2023 Ford Transit

The 2023 Ford Transit Cargo van will be offered in a single trim level with three different body styles. The body styles are the low roof, medium roof, and high roof while there are three gross vehicle payload ratings demarcated into 150, 250, and 350. The van is also offered with an optional AWD layout apart from the standard RWD layout. In the powertrain department, the van gets a base V6 and a turbocharged version of the same motor as an option. Feature-wise, the van gets the basics and some convenience aspects covered quite well such as power-operated door locks, windows, and outside rearview mirrors. Impressively, the van gets Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite of ADAS techs as standard that include Forward collision warning and mitigation, Lane Departure Mitigation, Driver Attention Warning, and Automatic high-beam control for the headlamps. Furthermore, the van can also be equipped with plenty of stand-alone techs and features such as a big 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, Rearview mirror camera display, upgradation for axle ratios, 60/40-split hinged passenger-side door exclusively for the low roof models, remote ignition, running boards, a bigger 31-gallon gasoline tank, and an integrated trailer brake controller among a few others.

We Recommend

Since the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo van will be offered in various body styles to suit the requirements, we would recommend going as per your requirements. Additionally, we would recommend some of the standalone features for a better experience such as the bigger 31-gallon gas tank, running boards, cruise control, and the rearview mirror camera display.

Release Date

The 2023 Ford Transit Cargo van is expected to hit the roads by the fall of 2022. The order for the van has already begun at authorized Ford dealerships.

Being a commercial vehicle, the Ford Transit Cargo van’s mpg ratings are not determined and released by the EPA. However, several owners do share their observations unofficially in several portals. According to the observations, the 2022 Transit Cargo van returned an average mileage of 14 inside the city limits while the number improved slightly to 17mpg after hitting the highways. The combined mpg was observed to be around 15 mpg at the most. We expect similar results, even slightly better, for the 2023 Transit Cargo van since the powertrain remains the same and the vehicle will get a start-stop system as standard with the base powertrain as well.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo van returns the highest mpg figures due to its compact and turbocharged 2.0-liter motor. However, due to its small 22-gallon gas tank, the driving range numbers are mediocre at the most. The RAM Promaster has much better average mpg figures than the Transit here and challenges the Sprinter almost neck-to-neck. The Chevrolet Express Cargo has identical mpg numbers to the Transit but impresses with its driving range numbers due to the sizable 31-gallon gas tank.

The interior of the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo van will pleasantly surprise you with its ergonomic design and impressive practicality. The dashboard is big and it houses the gear selector stick along with three cup holders as well. All the controls are well within the reach of the driver’s seat but there are plenty of physical buttons present for different controls. The placement of the infotainment screen might require shorter drivers to stretch their hands to access it. Unlike a few of its rivals, the Transit gets power windows, door locks, and ORVMs as standard. The steering column also offers manual adjustment for rake and reach as well. Additional features do not include any creature comfort features but are mostly utility features. The cargo capacity is decent at 280 cu-ft. Both the driver’s seat and the co-passenger’s seat offer cavernous headroom and legroom from the low-roof models onwards.

If you expect a plush experience inside the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo, you would be disappointed. However, there are a few design similarities between the Sprinter’s cabin with regular passenger vehicles from the brand such as the air-con vent design and the steering design. The cargo capacity is quite spacious at 319 cu-ft. The cabin of the RAM Promaster Cargo van lives up to the reputation of the brand for equipping its utility vehicles with impressive interiors. The overall layout of the interior is practical with a decent amount of storage cubbies for both the driver and the co-passenger. The steering wheel looks to have been borrowed from the pickup trucks from RAM. The Chevrolet Express Cargo’s cabin has a primitive design as compared to the rivals here and lacks several creature comforts features too.

Some of the key interior features available with the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van include:

• Power windows, door locks, and ORVMs
• Cargo area tie-downs
• Manual tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• Rearview mirror camera display(optional)
• Spray-in bedliner for the cargo area(optional)
• Vinyl Floor Covering(optional)

How intuitive is the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van’s infotainment system?

