New Ford Transit launched in South Africa – Pricing and features

Ford has officially launched the new Transit Extra Long Wheelbase (ELWB) in South Africa.

The ELWB is the newest member of the Transit Panel Van family, sitting alongside the Transit Custom Base and the Transit Custom Sport.

“The Transit Van has evolved over the years and with the development of the modern extra-long body we have been able to widen the options for our customers, which include small and medium enterprises, freight haulers and courier companies,” said Sunil Sewmohan, Product Marketing Director at Ford South Africa.

The Transit is well-suited to conversions, as the Ford ProConverter programme has identified and accredited more than a dozen third-party modifiers.

Popular conversion options include emergency vehicles, refrigeration vans, buses, and taxis.

Features

As you’d expect, the key difference between the ELWB and the slightly smaller LWB range, launched in 2025, comes down to the vehicle’s dimensions.

While both versions have the same wheelbase of 3,750mm, the ELWB has longer body dimensions of 6,785mm compared to the LWB’s 5,981mm.

They end with the same body width of 2,059mm, and a load space of 1,784mm.

The ELWB has a higher braked towing capacity of 3,500kg, compared to the LWB’s 2,800kg.

Standard equipment on the new Transit includes 16-inch steel wheels, and a load compartment with a rear trim board, a moulded floor liner, 12 floor tie-down hooks, and interior lighting.

Customers can optionally fit extra heavy-duty batteries to run the interior lights for longer when the vehicle is off.

It also has a multifunction steering wheel, automatic climate control, cupholders, a digital driver display, a 12-inch Sync4 infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 5G modem for the Ford app, letting owners access features like remote lock/unlock, a vehicle locator, vehicle health alerts, vehicle status, Intelligent Oil Life Monitor, and Customer Connectivity settings.

In terms of safety, the Transit comes standard with electronic stability control, hill assist, ABS, tyre pressure monitoring, collision mitigation, adaptive speed control, blind spot detection, lane change warning, lane change assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.

Engine

The new Panel Van is equipped with Ford’s 2.0-litre Duratorq turbocharged diesel engine, which generates 121kW and 390Nm.

Gear changes are handled by a six-speed manual transmission, which sends power down to the rear wheels.

It also has three driving modes – Normal, Eco, Slippery – and achieves an average fuel consumption of 9.3l/100km.

The exhaust incorporates AdBlue, which is an additive that converts nitrogen oxide emissions into nitrogen and water.

The AdBlue liquid is stored in a separate 20-litre tank.

Pricing

The South African pricing for the updated Ford Transit range is as follows:

• Ford Transit Custom 2.0SiT Panel Van LWB – R770,000
• Ford Transit Custom 2.0SiT Panel Van SWB Sport – R949,000
• Ford Transit 2.0SiT Panel Van ELWB – R1,062,000 (New)

The recommended retail price includes a 4-year/120,000km warranty, a 4-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance plan, a 2-year/unlimited-kilometre over-the-counter parts warranty, and an optional 6-year/90,000km service plan.

Ford Transit ELWB