The new generation of the Transit Nugget is offered as a plug-in hybrid. We can thus live the vanlife by driving partly in electric.
At Ford, if you take the Nugget menu, you are served a van. This funny name indeed designates the fitted version of the Transit Custom. On the occasion of the caravan fair in Düsseldorf, the brand with the blue oval lifts the veil on the brand new generation. And if we’re talking about it here, it’s because it will be available in a plug-in hybrid version.
The PHEV version combines a 2.5-litre petrol unit and an electric motor, for a maximum cumulative power of 232 hp. The vehicle has a battery with a useful capacity of 11.8 kWh. The brand does not yet give the figures for consumption and autonomy, but the model will certainly be able to do a few tens of kilometers in all-electric mode with a recharge. And therefore use less lead-free. This can be particularly interesting for those who take advantage of the vanlife by taking small steps, if they manage to recharge each evening of course.
For this new generation, Ford has once again teamed up with genre specialist Westfalia. It retains its particular interior layout, known as “multi-zone”. In the Nugget, the components of the small kitchen are in the rear trunk. There is a new refrigerator drawer, where you can put bottles vertically. The equipment incorporates a hob and a sink, which now offers the hot water function as standard. There is also a small shower as standard. For privacy, a protective tent in the tailgate is available at an additional cost.
The kitchen being in the trunk, there is a three-seater bench seat in the second row. It unfolds with one hand to form a bed. As this bench seat is glued to the left side, there is a space on the right to reach the kitchen without leaving the vehicle. And to move around at ease, you can obviously raise the roof. A second bed takes place under this raised roof. To sleep well, blackout blinds replace the curtains. The front seats obviously turn around to form the mini-lounge.
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The generation change makes it possible to offer a more refined and technological Nugget. The model may have a large 13-inch touchscreen, with voice commands. Android Auto and Apple Carplay wireless phone integration is standard. Depending on the version, there will be an adaptive cruise control, centering in the lane, 360° vision, etc.
A 5G modem allows travelers to be entertained and stay connected without worrying about running out of battery or data. As an option, Ford will offer a solar roof, which “allows you to power interior equipment or recharge the leisure battery”. According to the brand, in ideal weather conditions, “it can generate more energy than the integrated equipment consumes”.
The model will first be marketed in diesel, at the start of the school year. The PHEV will arrive later.
