The word here in Kansas City at the Ford assembly plant that will make the Transit is that the E-Series vans will phase out sometime in the 2014 year.
The chassis cab will stay in production longer for a time to be determined later.
The Transit WILL have a version of the EcoBoost V6 as the top gasoline engine option. A diesel option has not been officially announced "yet". But you all know as well as I do that it'll happen.
The folks at the assembly plant here are very excited about the coming Transit van. They expect a huge success.
And NewsW, the reason Ford discontinued the Crown Vic police car was that it can't meet future crash standards, barely does now, hit them in the rear and they burst into flame, one just did a couple weeks ago here in KS. (again), without a massive, expensive redesign. Not worth it for a 60k yearly FLEET sales number. The car companies, none of them, foreign or domestic, make any money on fleet sales.
Bob & Sharon
Eastern Kansas
2013 Winnebago ERA 70A
Sprinter Class B Van
Our Second Sprinter
So far, I've only heard good things (for the most part) about the Ford Transit. It is tried and true, being commonplace in Europe and in South America. The only bad thing I've read is that the European version tends to be slower than its Sprinter counterpart.
I just hope that the AWD option comes through, because that would allow for a RV maker to make a very nice boondocking vehicle, especially combined with a gas engine and generator.
Interesting times ahead for class B RVs in the next couple years. It isn't just a choice between a Sprinter type and a diesel or a Chevy type and a gasser; a RV maker can focus on just one platform and let the customer choose what type of engine they want.
I wonder how prices will change with the change in chassis. I heard it would not be that much, but who knows.
bobojay5 wrote: The word here in Kansas City at the Ford assembly plant that will make the Transit is that the E-Series vans will phase out sometime in the 2014 year.
The chassis cab will stay in production longer for a time to be determined later.
The Transit WILL have a version of the EcoBoost V6 as the top gasoline engine option. A diesel option has not been officially announced "yet". But you all know as well as I do that it'll happen.
The folks at the assembly plant here are very excited about the coming Transit van. They expect a huge success.
And NewsW, the reason Ford discontinued the Crown Vic police car was that it can't meet future crash standards, barely does now, hit them in the rear and they burst into flame, one just did a couple weeks ago here in KS. (again), without a massive, expensive redesign. Not worth it for a 60k yearly FLEET sales number. The car companies, none of them, foreign or domestic, make any money on fleet sales.
There is an intense fight between the Transit and Econoline marketing groups on the future of the E van.
Interesting how there are stories in both directions.
A prudent decision would be to hedge ones bets --- because if the Transit connect is a precedent, it is a dud.
We know the Transit will be considerably more expensive --- which means GM will be the low cost supplier of conventional vans even before they discount to get the volume.
Personally, I think it is a disastrous mistake to flog a Euro van here.
The E series could have been redesigned to use less fuel instead.
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As for the Crown Vic, it was made in the highest cost plant in North America which is closing / closed.
That, plus many other factors --- resulted in the demise.
Ford could have put money into updating the design --- the last rear drive in volume production, but chose not to.
I don't think it bodes well that Ford is losing so many markets that historically they owned for decades.
Since it's a competitor for the Sprinter, I suspect that it's build as a similar 'least material, least weight' unibody. This may mean that upfitters will have similar tight restrictions to those imposed by M-B on body cuts. I certainly don't think you'll ever see massive body mods like the PW Excel & RT 210.
The possibility of gas engine and AWD options are pretty mouth-watering, tho'.
Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison (aka 'Loafer's Glory') www.tigervehicles.com
All of Europe and rest of the world is Transit like vans. The E series will go away in due time as it is 50+ year old design technology. The Sprinter would be more popular if they were easier to get at a competitive price. I suspect the Transit will address those issues. Who in the trades would not want a standup inside flat floor van? And the same would go for Class B RVs. Thoughts of thinking the E series has a viable future is exactly the same kind of thinking that almost sunk the US auto industry. I don't know what GM has in the wings but they better start thinking along the lines of Sprinter/Transit and Ducato for that matter or they will be the ones out of the van business.
