Ford Transit Connect
Encyclopedia
The Ford Transit Connect is a compact
panel van
developed by Ford Europe and designed by Peter Horbury
, introduced in 2002 to replace the older Ford Escort and Fiesta
-based Courier van ranges, which had ceased production in the same year.
The Ford Tourneo Connect
, a leisure activity vehicle
, is a Transit Connect with side windows and rear seats. All North American Transit Connects destined for the USA are imported as passenger vehicles to circumvent the 25% "Chicken Tax"
on imported light trucks.
The Transit Connect employs the front-wheel drive Ford C170 platform
of the original international Ford Focus—the same platform
used with the North American Ford Focus before the 2012 model. Other than the name, it shares few components with the Transit
. The Connect is manufactured by Otosan
in an all new production plant at Gölcük, near Kocaeli
, Turkey, and since September 2009 in Romania by Automobile Craiova
.
The Ford Transit Connect was awarded "Van of the Year 2004" by Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine
. In its first year on the North American market, the Transit Connect was awarded "North American Truck of the Year 2010" at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).
and the 2010 production model was introduced at the following year's show on February 11, 2009. The introduction of the North American variant coincided with a mid-cycle facelift which includes a restyled front grille, a deeper front bumper and a new dashboard featuring the switchgear and instrument pod from the C307 Focus.
Initially, only the long-wheelbase version of the van, outfitted with a 2.0L four-cylinder
petrol engine and 4 speed automatic transmission
, was offered in North America; elsewhere, the 1.8L diesel engine and 5 speed manual transmission
was the only available powertrain. An electric version is to follow about a year after launch, converted by Azure Dynamics Corporation at a U.S. facility.
To build up interest and awareness in North America, Transit Connects specifically equipped as "mobile showrooms" were taken to industrial parks and other appropriate venues in 13 U.S. urban areas in May 2009, with the goal of offering 3,000 test drives to small business owners.
Starting in 2011, Ford will offer a Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon in the USA and Canada, a more stylish and personal version of the utilitarian van. It will include seating for five, rear windows that pop open for ventalation, BLIS blind spot awareness, rear view camera, larger alloy wheels, body-color grille, and front fog lamps. The Transit Connect Wagon will be the first Ford minivan since the 2007 discontinuation of the Freestar
; however, it is closer in size to the standard length Ford Aerostar
sold from 1986 to 1997.
on imported light trucks, Ford imports all Transit Connects as passenger vehicles with rear windows, rear seats and rear seatbelts. The vehicles are exported from Turkey on cargo ships owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics
, arrive in Baltimore, and are converted into commercial vehicles at WWL Vehicle Services Americas Inc. facility: rear windows are replaced with metal panels and rear seats removed (except on wagons). The removed parts are then recycled. The process exploits a loophole in the customs definition of a commercial vehicle. As cargo does not need seats with seat belts or rear windows, presence of those items exempts the vehicle from commercial vehicle status. The conversion process costs Ford hundreds of dollars per van, but saves thousands over having to pay the chicken tax. Partly because of this, only the long-wheelbase, high roof configuration is exported to North America. In most places, the high-roof Transit Connect, like most Ford Econoline vans, is unable to access multi-story parking because of its height (6'-6").
) for New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow. The winning model was announced in early May 2011 and will be awarded a 10-year contract to serve the city exclusively.
, Ford confirmed development of a battery-powered
version of the Transit Connect. Later at the Geneva Auto Show the same year, Ford showed a prototype electric version of the Ford Tourneo Connect
passenger van, which is closely related to the Ford Transit Connect. Ford originally announced Smith Electric Vehicles
would install the electric drivetrains and lithium-ion battery packs in the vehicles, but they later partnered with Azure Dynamics Corporation instead, with Johnson Controls-Saft as the battery supplier.