Belonging to the group of modern cargo vans, the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo gets a decently-equipped infotainment system as standard. The display unit is a small 4.0-inch audio interface that can be controlled with the physical buttons placed alongside the display unit. Moreover, the system offers Bluetooth audio streaming and phone connectivity, and a couple of USB ports as standard as well. You can go for the upgraded 12.0-inch touchscreen unit for a better experience and the system further adds wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity too.

Some of the most notable infotainment features available with the 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van include:

• 4.0-inch audio display
• 12.0-inch touchscreen display(optional)
• Bluetooth audio streaming and phone connectivity
• 2 USB ports
• Wireless Android Auto
• Wireless Apple CarPlay

A majority of the cargo vans have moved ahead from the square-ish exterior designs courtesy of the front-mounted engine layouts. The 2023 Ford Transit Cargo also follows the trend. However, the boxy design still remains in order to carry as much cargo as possible. The design is nothing out of ordinary and you’ll see plenty of sheet metal at the rear end in place of windows. At the front, the van gets a big windshield and door windows, making for an excellent all-around view while driving. The exterior color is finished in a two-tone theme with the lower end getting a permanent black treatment with plastic panels.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter carries a similar design theme to the Transit Cargo but the prime differentiating points are the more rounded edges and the chrome strips on the front grille. The headlamps of the Sprinter carry a sleeker and stretched design as compared to the Transit’s headlamps, giving it a subtle aggressive appeal. The RAM Promaster’s exterior design is the weirdest one here, and honestly, we would only pick it for its impressive cabin only. The Chevrolet Express Cargo looks quite out of place with its couple of decades-old exterior design. However, It still looks more acceptable as compared to the RAM Promaster.

Some standout exterior features include:

• Remote keyless entry
• Power-operated ORVMs
• 60/40-split hinged passenger-side door(optional)
• Sliding passenger-side door
• Running boards(optional)
• Fog lights(optional)

The safety aspect of tall vehicles are never completely in their favor and the same is the case with the Ford Transit too. The 2023 Transit is yet to be tested by the NHTSA while the latter has already tested the 2022 model of the van. The overall safety rating is rather disappointing at only 3 stars while the IIHS hasn’t tested the van. Despite the disappointing crashworthiness scores, the van comes standard with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 package of driver assistance systems that implements Forward collision mitigation, Lane departure mitigation, Driver attention warning, and Automatic high-beam control for the headlamps as standard.

Some of the standout safety features include:

• Forward collision warning and mitigation
• Lane departure mitigation
• Driver attention warning
• Automatic high-beam control for the headlamps
• Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning and trailer coverage(optional)
• Adaptive cruise control(optional)

2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van vs 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo van

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has a higher brand value than the Ford Transit but starts at a lower price than the latter. Moreover, the Sprinter has a smoother exterior design than the Transit but looks uncannily similar to the latter due to the design language. Under the hood, the Sprinter packs in a much smaller motor that impresses with its mileage and torque despite making much less horsepower than the Transit.

2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van vs 2022 RAM Promaster

The RAM Promaster is quite compact for a cargo van of this class, making it more maneuverable and tight space-friendly than the other vans. Even though it is compact, it doesn’t compromise on the cargo capacity and gets a potent base powertrain as well. In terms of interiors, the Promaster is at par with the Transit, even slightly better in a few aspects. The exterior design is somewhat that holds the Promaster back in case of shoppers looking for a handsome-looking cargo carrier.

2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van vs 2022 Chevrolet Express Cargo

The Chevrolet Express Cargo is the most dated and primitive cargo van in the class but its impressive practicality and affordable price tag have kept it alive still. Apart from the solid and trusted powertrain under its hood along with commendable payload and towing ratings, the Express disappoints in almost everything. The safety aspect and the creature comfort department of the van are almost bare bones as compared to its immediate rivals, and it also lacks several utility features as compared to the updated and more modern rivals it faces.

The Ford Transit Cargo is an absolutely no-nonsense cargo carrier that offers plenty, making it a highly preferable option in the class. Apart from the extensive body styles to choose from, the van gets you an impressive set of ADAS techs as standard even though it fares in a mediocre manner in the crash tests. In terms of interiors, the Transit gets the basics covered quite well and the useful optional extras from the list of standalone techs would surely meet almost all your requirements. Overall, the Transit makes a sensible investment.