Mears Group Connects With All-New Ford Van

BRENTWOOD, UNITED INGDOM – Jan 31, 2014: Deliveries of the all-new Ford Transit Connect van have begun to Mears Group – a major care services provider – which is receiving its first 100 new Fords this month.

The all-new Ford Transit Connect – International Van of the Year 2014 – and Ford Transit Custom – International Van of the Year 2013 – were key models helping to secure a five-year contract with Mears, with Ford supplying up to 1,000 light commercial vehicles a year. The Gloucester-based company expanded its fleet last year and now manages 4,300 vans and 700 cars nationwide.

Mears Group asset manager, Jo Hammonds, said: “The new Ford Transit Connect’s fresh styling, greater load space, better economy, emissions and whole-life costs are the factors which make it a very attractive prospect for us.”

Mears’ vans are used by the company’s 16,000-strong workforce to provide response and planned maintenance services to local authorities and registered social landlords, delivering 6,000 repairs a day to a portfolio of nearly one million properties.

The all-new Ford Transit Connect offers practicality and flexibility as standard, providing up to 3.6m³ of load space in long wheelbase models, and can carry up to 1,000kg of cargo. An ingenious load-through bulkhead also accomodates long load items up to 3m, while the flexible dual front passenger seat means three occupants can sit comfortably in the front.

Transit Connect is offered with a choice of advanced petrol and diesel engines, including the award-winning 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine, which delivers 100PS and 170Nm of torque with a six-speed manual transmission. Combined with other fuel-saving technologies, such as Auto-Start-Stop, it achieves around 24 per cent better fuel economy and 25 per cent lower CO2 emissions*.

Steve Davis, Ford’s Fleet Operations business manager, said: “Confirming this new contract with Mears, a long-established Ford customer, is brilliant news. They are among the first to take delivery of the all-new Transit Connect – a vehicle I feel sure drivers will appreciate with its superior ride and handling, improved practicality and lower fuel costs. On top of that, this order should see a significant reduction in other costs running these new Fords for Mears Group.”