Ford triumphs three times at What Van? Awards 2015.

The all-new Ford Transit Courier has received the top accolade at this year’s What Van? Awards by winning Van of the Year 2015.

Ford continued its winning streak with the Transit Courier also picking up Small Van of the Year, the Transit Connect topping the Light Van category and Ranger collecting Pick-up of the Year.

The Ford Fiesta Van was also highly commended in its category, and the Transit Custom likewise in the Medium Van category.

“Ford’s revolution of its light commercial line-up has seen it offer the most comprehensive range of high-quality vehicles in the marketplace, in terms of visual appeal, driver appeal, innovation, technology and efficiency,” said What Van? editor, Paul Barker.

“This massive investment has culminated with our Van of the Year Transit Courier offering a massive step forward in the small van segment, succeeding our only ever twice-Van of the Year winner the Transit Custom, while the excellent new Transit Connect is also a worthy winner of the Light Van category.”

The awards come at the end of a two-year overhaul of the entire Ford Transit range which included the addition this year of What Van’s? Van of the Year: the Transit Courier.

Ford’s first-ever small Transit van delivers unsurpassed fuel efficiency across the diesel and petrol engine ranges. The 95PS 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi, Dagenham-built engine achieves 76.3mpg and 97g/km CO₂emissions*, and the multi-award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost offers 54.3mpg and 119g/km CO₂ ** – 15 per cent better than its closest rival.

Additionally, the stylish all-new Ford Transit Courier offers 10 per cent more load volume than its direct competitors with 2.3m³ (SAE) behind the bulkhead, as well as a longer load length at floor level, and greater access width through the sliding side doors.

Sales of the Ford Transit continue to dominate, with both Transit and Transit Custom leading their segments with 26.6 per cent and 33 per cent market share YTD respectively.

The entire Ford commercial vehicle range will now be available from Ford’s designated commercial dealer network, called Transit Centres, which will be rolled out across the country next year.

Terry Rayner, director, Transit Centres, Ford of Britain said: “I am delighted to receive the What Van? Van of the Year award for the Transit Courier – a Ford first in the small van segment. 2015 will be the first full year that the entire four-van Transit range will be available and will coincide with the launch of Ford’s specialist commercial vehicle dealerships and service centres. Transit Centres will be rolled out in over 100 locations across the UK, plus a further 90 service only points, cementing Ford’s position as the largest commercial vehicle dealer network nationally.”

Additionally, the Ford Transit was a recent winner at the 2014 ACFO Awards, the premier organisation for fleet operators, winning Large Van of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.

Ford delivers more power and better emissions on revised KUGA SUV.

• Ford offers most powerful diesel Kuga SUV; 2.0-litre TDCi engine delivers 180PS and 400Nm of torque
• Revised Kuga 2.0-litre TDCi diesel delivers 10 per cent more power, and emits up to 19g/km less CO₂
• Ford will offer a 150 PS 2.0-litre TDCi option that delivers 122g/kmCO₂* – an improvement of 12 per cent.
• 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol emits 11g/km less CO₂ than the outgoing 1.6‑litre EcoBoost
• Auto-Start-Stop and Active Grille Shutter now standard on all Kuga models. SYNC with AppLink for voice-activating apps is also now available

The Ford Kuga is now available with a significant range of upgrades that include the smart utility vehicle’s most powerful diesel powertrain to date.

Improvements to the Kuga’s diesel and petrol engine range also deliver lower CO₂ emissions. Kuga is offered with more advanced technologies as standard that help reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions, including Auto-Start-Stop and Active Grille Shutter.

“Ford has updated the Kuga range with models that deliver more power and lower emissions. Tiger Eye metallic is a bold new colour not previously seen on any Ford vehicle, and SYNC with AppLink will help ensure drivers can be more connected on the move while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.

Ford’s 2.0-litre TDCi diesel powered 95 per cent of the Kugas sold in the UK during the first nine months of 2014. Ford has now increased peak power of the engine by 17PS to 180PS and peak torque to 400Nm, up from 340Nm. This engine choice will deliver the most pulling power ever for Kuga, particularly when combined with Ford’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system that is chosen by most customers.

