In Poland, there is a special kind of van that is very popular: they are based on a Van chassis and install sleepers for the cab, allowing drivers to drive such vehicles for long-distance transportation. Just like the two Ford Transits in the picture. The red one in the front extends the cab to allow some space for the sleeper, while the rear one places the entire sleeper on top of the cab, and needs to climb into the sleeping pod overhead when sleeping, just like the big forehead of the motorhome.
The GVW of the chassis itself reached 3.5 tons, while the addition of the sleeper further blurred the line between it and the small card. So, what are the benefits of this model? And what are the drawbacks? Polish media 40ton conducted a test and responded to us.
Participating in the test was the red Ford Transit on the way. Unlike the new Transsum seen in China, this TransShun has a lower hood and better visibility. The style of the hexagonal front cover shows the vehicle's sense of power, combined with the car's polygonal LED + xenon mixed headlights, the appearance of the vehicle is very good. The rearview mirror brackets have been widened and equipped with warning lights to further enhance vehicle safety.
At the back of the cab, a short sleeper space is installed, manufactured by the Polish company Spojtrak. The newly added sleeper space incorporates the shape of a deflector, resulting in more interior space while reducing the vehicle's wind resistance and fuel consumption.
Similar to the practice of domestic small trucks, all the space in the rear of the cab of this car is ceded to the cargo compartment, maximizing the loading space of the cargo. The vehicle has a curb weight of about 2.5 tons and can also carry 1 ton of cargo. The internal length of the vehicle's cargo compartment is about 4.85 meters, and the space is large, which can accommodate ten standard pallets. In order to reduce the empty weight of the vehicle, the cargo compartment also adopts a side curtain type, which reduces weight and also facilitates the loading of goods.
Since vehicles don't need to be fitted with as many fuel tanks as heavy-duty trucks, space on both sides of the chassis is used to solve another, more important problem: storage space. Several large storage bins are installed on the side of the chassis, and there is a water tank for washing hands with a faucet and hand sanitizer pump, which is quite intimate.
Underneath the hood is a 2.0-liter Ford diesel engine capable of producing 130 horsepower. Ford is also available in a 160 hp version available as an option. In the actual driving experience, this engine brings a good power performance, not only can leave all the trucks on the road behind, but also slightly PK with passenger cars. Cruising at a speed of 120 km/h, the sound of the engine is still very quiet. Combined, the fuel consumption is about 9-10 liters per 100 kilometers. Of course, the premise of all this is to drive on the plains. When you travel to higher altitudes, the power of the engine is greatly reduced, the speed of the engine increases, and the fuel consumption performance becomes worse. This is a common problem of small-displacement turbo diesel engines, and it is a world of difference from the 13-liter large-displacement diesel engine on trucks.
There is another problem: the car is driven by the front wheel, and the rear axle is driven axle, without power output. For this car with a length of more than 8 meters and a wheelbase of more than 4.5 meters, it can be felt that the vehicle is difficult to drive during the driving test. Fortunately, the steering power of the vehicle is good, even if it is in place, it will not be too difficult.
Enter the cab. Ford Transit's cab is modern. Such as the large digital screen on the central control, multi-function steering wheel, etc. are all matched. The position of the gear lever is comfortable and relaxed, and a retractable cup holder is integrated under the gear lever. Speaking of interiors, in recent years, commercial vehicle interiors have developed more and more like passenger car interiors, and this development has advantages and disadvantages, which will have different effects on the handling and driving experience of the vehicle. On the ford, the manual transmission of the vehicle operates like a good passenger car, and the small steering wheel makes it very easy to drive.
The technology side is also not lagging behind. The car's central control supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto. The safety system includes ACC, AEB and lane keeping. In addition, the vehicle provides a driving assistant function that can tell the driver when it is most appropriate to step on the accelerator through computer analysis. However, in this test drive, the system prompted that the conditions were not met and has not been opened.
The most important thing is the sleeper area, which is embedded directly behind the cab and blends in with the main body of the cab.
The width is not wide, the height is not appropriate, and it can only meet the most basic turning needs. And because of the cab frame, the width of the head and foot positions is narrower, which is absolutely unacceptable on a truck.
Subject to the net height of the interior, it is difficult to dress or stretch your waist. A groove is designed in the center of the berth, and the bed board on the groove is turned up when dressing to provide a higher area.
Even so, the roof space is still very narrow.
The vehicle's forehead area is used as storage space and is equipped with a shielding net to prevent items from falling while driving.
The vehicle's adjustable seats and steering wheel are both added to the driving experience, but there is one more issue: legroom. The height of the foot platform is too high, the left leg knee will often be uplifted, it is more uncomfortable, and the right leg problem is more serious, and the keyhole position fights, the comfort is not appropriate.
In the end, 40ton concluded on the driving experience of the car. On this car, you can feel a completely different sense of freedom than driving a truck. You can overtake as you please, shuttle through the streets and alleys as you please, and jump between cities, which is unmatched by small truck models. Ford also smells the commercial promise lurking in such models. At present, Ford is testing the original Ford cargo model with sleeper at the research and development center in Belgium, which has the prospect of becoming popular in Europe. How will the market respond to this model? Let's wait and see!