The new Ford Transit Connect will go on sale in mid-2018

Ford will release updated versions of the Transit Connect and Transit Courier vans in mid-2018. The updated models will follow the new Transit Custom onto the market.

These models don’t sell quite as many as their larger sibling, but they’re important for Ford. In the UK, both have been the best-selling models in their respective segments so-far in 2017, with more than 20,000 sales — a quarter of Transit nameplate sales.

As expected, the majority of changes are in three areas:

• An updated front end
• Improved choice of more efficient petrol and diesel engines
• New cabin interior

Ford Transit Connect

I won’t waffle on about the new front end design, as you can see from the picture above, it adopts the distinctive three-bar Transit grill and includes a modified headlight design. But what’s more interesting are the technical and interior changes.

Engines

Buyers of the updated Transit Connect will be able to choose from Ford’s new 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel engine or the latest version of its widely-used and popular 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.

The EcoBlue diesel will achieve Euro 6.2 emissions standards and will also be available with a new eight-speed automatic transmission — a rarity in vans. The petrol engine will include sophisticated features such as cylinder deactivation to run on two cylinders at low loads.

All engines get a six-speed manual transmission as standard.

Service intervals have also been extended in a bid to cut ownership costs. The manual diesel models will now offer “best-in-class variable intervals of up to two years/25,000 miles”.

Personally I’m not keen on this. It doesn’t seem right to me that any vehicle can run on the same oil and without an inspection for such long periods. Long service intervals may not cause problems for a vehicle’s first owners, but I suspect that they are likely to increase wear-and-tear and age-related problems for later owners. Still, that’s probably not Ford’s primary concern. 

New interior

Rant over, here’s a picture of the new interior which will be fitted to Transit Connects. The design language will be familiar to drivers of other small and mid-sized Ford cars and vans, and looks likely to be comfortable and highly functional:

When the updated Ford Transit Connect goes on sale in mid-2018, it will have an attractive new cabin.

Ford Transit Courier

Changes to the new Transit Courier — Ford’s smallest van — are very similar.

An updated front-end design is combined with a new cabin to provide a fresh and improved feel for this popular small van.

The updated Ford Transit Courier will be available from mid-2018.

The engine line-up will be similar to the updated Transit Connect. Buyers will be able to choose between an older-generation 1.5-litres TDCi diesel (apparently not the new EcoBlue engine) and Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol. All will get a six-speed manual in place of the outgoing five-speed manual. This should help to improve real-world fuel efficiency.

A new fuel efficiency package will be offered as standard on diesel models, including Ford’s Active Grille Shutter. This is used to closed the radiator grill when the engine is cold in order to retain heat and reduce the engine’s warm-up time — diesels generate less heat than petrol engines and traditionally take longer to warm up, reducing fuel efficiency.

The Transit Courier will be available in a choice of van and kombi styles, with payload capacity from 500-590kg. Drivers wanting a little extra will now be able to choose between the range-topping Sport model or a more luxury-oriented Limited variant.