis height than a standard chassis cab model, plus a reduced step height to remove the need for a tail lift.

Customers can specify three different wheelbase lengths, with wide-track axles optional (standard on the longest). All have a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes. Engine options comprise 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesels, with 130hp or 170hp and six-speed manual transmissions, though a six-speed automatic is also available.

Ford hopes the skeletal chassis cab will build on the success of the Transit two-tonne, 52,000 of which have sold across Europe so far this year, with 20,000 of those going to UK customers.

Hans Schep, general manager, commercial vehicles, Ford of Europe, said: “The new Transit skeletal chassis opens up exciting new opportunities for grocery delivery vehicles and other low-floor body conversions where ease of access is paramount.”

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Written by Dan Gilkes

Dan has been a commercial vehicle and construction equipment journalist for almost 30 years. An automotive engineer and former fleet manager, he has driven almost every van, pickup and truck that has been launched in Europe over that time. As editor of VFW, his aim is to keep readers up to date with the latest developments in the light commercial world.

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