Vans have always played second fiddle to bakkies in South Africa. Why? Well, this is bakkie country, and if you try to argue against that around your nearest braai fire, be sure to arrange your ambulance in advance.
But panel vans do play an essential role in the commercial vehicle market for those seeking a vast as well as safe and secure loading space that can also accommodate bulky items.
But what we see here is a really unique spin on the whole concept.
Commercial vans are, by their very nature, utilitarian and workmanlike, often paring back to the essential features and being completely devoid of any sporty pretensions.
But that concept gets turned on its head with the new Ford Transit Custom Sport, which not only comes with eye-catching racing stripes, but also gains an upgraded powertrain and a significantly more luxurious interior.
To find out what it’s all about, and carry out a few good deeds in the process, Ford invited us to spend just over 1,000km behind the wheel on a two-day road trip from Qgeberha to Durban that would see us delivering much-needed medical equipment to four rural hospitals along the way.
Each medical facility received four wheeled walking frames, which were built by Ford employees on the Silverton assembly line that builds the latest Ranger bakkie. They will assist in the rehabilitation of young children with mobility impairments and enable much-needed exercise for those who are usually confined to wheel chairs.
After collecting the vehicles at Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, we headed down the N2 towards our first stop at the Nompumelelo Provincial Hospital in Peddie.
Available only in short-wheelbase guise, meaning it measures 5,050mm in length versus the 5,450mm of the long-wheelbase (LWB) standard Transit Custom model, the Sport also gains a more powerful version of Ford’s 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel engine.
It produces 125kW and 390Nm, which is 25kW and 30Nm more than the standard version offers, and it also swaps the latter’s six-speed manual gearbox for an eight-speed autobox.
Ford says this vehicle is aimed at owner-drivers seeking a sportier van, and we can imagine it appealing to those who want to haul their motorbikes and bicycles, which can be stowed safely away from prying eyes. With its sporty looks, 2,500kg braked towing capacity and a large load area for parts and tools, the Sport will surely also find favour among race car owners and those running racing teams.
For the record, the Sport boasts a payload of 1,023kg, with the load bay measuring 2,602mm lengthways and 1,392mm between the wheel arches.
Although boasting a smaller loading space than the LWB standard model, the Sport does gain a second sliding door and both are power-operated.
In the cabin you’ll find a lot more in the way of creature comforts, including dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats with unique striped upholstery, dual folding arm rests for both seats and a unique sports steering wheel.
This is over and above the 13-inch Sync4 infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the 8.0-inch digital driver display that’s already fitted to the standard LWB van.
Externally, the Sport can be told apart by its 17-inch matte black alloy wheels, rear spoiler and sport body kit with special decals.
Despite the fitment of racing stripes, the Transit Custom Sport is not necessarily a high performance machine, but it delivered adequate and comfortable performance on our 1,000km journey to Durban.
Drivers can also gear up and down manually using the gear-level mounted on the right-hand side of the steering column and there are five drive modes to choose from: Normal, Eco, Slippery, Tow/Haul and Sport. The steering-mounted gear stalk can take some getting used to, though, with some of our crew occasionally shifting into neutral while intending to indicate right.
According to the on-board readout our van consumed 8.4 litres per 100km, but that did include a fair amount of speed variance, overtaking and braking as that section of the N2 is chaotic in places, to say the least. We would expect to achieve better figures than that on a more sedate highway drive.
Following the long journey my driving partner and I were surprisingly free of fatigue, thanks to the supportive seats, comfortable ride quality and impressive noise insulation. Apart from the tall driving position, it hardly felt like we were driving a commercial van.
At R938,000, the Ford Transit Custom Sport is on the expensive side, and it does command a significant premium over the R761,000 standard LWB model, but it also gains a significant amount of kit and there’s really nothing else like it on the market.
It may be a niche, and it’s not going to be a runaway best seller, but what we can confirm after a lengthy road trip is that the Transit Sport fills its niche with a whole lot of zest.
The Transit Custom Sport is sold with a six-year or 90,000km service plan and four-year or 120,000km warranty.
IOL