Production of the Transit Connect Electric began in December 2010, and Azure Dynamics is the official manufacturer of record. The the official US Environmental Protection Agency range is 56 mi (90.1 km) and has a combined city/highway fuel economy
rating of 62 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent
(62 miles per US gallon equivalent) based on the five-cycle tests using varying driving conditions and climate controls. The electric van costs , which more than doubles the price of the gas-powered version even after federal and any state or local incentives for electric vehicles is discounted.
It was created by a team of Ford engineers using the 212BHP engine from the Ford Focus RS as shown on Fifth Gear
.
is replacing their fleet of Grumman LLV
vans with the Transit Connect after the former are retired.
Compact MPV
A compact MPV is a car classification used in Europe to describe multi-purpose vehicle versions of small family cars , fitting between the mini MPV and large MPV sub-segments...
panel van
Panel van
A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...
developed by Ford Europe and designed by Peter Horbury
Peter Horbury
Peter D. Horbury is a British car designer who is currently Vice President, Design of Volvo. He is probably best known for his design work for Volvo, but has worked in a variety of roles in the automotive industry, including as Executive Design Director, Americas for Ford between 2004 and 2009...
, introduced in 2002 to replace the older Ford Escort and Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
-based Courier van ranges, which had ceased production in the same year.
The Ford Tourneo Connect
Ford Tourneo Connect
The Ford Tourneo Connect is a leisure activity vehicle produced by Ford, which was first put into production in 2002 to the British market. The Transit Connect is a panel van version of the Tourneo Connect. Principally termed a commercial vehicle, Ford predicted relatively low sales of between...
, a leisure activity vehicle
Leisure activity vehicle
A leisure activity vehicle is a small van, generally related to a supermini or subcompact car, with two or three seat rows, and a large, tall car boot and tailgate. An early example of the category was the Matra Rancho introduced in 1977...
, is a Transit Connect with side windows and rear seats. All North American Transit Connects destined for the USA are imported as passenger vehicles to circumvent the 25% "Chicken Tax"
Chicken tax
The Chicken tax was a 25% tariff on potato starch, dextrin, brandy, and light trucks imposed in 1963 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson as a response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on importation of U.S. chicken...
on imported light trucks.
The Transit Connect employs the front-wheel drive Ford C170 platform
Ford C170 platform
The Ford C170 Platform is Ford's compact car automobile platform from the late 1990s used by the international Ford Focus through its first generation and continued in use by the North American Ford Focus and the Ford Transit Connect....
of the original international Ford Focus—the same platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
used with the North American Ford Focus before the 2012 model. Other than the name, it shares few components with the Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
. The Connect is manufactured by Otosan
Otosan
Otosan is a Turkish automotive production company, which is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding...
in an all new production plant at Gölcük, near Kocaeli
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
, Turkey, and since September 2009 in Romania by Automobile Craiova
Automobile Craiova
Automobile Craiova is a Romanian car manufacturer located in Craiova, Romania. It is owned by Ford Motor Company.-The beginnings:Automobile Craiova was founded in 1976 as OLTCIT joint venture company between the Romanian government and Citroën...
.
The Ford Transit Connect was awarded "Van of the Year 2004" by Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine
Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine
iVan is a United Kingdom based automotive industry magazine, which tracks the light commercial vehicle industry, and was first issued in September 2003....
. In its first year on the North American market, the Transit Connect was awarded "North American Truck of the Year 2010" at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).
Facelifted global model (2009–present)
Since mid-2009, the Transit Connect has been imported to the United States and Canada. It was first shown in the United States at the 2008 Chicago Auto ShowChicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Placeconvention complex. It is among the largest auto shows in North America....
and the 2010 production model was introduced at the following year's show on February 11, 2009. The introduction of the North American variant coincided with a mid-cycle facelift which includes a restyled front grille, a deeper front bumper and a new dashboard featuring the switchgear and instrument pod from the C307 Focus.