Ford is introducing its new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine to Kuga, reducing CO₂ emissions to 143g/km from 154g/km – an improvement of more than seven per cent over the outgoing 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine*. Ford will also offer a 150PS 2.0-litre TDCi option that delivers 122g/km CO₂* – an improvement of 12 per cent.

Smart utility vehicle

Ford SYNC with AppLink will now enable drivers to voice-activate apps, while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. These already include leading music-streaming service Spotify, Audioteka, Glympse and Radioplayer.

Ford’s latest sales data revealed a high take-rate for Kuga’s advanced driver assistance technologies: around a third of vehicles were sold with Rear View Camera and more than half featured Active Park Assist technology that helps drivers to parallel park.

On top of the Cruise Control with Adjustable Speed Limiter, that is offered as standard on the Titanium series and above,  Kuga is also available with Adaptive Cruise Control including Forward Alert, which warns drivers if they are travelling too close to the vehicle in front. 

Another standard technology is the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, which warns if any of the tyres lose significant pressure during a journey. Further available technologies include Hands-Free Tailgate,Blind Spot Information System,Active City Stop,Lane Keeping Aid, Lane Keeping Alert, Auto High Beam,Driver Alert, and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Kuga will boast new colours in Ruby Red Metallic, Magnetic Metallic and, for the first time on any Ford vehicle, Tiger Eye Metallic. A body-styling kit enhances the appearance of the Titanium X Sport even further.

Since Ford’s new Kuga’s  launch in the UK, supplied by Ford’s Valencia assembly plant in Spain, more than 200,000 vehicles have been sold across Europe.

Ford’s expanding range of SUVs in Europe already includes the all-new EcoSport and will also next year include the charismatic, spacious and smart Ford Edge.

Ford Kuga Engine Upgrades

Engine	Transmission	Power	CO2-combined**	CO2 improvement over previous engine
1.5-litre EcoBoost	FWD Manual	150 PS	143 g/km	7.1 per cent (11 g/km)
1.5-litre EcoBoost	AWD Automatic	182 PS	171 g/km	4.5 per cent (8 g/km)
2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi	FWD Manual	150 PS	122 g/km	12.2 per cent (17 g/km)
2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi	AWD Manual	150 PS	135 g/km	9.4 per cent (14 g/km)
2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi	AWD PowerShift	150 PS	140 g/km	11.9 per cent (19 g/km)
2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi	AWD Manual	180 PS	135 g/km	9.4 per cent (14 g/km)
2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi	AWD PowerShift	180 PS	140 g/km	11.9 per cent (19 g/km)

100th Ford Tourneo custom sold, with sales way above expectations.

• Ford campervan, the Wellhouse Ford Terrier, exceeds sales forecasts since October 2013 launch
• Wellhouse set to increase production to 250 a year

A leading campervan conversion company, Wellhouse Leisure, has sold its 100^th Ford campervan less than a year after its launch at the Motorhome and Caravan Show, Birmingham in October 2013.

The 100^th Ford Terrier was sold to a customer from West Yorkshire and will be delivered in April 2015. It’s the SE model in Deep Impact Blue with a 2.2-litre, 125PS Ford Duratorq TDCi engine and have added further options including a towbar, a safe, an external BBQ point, reversing camera and a roof bed.

The Ford Terrier campervan range includes three models – S, SE and Sport – with on the road prices from £39,500-£46,500 (including VAT).

To keep up with the high level of demand, as well as production of demonstrators for the increasing number of retailers selling the Ford Terrier, Wellhouse has invested £125,000 in new equipment for its factory and hired an additional 10 employees. 

David Elliott, managing director of Wellhouse Leisure, said: “We are delighted to have sold our 100^th Terrier and, we’re also pleasantly surprised as we didn’t dare dream that we would reach this level of sales so quickly. The Terrier exceeded even our boldest sales forecasts thanks to its winning combination of high standard specification, great design and good value for money”.

The Ford Tourneo Custom went on sale at the beginning of 2013 and during 2014, monthly sales have trebled year over year.