A skeletal chassis cab derivative has been added to the Ford Transit range, boosting load-carrying possibilities for body converters.
The new skeletal Transit offers a 10cm lower chassis height than the standard front-wheel drive chassis cab version. As a result, the load floor is more easily accessible and the lower step height removes the need for a separate tail lift.
Compared to the equivalent chassis cab the skeletal variant saves 200kg in weight, giving potential operators a significant payload advantage and the potential to improve fuel economy in operation.
The skeletal chassis model is based on a front-wheel drive Transit platform, and supplied with an open-backed cab design to allow easy walk-through from the cab to the load space of the converted body.
Three wheelbases
It can be supplied in three different wheelbase lengths to suit a variety of body conversions, the longest variant including a wide-track rear axle and the others offering this as an option. Gross vehicle mass of all three versions is 3.5 tonnes.
Engine choices range across the 130hp or 170hp versions of the standard 2.0‑litre EcoBlue diesel engine, paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic transmission is available as an alternative.
Ford expects the skeletal chassis derivative to build on the success of the Transit two-tonne model, which year-to-date in 2018 has reached 52,000 sales, 20,000 of those in the UK alone.
According to Ford of Europe commercial vehicles manager Hans Schep, the skeletal chassis model takes the Transit choice a significant stage further. “The new Transit skeletal chassis opens up exciting new opportunities for grocery delivery vehicles and other low-floor body conversions where ease of access is paramount,” he says.
Skeletal chassis Transits are now available to order from Ford’s national network of 115 Transit Centres.
