The new Ford Transit has been named ‘International Van of the Year’ 2007.

The competition, adjudicated by an independent panel of leading commercial vehicle journalists representing 19 European countries, was described as “one of the closest fought 'Van of the Year' battles ever.”

John Fleming, Ford of Europe president and chief executive, said: “2006 has been a bumper year for new light and medium commercial vehicles, which has made this competition tougher than ever, and this award even more significant for Ford Transit.

“We're delighted to follow up the success of the 2001 Transit and the 2003 Transit Connect in winning 'Van of the Year' trophies, and it is an appropriate reward and recognition for the dedication of so many Ford of Europe employees who contribute to the Transit story.”

The 'Van of the Year' jury said: “In announcing the decision, the jury was particularly impressed by the fact that Ford’s engineers have taken one of Europe’s best vans and made it even better. Whether in city traffic or on motorways, the driveability of Transit is excellent.

“The new Transit cab interior has been brought up to a level approaching that of a car. The philosophy is that van-drivers often spend more hours in their vehicles than car drivers. The high ergonomic standards do not only concern the driver’s seat and the position of steering wheel and gear lever but also include the excellent visibility via the large windows and the well-positioned rear view mirrors.”

The adjudicators also praised the accessibility and flexibility of the Transit’s large load box, security systems, and low repair and maintenance costs, as well as Ford of Europe's extensive Commercial Vehicle Specialist dealer network.

The jury also commended the development of the new All-Wheel-Drive Transit derivative, and the confirmation that Ford's load-adaptive Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) will be standardised on all diesel Transit van and bus models from January 2007, with chassis cab and rear-wheeled models following later in 2007.

Flemming added: “We are very proud of the Transit and its achievements over the last forty years. Receiving the Van of the Year 2007 award makes us even more determined to keep Transit ahead of the competition, whatever it takes.”

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