2020 Ford Transit Van Can Get a 4-Cylinder Diesel or All-Wheel Drive

Ford has significantly updated its Transit full-size van family for 2020, adding new powertrains and plenty of advanced driver-assistance features.

One of the most significant upgrades for the latest model year is the availability of all-wheel drive. No longer will van customers have to worry about getting stuck in mud or sliding off the road in icy weather. The system continuously monitors driving conditions and can send up to 100 percent of engine torque to just the front wheels. Additionally, it does not affect ride height, meaning these vehicles should be just as easy to get into and out of as before.

All-wheel drive is available with the Transit’s gasoline-burning powertrains. This includes a new naturally aspirated 3.5-liter base V6, one with both port and direct fuel injection. It replaces the current 3.7-liter unit. A 3.5-liter EcoBoost six-shooter is once again the top offering.

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Other big news for 2020, the Transit will be available with a freshly designed 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel. It’s set to replace the 3.2-liter inline-five oil-burner currently offered in these vans, providing more horsepower and torque than the outgoing unit, which is rated at 185 ponies and 350 pound-feet.

Further improving fuel efficiency and performance, Ford is making a 10-speed automatic transmission standard with every engine offered in the Transit.

Increasing its versatility, a new crew variant joins the lineup. It offers room for five people in two rows of seats along with plenty of space in the way-back for tools and materials.

On the tech front, in-vehicle Wi-Fi is standard. It can support up to 10 devices. Cargo, crew, passenger, cutaway and chassis-cab models gain no-cost driver-assistance features including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams and more. XLT-trim passenger variants feature Ford Co-Pilot360. This includes the abovementioned items as well as blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage.

Enhanced active park assist, which helps automatically parallel or reverse perpendicular park the new Transit is also offered, as is adaptive cruise control.

Fleet customers can get Ford Telematics and Ford Data Services. These offerings make vehicle management easier by allowing companies to access GPS location data, so they know where their vans are, they can find out if fuel is being wasted and it even provides proactive maintenance reminders for easier service scheduling.

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Inside the 2020 Ford Transit, a four-inch full-color display is standard on the dashboard, but customers can also opt for a larger eight-inch unit. It’s home to Sync 3 and supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The capability offered by chassis-cab and cutaway models have been improved. The maximum gross vehicle weight rating (GVRW) has been increased to 11,000 pounds from 10,360. Power sliding doors will also be offered on cargo and passenger models for easier loading than before.

These changes, and many more, should help the Ford Transit lineup remain America’s best-selling family of vans for years to come.

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