INDIANAPOLIS – Ford’s Transit commercial van has received an upgrade even before its slated 2013 North American debut. The Transit will come equipped with the company’s award-winning, fuel-efficient 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 engine.

The 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 engine in the new rear-wheel-drive Transit will complement the van’s expected class-leading driving dynamics and technology, making it the perfect replacement for Ford’s venerable E-Series wagon and van in North America.

The Transit is expected to achieve at least 25 percent better fuel economy compared to similar E-Series vans, due, in part, to smart weight savings that will trim at least 300 pounds from Transit, potentially helping fleet users save thousands of dollars in operating costs from fuel savings.
EcoBoost engines are fundamental to the Ford strategy of providing technologically advanced, high-output, smaller-displacement powertrains that deliver exceptional fuel economy and uncompromised performance for millions of drivers around the world, according to the company. By 2013, Ford plans to produce up to 1.5 million EcoBoost engines globally for a wide variety of vehicles from small cars to trucks.
EcoBoost engines feature:

• A high-pressure direct-injection fuel system fed by a common rail that delivers a precise amount of gasoline in the exact spot for fast and complete burn.
• Turbocharging to create a denser mix of air and fuel in each cylinder.
• Special pistons with optimized bowls in the center to improve combustion efficiency. These pistons are also oil cooled, which reduces in-cylinder temperatures.
• Reduced CO2 emissions and excellent fuel economy compared to V-8 engines with similar power ratings.

The 3.5L EcoBoos V-6 available in the Ford F-150 had a successful year in 2011, exceeding 100,000 sales in less than one year on the market. EcoBoost-equipped F-150s now account for more than 40 percent of F-150 retail sales, according to Ford.

The current-generation Transit is the best-selling van in Europe. Ford has sold more than 6 million Transits across five continents since its original launch in 1965. The Transit is currently offered to global customers in a variety of cargo, passenger, and chassis cab configurations with a choice of efficient diesel engines. To prepare for production in the U.S. by 2013, Ford is investing $1.1 billion in its Kansas City Assembly Plant, where the Transit will be built alongside the F-150.