Davydd
2011 Great West Van Legend Sprinter B Camper Van
Visited states in an RV
Davydd wrote: Who in the trades would not want a standup inside flat floor van? And the same would go for Class B RVs. Thoughts of thinking the E series has a viable future is exactly the same kind of thinking that almost sunk the US auto industry. I don't know what GM has in the wings but they better start thinking along the lines of Sprinter/Transit and Ducato for that matter or they will be the ones out of the van business.
Lots of trades do not want to pay 1/3 more (estimated difference in ASP) between the old E and the new Transit.
The margins that most of them are working on just don't allow a big increase in price.
The price increase being bandied about will put the Transit and Sprinter in the same price range, and eliminate one of the best deals going in the auto land.
Oh yes, it is an old design.
And so what? It works fine.
So do the B-52 (real old), C-2, E-2C, and many pieces of kit that date from the 50s.
The kind of thinking that will sink Ford is to think that the customers don't matter, and they can throw out a product and customers will be forced to buy it.
I will personally give the Transit 5 years to prove itself before I decide one way or another.
But --- if I am buying a fleet, I am going to look real hard at the hassle and cost of the new vehicle --- like none of my existing upfits work, having to re-engineer from scratch with a body that is very restricted on what cuts can be made, and the sheer cost of this platform.
Sprinter came in and failed to dint the market.
Nissan NV 200 came in and flopped.
The question is whether Ford Transit will follow in the great tradition of the Ford Transit connect and the above examples.
The more I look at some of their recent decisions, the more it looks like they learned the Japanese art called harakiri from their Japaneses competitors.
As for the RV market... just how many units are we talking about a year?
Tiny... irrelevant.. relative to the fleet business, that is 30% of the entire fleet business is owned by Ford.
Fleet buyers will decide on the Transit --- whether it is a hit or flop, not individual or RV buyers.
The market share is slipping perspicaciously, from 33% to 31% of fleet sales in the past year alone.
If the Transit flops and the E vans are gone, expect to see Ford fleet sales plunge by another few percent.
mlts22 wrote: So far, I've only heard good things (for the most part) about the Ford Transit. It is tried and true, being commonplace in Europe and in South America. The only bad thing I've read is that the European version tends to be slower than its Sprinter counterpart.
I just hope that the AWD option comes through, because that would allow for a RV maker to make a very nice boondocking vehicle, especially combined with a gas engine and generator.
Interesting times ahead for class B RVs in the next couple years. It isn't just a choice between a Sprinter type and a diesel or a Chevy type and a gasser; a RV maker can focus on just one platform and let the customer choose what type of engine they want.
I wonder how prices will change with the change in chassis. I heard it would not be that much, but who knows.
I have been looking at sportsmobiles for awhile. However i wanted the sprinter body with a gas engine.and far more service centers. Sportsmobile has an UNDER FLOOR AIR CONDITONER that combined with transit body would be unrecognizable as RV.
this combo in the 21 ft. length 13.5 ft. load floor has my attention
Has anyone thought that it was that stuck in the past mindset of the American car makers that was the reason that they had to be bailed out... and forced to make the changes that they should have made years ago?
Boy... just what America needed to stay ahead... the Crown Vic and the Ford E-Van...
New MPG rules are coming on board... and the Ford E-Van can't meet them... ever. Accept reality and kiss it goodbye. I, for one, won't miss it at all. My one was enough.
mumkin wrote: Has anyone thought that it was that stuck in the past mindset of the American car makers that was the reason that they had to be bailed out... and forced to make the changes that they should have made years ago?
Boy... just what America needed to stay ahead... the Crown Vic and the Ford E-Van...
New MPG rules are coming on board... and the Ford E-Van can't meet them... ever. Accept reality and kiss it goodbye. I, for one, won't miss it at all. My one was enough.
I have no problems with it being replaced.
But the E 350 (the only ones I am interested in) the new van will not replace.
Too many things I can do with the E that I cannot do with the new one.
If Ford don't make the E 350 when I am ready for a new one, I will buy GM.
Oh... bad news for you...
On comparable payload, the fuel economy savings will be minimal if you are towing.
If you are just using it as a B conversion, there is a modest savings.
A lot less than the 25% claimed --- that is only for "empty" configurations.
* This post was
edited 04/11/12 08:53am by NewsW *
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