Chicago 2009: Ford gets down to business, rolls out customized Transit Connect vans
Click to view a high-resolution gallery of the 2010 Ford Transit Connect
In addition to rolling out the hotly anticipated Taurus SHO, Ford has also unveiled a gaggle of Transit Connect commercial vanlets in Chicago, including five customized examples for the winners of Blue Oval's "Connect with Connect" contest. The small-business owning winners were on-hand for the presentation, and although they knew they had won themselves new vehicles, they evidently had no idea that Ford was customizing their TCs.
Ford plans to release the Transit Connect to dealers this summer with a starting price of $21,475 (including destination charges), and although the upright commercial vehicle will operate in what is essentially a class of one, several comparisons were made to the Chevrolet HHR, which has a markedly smaller cargo and weight capacity. In any case, Dearborn says the 135-cubic foot interior can swallow a six-foot ladder and carry a payload of 1600 pounds (more than a standard-cab Dodge Ram, Ford notes), and it returns up to 40% better fuel-economy than full-size commercial vans.
During the press conference, Ford restated their commitment to roll out at least four pure EVs in America by 2012, of which a flotilla of pure-electric Transit Connects will be the first, likely for commercial fleet use only. Click on the gallery below for live shots of the TC's unveiling, and then check out the Officially-Official post for more information.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
monkeykat2 2:29PM (2/11/2009)
Snaps to Ford for bringing a versatile product to the US
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I3ziko 3:02PM (2/11/2009)
too bad this great product isn’t really produced in US
C.W. 3:51PM (2/11/2009)
great job Ford. this is brilliant.
toronado455 2:31PM (2/11/2009)
Where's the low roof version???
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Stumpy 2:33PM (2/11/2009)
I want the "ST" Version, Blue with White Racing stripes!
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Sean Flanagan 2:35PM (2/11/2009)
I can't wait to see someone throw the 2.5l 5-cylinder turbo from the Focus RS in one of these.
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Jj 2:36PM (2/11/2009)
I have already brought these vehicles to the attention of the owners of the company I work for. We are a construction subcontractor (windows/skylights) and although these are too small to carry all the materials for most new installations, they are pefect for single lite reglazing and other repair service.
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John 2:39PM (2/11/2009)
That's awesome that they did such elaborate customization to the winners' vehicles. Those folks must be thrilled!
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RG 2:46PM (2/11/2009)
Props to Ford for bringing a unique, versatile item to market.
Is this cheaper than an E-series van though?
Also, although it may be in a class of 1, with the Nissan small utility on the horizon (NR250, NV250??) the segment could become more popular, with Ford being the first one there.
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Quattroporte 2:52PM (2/11/2009)
I like it and think it's a great idea, but is this going to end up being a cult car?
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Alex 3:06PM (2/11/2009)
I'll say no, mainly because this vehicle is being targeted towards commerical buyers. The PT Cruiser and HHR were/are cult cars, but they were sold as passenger cars from the start. This, as far as i know, is strictly being sold as a commerical van; so no seats past the front two.
toronado455 6:21AM (2/12/2009)
Alex said "The PT Cruiser and HHR were/are cult cars"
Can you really assign cult car status to the two vehicles that make up a large portion of Hertz, Avis and Budget fleets? Just sayin'. ;-)
Alex 3:02PM (2/11/2009)
My former boss from my chimney sweep days is very excited to get his hands on a fleet of these guys. They look like the perfect package for his line of business.
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LHP 3:20PM (2/11/2009)
How about a rack for 4x8 sheets of plywood?
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joshua.eli.schneider 3:35PM (2/11/2009)
@ Alex:
I believe I read from multiple sources that this vehicle will be available with a second row of 3 seats that will fold up to accommodate more cargo. There will also be windows on the sliding doors but the rear-most panels will still be the same.
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john riley 3:44PM (2/11/2009)
Yes, and previous posts have had pics of the second row of seats. I'd like to see pics of the wagon version in long mode: front passenger seat folded flat, second row folded flat, not forward.
nopliiz 3:52PM (2/11/2009)
If they make a passenger version I would seriously consider it to replace our minivan (I hate the 15litre consumption during winter on that bagger). Also they should bring in the 1.6 ecoboost petrol engines; with 5 a speed manual transmission you can expect 6-7litres in the city.
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fnc 3:57PM (2/11/2009)
I can't imagine they'd overlook the potential for taxi/shuttle fleets by not offering more seating options, but I suppose that would fall more to an aftermarket retrofitter to take care of.
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David Wright 4:30PM (2/11/2009)
nopliiz -- in Europe there is this (low roofed) car version (personally I would like a hi-roof car version.) http://www.harikaarabalar.com/data/media/369/ford_transit_connect.jpg
And last year, Ford showed this taxi version at shows in Chicago and New York http://puregreencars.com/auto-shows/New-York-Auto-Show/2008-NewYork-Ford-Transit-Connect-Taxi-Concept.html
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toronado455 6:35AM (2/12/2009)
The low-roof version is awesome. It sucks that they aren't selling that here.
Even though the Taxi is the high-roof version, they did a trick with the paint scheme that makes it look like the sliding side doors are the same height as the front doors. Not as nice as a low roof, but doing something like that could make it much nicer to look at. I'm thinking along the lines of van conversion type paint treatments. Plus you get the added headroom inside for extra conversion van goodies like wood trim, rope lighting and all that goofy stuff. :-)