See Photos of the Refreshed 2020 Ford Transit Van

In San Francisco, living expenses have soared to the point where people in high-paying tech jobs are known to consider moving into a van versus renting an apartment. No longer is the Bay Area's van culture a strictly fringe lifestyle for rebelling youth, not when average studio apartments rent for $30,000 a year and bakeries sell $21 egg sandwiches. Maybe some of them might enjoy the 2020 Ford Transit, just introduced with many modern conveniences. The Transit is already a city fixture, and among those who work, live, or do both in them, the van's dozens of space configurations, easy upfitting, and relatively low running costs have kept sales strong since Ford introduced the model in 2015. For 2020, Ford is refreshing the Transit cargo and passenger vans with new powertrains, improved safety, and higher-end options-regardless of how customers actually use them.

Of the current Transit’s three engine choices, just one-the twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 with 310 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque-remains onboard for 2020. The base 3.7-liter V-6 is out, replaced by a 3.5-liter V-6 with both port and direct injection.

Van culture gets more comfortable, tech-laden, and efficient with the refreshed full-size Transit.

Shoving aside the turbo-diesel 3.2-liter inline-five, the 2020 Transit borrows the 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel inline-four from the overseas Ranger Raptor. Ford confirmed that the U.S. version produces the same 211 horsepower and 369 lb-ft, up from the five's 185 hp and 350 lb-ft. All engines pair with a 10-speed automatic transmission (goodbye six-speed) that combines shorter ratios in the first few gears for stronger acceleration, with three overdrive gears for calmer highway cruising.

Van culture gets more comfortable, tech-laden, and efficient with the refreshed full-size Transit.

Van culture gets more comfortable, tech-laden, and efficient with the refreshed full-size Transit.

The exterior receives a symmetrical hexagonal grille that bends at the center as opposed to creasing inward close to the bumper; the chromed bars have been reduced from six to three. An open-mesh grille is standard on EcoBoost models for improved cooling, while optional xenon headlights with LED running lamps are a welcome upgrade over halogens. A power-sliding door is available on both cargo and passenger models.

Inside, the Transit ditches the last-gen-Focus interior design, with its myriad of angled buttons and small displays, for a sleeker, more upright look that mirrors that of the 2020 Explorer. Most notable is the free-standing 8.0-inch touchscreen running the Sync 3 infotainment system atop a brand-new dashboard, which features an elegant (for a commercial van) array of stereo and climate controls.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability come standard, although we're curious how usable they are on the regular 4.0-inch non-touch display. A new 4.2-inch display in a revised instrument panel is also included. Forward automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beams are now standard across every trim, while adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic parking are optional.