Interview Transit Custom leads <strong>Ford</strong>’s CV charge The all-new one-ton Transit Custom is the first of a whole new family of commercial vehicles planned for introduction over the next year or so. Barry Gale, chief engineer, Commercial Vehicles, explains why the model is so important to <strong>Ford</strong> of Europe 14 @<strong>Ford</strong> Europe July/August 2012
you unveiled transit custom and tourneo custom at the birmingham commercial Vehicle show. Sum up the feedback you’ve had. Absolutely fantastic. Birmingham was a one van show and we had by far the most important vehicle there. Since the show, we’ve had lot of interest from customers who tell us it is a great-looking vehicle but also one that is very functional. Transit has always appealed to fleet operators, of course, now with Transit Custom we are also appealing to owner-operator customers, people who buy their own vehicle and take it home at night. They need a van for their business, but want one that has style as well as load-carrying capability. The Transit Custom gives us a tremendous opportunity to appeal to such customers. Just how important are these new cVs to <strong>Ford</strong>? We have always had strength around the world in commercial vehicles, with Transit very strong in Europe and APA markets. We have been the top seller in many of those markets for more than 40 years, so, obviously, the commercial vehicle business is very important to <strong>Ford</strong>. These new vehicles will continue our growth in sales and reinforce our leading position. What was the biggest challenge you faced when designing and developing these models? Our target was to produce a vehicle that was great-looking but with all the functionality for which Transit is famous. Transit Custom succeeds by looking smaller from the outside while having impressive interior space. Earlier in the development process, the question was asked was ‘do we want a functional vehicle or a stylish vehicle?’. The answer was that we wanted both, because that is what customers want. Designers and engineers worked very closely to achieve that objective. how much of an improvement over the current range is the new transit custom? For ride, handling and brakes, the Transit Custom represents a step change. It is similar to what we did some years ago when we replaced the Escort with the Focus, the difference is that great. The current Transit is already recognised as one of the best-handling vehicles on the market, but when a customer drives the new Transit Custom the difference will be very noticeable. Additionally, the model’s styling, performance and car-like interior encouraged us to develop a Tourneo bus version. Biography Barry Gale is chief engineer, commercial vehicles, <strong>Ford</strong> of Europe, with overall responsibility for the engineering development of <strong>Ford</strong>’s Transit, Transit Custom, and Transit Connect product lines. Located in Dunton, UK and Kocaeli, Turkey, he was appointed to this position in 2006. Gale has extensive experience in leading the development of <strong>Ford</strong>’s commercial vehicle products, and prior to his current role he was chief program engineer, Transit programs from 1999 to 2006, based in Dearborn, USA, Dunton and Kocaeli. Before this, he was project manager for Transit in Dearborn and Genk, Belgium between 1997 and 1999. Gale’s <strong>Ford</strong> career began in 1982 within the European powertrain group. Interview Will these vehicles be best-in-class in terms of <strong>Ford</strong>’s pillars: safe/smart/quality and green? It will be best-in-class in the commercial vehicle segment in all of those areas. We have put a lot of attention into safety and NCAP ratings; there is innovative smart technology with SYNC; quality and reliability are always a top priority; and in terms of ‘green,’ we have exceptional CO 2 figures, best-in-class, in fact. how closely do you work with customers when designing and developing new products, and how important is their input? Input from customers is always very important. One of the strengths of the Transit team in Dunton is that it has extensive experience and contact with customers. We get feedback from customers driving current models and new products. They tell us about vehicle reliability and ease of use. Obviously, we do a great deal of market research and we listen carefully to what customers tell us, both about the features on the vehicles they are driving and the features that they would like to see incorporated. With the Transit Custom we did far more research than we have done before, focussing particularly on styling and functionality. The sort of questions we asked were: “what do you do with your vehicle every day?<strong>”</strong>, “what do you carry in the front, and in the back?<strong>”</strong>, “what technology do you have?<strong>”</strong>, and so on. We listen and respond. Just one example: we now offer drivers the ability to recharge their mobile phone out of sight. how has One <strong>Ford</strong> impacted the company’s cV programmes? The Dunton-based commercial vehicle team has always had an international outlook, working with colleagues around the world. Similarly, the Transit has always been a great example of how <strong>Ford</strong> works around the world. As we roll-out our full CV range, there will be significant opportunities. It has already been announced, for example, that our new, big Transit will replace the E-series in North America. Finally, how do you and your team “Go Further<strong>”</strong>? Fresh in my mind is the past six months, when many in our team have been going further both in terms of travel and commitment; leaving their families and travelling to Kocaeli in Turkey every week. The team has also worked hard on developing team spirit with colleagues in Turkey. @<strong>Ford</strong> Europe July/August 2012 15
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