30.01.2020
Staff at the Ford Sollers plant in Elabuga celebrated the release of the jubilee 80,000th Ford Transit model, finished in Deep Impact Blue.
The jubilee Transit minibus is equipped with a 2.2 L 125 hp Duratorq diesel engine and 6 speed manual gearbox with front-wheel drive. The Ford Transit Kombi M1 has 8 passenger seats plus one driver's seat. A Category B driving licence is enough to drive the vehicle. Optional extras include air conditioning, heated driver and passenger seats, stereo system with steering wheel audio controls, cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors. The minibus includes ABS, ESP, and other electronic driver assistance systems, driver and front passenger air bags, heated rear-view mirror and heated windscreen as standard.
It should be noted that the Transit has played a special part in the history of the brand in Russia. These light commercial vehicles were the first to enter production at the Elabuga plant at the start of 2012 in conjunction with the launch of operations of Ford Sollers in Russia. The vehicle has been produced using full-cycle technology, including welding, painting, and assembly, since April 2015.
In September 2019, Ford Transit received a number of improvements including upgraded seats, a new colour palette for the exterior, and new interior trim. The modernised chassis and door locks ensured additional strengthening of the body. Ford Transit is made with high-tensile steel. The body of the vehicle comes with a 12-year rust-through corrosion warranty.
Today, the Ford Transit family includes goods, passenger and specialist vehicles with all gearbox options and a choice of wheelbase and roof heights. Basic versions of the Ford Transit, as well as specialist and social vehicles based on the Transit, come in 55 different models and continue to grow in number.
General info
Between 2016–2019, Ford Transit was the most popular commercial vehicle produced foreign manufactures with a presence in Russia. According to the analytical agency AVTOSTAT, the Ford Transit had the best cost of ownership after 3 years of use and a mileage of 120,000 kilometres. The Ford Transit has the lowest total cost of ownership amongst overseas makes in the LCV segment.
Ford Sollers Elabuga LLC is a new joint venture between SOLLERS PJSC and the Ford Motor Company. It produces Ford Transit vehicles using full-cycle technology at its own plant in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (Elabuga, Republic of Tatarstan). SOLLERS PJSC is the majority shareholder with a 51% share in registered capital. The new joint venture officially began operations in July 2019.
