Ford returns to this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show to introduce customers and visitors to its extended range of advanced services and market-leading products.
The Ford stand will host a digital introduction to Ford Liive – a new connected system designed to help operators increase productivity and maximise vehicle uptime.
Ford recently announced an extension to Ford Liive designed specifically for fleet operators – Ford Telematics Essentials – a complimentary management tool designed to increase the productivity of connected commercial vehicles. It creates alerts based on real-time vehicle health data and, in turn, maximises uptime by reducing breakdowns and speeding up service and repair times.
The stand’s digital display will bring Ford Liive to life, demonstrating the service’s features and benefits through a series of screens tracking vehicles in service. Announcing both service and product news at the show underlines the intent of Ford Pro – a global commercial vehicle services and distribution business that will increase uptime and reduce ownership costs.
Lisa Brankin, Ford of Britain and Ireland managing director, said: “The CV Show has always been a calendar highlight and that’s especially the case this year. Ford’s new offering of connected services in Ford Liive will further enhance our acclaimed vehicle range, which now includes the E-Transit battery electric two-tonne van from 2022, to ensure we deliver on our promise to keep customers’ businesses moving as we move to an all-electric future.”
E-Transit
This year’s CV Show also sees the UK debut for the new E-Transit, an all-electric version of the world’s best-selling cargo van. E-Transit features Pro Power Onboard, turning it into a mobile power source up to 2.3kw to use power tools and recharge equipment at job sites, while standard FordPass Connect model helps to optimise fleet efficiency, finding and paying for charging on the go and enables over-the-air updates for features such as navigation.
The E-Transit will deliver around 200 miles of range and will be available with a generous choice of body, length, roof height and Gross Vehicle Mass options.
Trials of the New E-Transit van and converted chassis cab have already begun in the UK with last-mile and supermarket delivery operators and utility providers.
Ranger zone
E-Transit makes its public UK debut on the Ford stand in Hall 5, which will also feature a dedicated Ranger zone and another public debut for the latest limited-edition Raptor, plus new Wolftrak and Stormtrak editions, as well as the new Ranger MS-RT.
Based on the Ranger XLT series, Wolftrak is built for customers needing dependable off-road capability and a bold, nononsense exterior. Unique features include a long-leg tubular sports bar, creating a rugged look and supports accessory fitment and easy load restraint and Conquer Grey paint, which accentuates the pick-up’s haunches and complements the matte black grille. Wolftrak also features underbody protection and 17-inch black alloy wheels, and darkened Wolftrak badges and plastic moulded side steps. Sea Grey paint is also available.
Wolftrak is powered by Ford’s 170PS 2.0litre EcoBlue diesel engine, coupled to a six-speed manual transmission. Just 350 Ranger Wolftraks will be sold in the UK, priced from £27,776 excluding VAT.
The new Ranger Stormtrak – based on the premium Ranger Wildtrak series – delivers even higher specification with further enhanced comfort features and unique finishes. A limited run of 1,050 UK vehicles will be built to ensure exclusivity, available as a Double Cab for UK customers.
All Ranger Stormtrak models are equipped with Ford’s range-topping Bi-turbo 213PS 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine developing 500Nm of torque for outstanding pulling power.
Rapid Red paint is unique to Ranger Stormtrak, complementing the exclusive red grille insert, while LED headlights and rugged underbody protection come as standard. Frozen White and Blue Lightning paint options are also available. Ranger Stormtrak is enhanced by exclusive bonnet and body side decals, chunky three-dimensional badging and a black rear bumper and sports hoop. Ranger Stormtrak costs from £35,151 excluding VAT.
The ultra-exclusive Raptor Special Edition will also arrive in the UK later this year, limited to just 250 vehicles. Priced from £42,950 excluding VAT, the Ranger Raptor Special Edition adds twin matte black racing stripes – edged with red contrast lines – to the bonnet, roof, lower body sides, rear wings and tailgate to further emphasise the pick-up’s high-performance character.
Front tow hooks are finished in red while the flared wheel arches, front and rear bumpers, door handles and Ford-embossed grille feature a matte black finish to create an even more imposing appearance than the standard Raptor’s grey exterior details.
Inside, the Ranger Raptor Special Edition features red stitching for the steering wheel, instrument panel and door cards and a Special Edition-only Raceway Grey instrument panel.
The Ranger zone will also feature Ford’s new Ranger chassis cab, available from £23,200 in XL trim, providing customers with the ability to easily create bespoke vehicles including box bodies, tippers and cherry pickers. Ford will showcase the VFS-converted Tipper on its stand.
Qualified Vehicle Modifiers
A selection of Ford vehicles from its growing portfolio of One Stop Shop Qualified Vehicle Modifiers will feature on the stand, including the MS-RT commercial vehicle range, VFS Transit low-floor Luton, Clarks welfare van and refrigerated and freezer vehicles from Paneltex.
MS-RT has turned its hand to the Transit Connect, Transit Custom and now Ranger to combine a motorsport-inspired appearance with premium specification and unique, hand-finished detailing. The MS-RT Transit Connect is now available, priced from £34,095, MS-RT Transit Custom starts from £48,675, while the new MS-RT Ranger is now on sale from £47,725 (all excluding VAT).
The Clarkes-converted Transit Welfare Vehicle, which features full mess facilities and toilet, sink with hot and cold water, microwave, hot water boiler, and split charge auxiliary electrical system and eye-wash station as standard, is based on the Transit Double Cab-in Van, and also available to purchase under one invoice through the Ford One Stop Shop programme complete with a dedicated after sales and warranty teams. The Transit Welfare Vehicle costs from £51,455 excluding VAT.
Ford Transit and Transit Custom Refrigerated and Freezer vans, converted by Paneltex, are a unique offering based on Leader or Trend specification vehicles with 130PS engines and are each available in a choice of wheelbases and heights, with manual or automatic transmissions.
Both the Transit and Transit Custom Chiller conversations are capable of cooling to a minimum of zero degrees centigrade, while the Freezer vehicles cool to -25 degrees centigrade. Paneltex provides an online portal for all aftersales queries enabling service requests and the ordering of spare parts within a 24-hour delivery window.
The one-tonne Transit Custom Chiller starts from £32,750 and the Freezer from £33,695; the larger two-tonne Transit Chiller costs from £43,355 while the Freezer starts from £47,305 (all excluding VAT).
The Ford Transit skeletal chassis is now available with a ‘L5’ extended wheelbase, to accommodate a new low-floor Luton body for maximum load-carrying capacity, which will be on display at the show.
Built by VFS, a Ford Qualified Vehicle modifier partner, the new low-floor Luton is available now, directly from a Ford Transit Centre.
The L5’s 4515mm wheelbase allows a 4930mm internal load length – longer than a Ford Mustang – and can accommodate as many as seven standard 1200mm x 800mm European pallets. The L5 has a maximum load space of 22m3, while a smaller ‘L3’ version can carry 18.5m3.
The L5 low-floor Luton starts from £49,485 excluding VAT, as specified in the accompanying price list.
SOURCE: Ford
