Ford Teases More Adventurous 2023 Transit Trail Full-Size Van
It'll allow both amateurs and professionals to lean into the van life more easily.
As #vanlife continues to grow in popularity, the actual work of outfitting a cargo van for residency and adventure is left to amateurs and professional upfitting companies. Automakers haven't really provided a specific base for this kind of task, but Ford is determined to change that in November.
Ford this week announced that its Ford Pro division will launch the 2023 Ford Transit Trail in November. While details are still light, Ford promised in its press release that the Transit Trail will feature "interior and exterior enhancements providing do-it-yourselfers and motorhome distributors a turnkey canvas direct from the factory." So, Ford won't be the one helping you live your best van life, but it will make it a lot easier to get there.
We'll get the full skinny on this new Transit model next month.
In addition to the announcement, Ford posted two teasers for the Transit Trail. The first looks squarely at the grille, which features three amber running lights, a marker to other cars that something fairly large is coming down the road. The second teaser gives us a peek at the silhouette, with a large picture window on the sliding side door and a whole lot of exterior lighting.
While the full-size van segment will continue to flourish, thanks in part to niche variants like this, other segments aren't faring so well in the US. The compact van segment has all but disappeared from the US now. Nissan nixed its commercial offerings in 2020, and this year alone, we witnessed the Stateside cancellation of the Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris and the Ram ProMaster City, effectively killing the compact van segment in the US entirely.