Ford Transit
Automatic and new Ecoblue, Euro 6 engine adds to Transit’s fleet appeal, reports Damien O’carroll.
Ford has just unveiled a new version of the popular Transit Custom van (and the nine-seater Torneo) and for the first time it will be available with a six-speed automatic transmission. As well as the new transmission, the Transit Custom is also the first vehicle in New Zealand to get Ford’s new Ecoblue diesel engine, in the form of a 2.0-litre fourcylinder unit that produces 127kw of power and 405Nm of torque. Ford New Zealand says the new automatic transmission will be a welcome option for the nation’s fleet of delivery and trade vans. “Making anything automatic is generally a welcome improvement,” said Cameron Thomas, Ford New Zealand marketing manager. “But for a do-everything, hardworking van like the Ford Transit, the new automatic transmission will be a big plus and make for a far more relaxing driving experience; especially in our increasingly stop-go traffic conditions.” The six-speed automatic transmission also allows drivers to change gears manually, with a switch on the transmission lever and drivers will also have the ability to lock out gears in challenging driving scenarios such as driving on steep gradients or driving on slippery surfaces. Ford says the new automatic transmission has been specially engineered for the Transit, including a new torque converter and external casing to optimise refinement, and is based on a highly durable design that has proven itself with powerful front-wheel drive vehicles in North America, with a torque capacity of more than 415Nm. A unique calibration ensures that the transmission is matched to the torque delivery of the new Ecoblue diesel engine and can detect when the vehicle is on a road with a steep gradient, or carrying a heavy load, and adjusts the shifting strategy for optimal efficiency. Ford says that the new Ecoblue diesel engines build on the industry-leading performance and technology of the company’s award-winning Ecoboost petrol engines and that drivability has been enhanced thanks to 20 percent more torque at 1,250 rpm compared with the outgoing equivalent power 2.2-litre TDCI diesel engine. “Ford’s Ecoboost created a new standard for petrol engines – smaller, more efficient with surprising performance. That same obsession to innovate for the
customer is behind our new Ford Ecoblue diesel engine range,” said Jim Farley, chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe. “This new engine lifts fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 by over 10 percent in Transit, lowering costs for our customers.” An all-new engine architecture delivers reduced friction and a clean-burning combustion system. Sophisticated aftertreatment processes for exhaust gasses enable ultra-low emissions in line with stringent Euro Stage VI standards that were introduced in September 2016, requiring a 55 percent reduction in NOX emissions compared to Euro Stage V standards. Advanced technologies include an integrated intake system with Ford’s first application of mirror-image porting for optimised engine breathing; a low-inertia turbocharger featuring rocket engine materials designed for high temperature applications; and an all-new highpressure fuel injection system that is more responsive, quieter and offers more precise fuel delivery. While the gains in efficiency and drivability are impressive, Ford also claim they have drastically improved refinement over the old 2.2-litre diesel engine and that the 2.0-litre Ecoblue engine will be the first diesel commercial vehicle powertrain from Ford to achieve passenger car noise, vibration and harshness criteria, with the new engine radiating half as much sound energy at idle as the 2.2-litre TDCI diesel engine. Noise-optimised cylinder-head, block, stiffening ladder-frame and oil pan are specifically developed to be desensitised to activity inside the engine, and non-flat mating surfaces are carefully designed to offer tight seals that trap noise within the engine. “The basic structure of an engine can act as a soundboard for the movements happening inside it, just like a bell. So we try to develop a bell that does not ring very well,” said Dominic Evans, NVH specialist, Ford of Europe. “We’ve engineered every significant noise-influencing component of this engine to be quieter and smoother operating – resulting in the most refined diesel commercial vehicles Ford has ever built.” A moulded acoustic cover that provides foam encapsulation of the cylinder head, and a front cover made from sound deadened steel, further prevent engine noise being transmitted to the cabin for a quieter driving environment. But the company didn’t stop there in their drive for refinement, going so far as developing an optimised oil pump featuring unevenly spaced vanes that break up the pump’s noise frequency to make it less perceptible to the listener as well as adding advanced fuel injectors featuring integrated piezo-stacks, noise softening software and optimised pilot injection and carrying out micro-geometry analysis of gear teeth down to a micron level (0.001mm) to achieve perfect meshing for smoother operation and less high-frequency whine. Ford says the new 2.0-litre Ford Ecoblue engine meets its demanding global commercial vehicle durability standards for extreme usage in markets as diverse as Europe, the US and China, and the engine’s performance has been trialled through the equivalent of 5.5 million km of durability testing, including 400,000 km at the hands of real-world customers, comprehensive analysis in laboratories and at Ford vehicle proving grounds, and CAE evaluations at every stage of development. The oil system – including the oil specification, oil pan and filter dimensions, bore distortion tolerances and piston ring specifications – has been engineered to extend oil life, and maintenance-free components include the camshaft belt, camshaft module, and water pump. The engine is offered with several different power outputs in Europe – 78kw, 97kw and 127kw - with Ford New Zealand only taking up the most powerful variant. The company says the engine is capable of producing more than 150kw and will soon feature in Ford passenger cars alongside further Ecoblue diesel engines, including a 1.5-litre variant. Ford says it developed the 2.0-litre Ecoblue engine using feedback from customers around the world and that the versatile design allows the same block to be used for front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive applications, and the sophisticated design and technologies deliver future-proofed fuel efficiency and emissions.