BRENTWOOD, Essex, 16 June, 2010 – Ford's Fiesta Sport Van is the first winner of Thatcham's new "Green Van" award. With consumers expecting both high security standards and low carbon emissions from their new van, commercial vehicle market leader Ford is a recognised winner in this area.

Mike Briggs, vehicle security manager at Thatcham, said, “It’s great to see Ford as the outright winner of the new Green Van category, which demonstrates that consumers concerned about both security and the environment need not compromise. Ford’s success shows an ongoing commitment to "design-out" crime reducing the risk to insurers and the motoring public."

With its sporty hot-hatch looks and spirited performance, the new Fiesta Sport Van conveys a powerful image for any business. Prices start at £12,155 with 110g/km CO2 and a fuel economy of 67.3 mpg.

Fiesta Sport Van's first line of defence is the door locks: all locks are high-security, anti-burst and shielded with strengthened mountings. The next measure is Ford's patented Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) immobiliser, which means only a pre-programmed key can start the engine. Fiesta Sport Van also comes with a standard perimeter alarm.

Transit and Transit Connect are also built with class-leading security from the Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) immobiliser and high-security shielded locks, to options such as a Thatcham Category 1 alarm, slam locking and configurable unlocking.

Ford uses feedback from customers who prioritise security to develop innovations which improve insurance ratings and lower insurance costs:

• PATS disables the engine when the key isn't in the ignition. The engine only primes with an ignition key with the unique code recognised by the PATS system.
• High-security shielded locks with strengthened mountings to prevent lock tampering.
• Unique lock-in-latch door lock system eliminates cables and rods between the lock and latch, making it virtually impossible to gain unauthorised entry.
• Central and double locking, key-operated bonnet release and locking fuel cap to thwart potential thieves.
• Configurable locking so you can choose which doors to unlock and in which order, using selected buttons on the remote key fob (Transit only).
• Slam locking which immediately closes and locks the cargo doors, provided you have locked the vehicle using the remote key fob.
• Shielded spare wheel support.
• Visible Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
• Optional Thatcham Category 1 perimeter and interior scanning alarm with trailer monitoring which monitors the trailer coupling and activates if unauthorised trailer removal is detected (Transit only).
• As a further deterrent, an alarm system is available, with an interior scanner and independent battery back-up to protect the vehicle. This alarm also monitors trailer coupling, to protect whatever is being towed (Transit only)