Today, Ford Motor Co. revealed the new 2023 Ford Transit Trail van, designed to be ready for upfitting to a motorhome with off-road capabilities, and its October sales results, which showed Ford as the number-two electric vehicle (EV) brand in the nation.
“No matter the task at hand — delivering packages or enjoying life off the grid — customers can rely on their Transit to get the job done,” says Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro. “Our decades of experience in the motorhome industry and insights from the van-life community helped us design a vehicle that makes it easier for adventure seekers to start their next journey.”
The van features three available configurations, including medium- and high-roof models and a high-roof extended-length variant. It also includes improved off-highway capability with a variety of standard features and capabilities.
The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine produces 310-horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Intelligent all-wheel drive with five selectable drive modes, including Normal, Eco, Mud/Ruts, Tow/Haul, and Slippery, is also standard.
With a 3.5-inch increased ride height, a 2.75-inch wider track, 30.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse all-terrain tires, and 16-inch black alloy wheels, the vehicle is fitted to handle offroad situations.
A black grille with integrated marker lamps and black HID headlamps, unique skid plate-style front bumper, splash guards, wheel arch cladding, front wheel arch liners, and slider-style driver- and passenger-side steps adorn the exterior.
The Heavy-Duty Trailer package offers up to 6,500 pounds of towing capacity for hauling a boat, four-wheelers, snowmobiles, or other adventure toys. Tech features that enable confidence while on and off the trail include Intelligent Access with push-button start, Blind Spot Assist 1.0, reverse and side sensing systems, and adaptive cruise control.
The infotainment system features SYNC4 with SiriusXM with 360L, HD radio and Ford Power-Up software updates, a 12-inch touchscreen, a high-resolution digital camera, and 110-volt, 12-volt, and USB outlets.
Transit Trail in the high-roof, extended-length configuration provides van-lifers up to 487 cubic feet of cargo space to upfit. Both high-roof variants provide full standing room to people as tall 6-foot-5. The cargo area floor in the extended-length model stretches more than 14 feet.
Drillable areas positioned specifically for cabinetry, shelving, a bed, and more allow do-it-yourselfers and upfitters to consider countless configurations. Privacy glass and an optional roof vent fan make time spent in the van more comfortable. Creature comforts in the cabin include an overhead shelf, illuminated sun visors, and driver and passenger swivel seats.
An available Upfitter Package helps travelers power auxiliary accessories such as an exterior light bar and includes high-capacity upfitter switches, a larger center console, an auxiliary fuse panel with a high-spec interface connector, dual AGM batteries, and a modified vehicle wiring system.
As part of the Transit family of vans, the Transit Trail adventure-ready chassis is re-tuned and tested to meet Ford’s durability standards. This enables the vehicle to maintain Ford’s 3-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Transit Trail owners can also benefit from access to the Ford Pro network of upfitters and interior installers easily accessible on fordupfits.com. Customers also will travel confidently with the convenience of the Ford dealer network of more than 3,000 maintenance and service centers for vehicle upkeep, as well as access to a growing fleet of more than 800 mobile service vans when the unexpected happens in unexpected locations.
Assembled in Missouri, home of the Kansas City Assembly Plant, Transit Trail will provide do-it-yourselfers and motorhome distributors with a turnkey canvas direct from the factory. Current MSRP for Transit Trail starts at $65,975.
For more information on the Transit Trail, visit ford.com.
In related news, Ford saw a drop this October in total sales of 10 percent versus October 2021, and an 18.6 percent drop in retail sales in the same time.
“Ford continues to see strong demand for its vehicles, with orders for ’23MY vehicles up 134 percent over this time last year. The all-new Super Duty saw a record 52,000 orders in just five days,” says Andrew Frick, vice president of sales, distribution, and trucks at Ford Blue.
“The F-Series continued as America’s No. 1 truck, expanding its lead over our second-place competitor to more than 100,000 trucks this year. We doubled our electric vehicle sales. F-150 Lightning had its best monthly sales performance since launch.”
Ford’s electric vehicle momentum continued in October with sales of its EV lineup up 120 percent over last year, about two times the rate of growth of the overall EV segment. This was the only segment Ford saw an increase in.
F-150 Lightning continues as America’s best-selling electric truck with sales of 2,436, its best monthly sales performance since its introduction this year. America’s best-selling electric van, E-Transit, climbed 71.5 percent compared to September on sales of 770 vans. Mustang Mach-E sales grew 7.3 percent over last year on sales of 3,055.
Demand for 2023 model year vehicles continues with retail orders up 134 percent to 255,000 over 2022 model year vehicles at this time last year. For the seventh straight month, about 50 percent of retail sales came from previously placed orders. Year to date, retail share is up 1.2 percentage points.
Order banks opened for the 2023 Super Duty on Oct. 27, with more than 52,000 total new orders placed in five days, averaging more than 10,000 orders per day. Bronco SUV sales continue to expand, up 48.4 percent in October on sales of 10,928 vehicles. Ninety-one percent of Bronco’s retail sales are coming from previously placed orders.
F-Series expands its lead through October as America’s best-selling truck on total sales of 523,712 vehicles. This extends F-Series’ lead over its second-place competitor to 105,427 trucks this year.
Ford’s hot-selling Maverick truck turned on dealer lots in just 6 days last month with sales up 123 percent. Maverick’s conquest rate is over 60 percent, with its top competitive conquests outside of pickups coming from Civic, Honda CR-V and Toyota’s RAV4.
Ford’s BlueCruise and Lincoln ActiveGlide technology now has more than 97,000 customers enrolled. It has accumulated more than 28 million hands-free miles with a network of over 130,000 Blue Zone miles across North America.
On improved inventory flow, Lincoln Navigator sales increased 8.5 percent. In October, 91.5 percent of Navigator’s retail sales came from previously placed orders. Sales of Lincoln’s Corsair totaled 2,590, representing a 2.2 percent gain over last year.