Initially, only the long-wheelbase version of the van, outfitted with a 2.0L four-cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
petrol engine and 4 speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, was offered in North America; elsewhere, the 1.8L diesel engine and 5 speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
was the only available powertrain. An electric version is to follow about a year after launch, converted by Azure Dynamics Corporation at a U.S. facility.
To build up interest and awareness in North America, Transit Connects specifically equipped as "mobile showrooms" were taken to industrial parks and other appropriate venues in 13 U.S. urban areas in May 2009, with the goal of offering 3,000 test drives to small business owners.
Starting in 2011, Ford will offer a Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon in the USA and Canada, a more stylish and personal version of the utilitarian van. It will include seating for five, rear windows that pop open for ventalation, BLIS blind spot awareness, rear view camera, larger alloy wheels, body-color grille, and front fog lamps. The Transit Connect Wagon will be the first Ford minivan since the 2007 discontinuation of the Freestar
Ford Freestar
The Ford Freestar is a minivan that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 2004 until November 2006. It replaced the Ford Windstar for the 2004 model year. The name change accommodated Ford's strategy to rename all their cars to words beginning in F...
; however, it is closer in size to the standard length Ford Aerostar
Ford Aerostar
The Ford Aerostar is a minivan produced by Ford Motor Company for the North American market; the first such design by Ford, it was sold from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. It was sold in both passenger van and cargo van configurations in two body lengths with both rear wheel drive and all wheel...
sold from 1986 to 1997.
Conversion to cargo van
To circumvent the 25% tariffChicken tax
The Chicken tax was a 25% tariff on potato starch, dextrin, brandy, and light trucks imposed in 1963 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson as a response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on importation of U.S. chicken...
on imported light trucks, Ford imports all Transit Connects as passenger vehicles with rear windows, rear seats and rear seatbelts. The vehicles are exported from Turkey on cargo ships owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics is a privately owned Norwegian/Swedish shipping company, established in 1999 and co-owned by the two shipping companies Wallenius Lines and Wilh. Wilhelmsen....
, arrive in Baltimore, and are converted into commercial vehicles at WWL Vehicle Services Americas Inc. facility: rear windows are replaced with metal panels and rear seats removed (except on wagons). The removed parts are then recycled. The process exploits a loophole in the customs definition of a commercial vehicle. As cargo does not need seats with seat belts or rear windows, presence of those items exempts the vehicle from commercial vehicle status. The conversion process costs Ford hundreds of dollars per van, but saves thousands over having to pay the chicken tax. Partly because of this, only the long-wheelbase, high roof configuration is exported to North America. In most places, the high-roof Transit Connect, like most Ford Econoline vans, is unable to access multi-story parking because of its height (6'-6").
Taxicab
The Transit Connect was one of three finalists (alongside the Karsan V-1 and the winner Nissan NV200Nissan NV200
The Nissan NV200 is a light commercial vehicle produced by Nissan. It was first shown as the NV200 Concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Though it is an alternative to the Vanette, it is only available as a van model...
) for New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow. The winning model was announced in early May 2011 and will be awarded a 10-year contract to serve the city exclusively.
Transit Connect Electric
At the 2009 Chicago Auto ShowChicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Placeconvention complex. It is among the largest auto shows in North America....
, Ford confirmed development of a battery-powered
Battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...
version of the Transit Connect. Later at the Geneva Auto Show the same year, Ford showed a prototype electric version of the Ford Tourneo Connect
Ford Tourneo Connect
The Ford Tourneo Connect is a leisure activity vehicle produced by Ford, which was first put into production in 2002 to the British market. The Transit Connect is a panel van version of the Tourneo Connect. Principally termed a commercial vehicle, Ford predicted relatively low sales of between...
passenger van, which is closely related to the Ford Transit Connect. Ford originally announced Smith Electric Vehicles
Smith Electric Vehicles
Smith Electric Vehicles is the world's leading manufacturers of electric commercial vehicles; battery-powered vans, and trucks Smith Electric Vehicles has always focused on the commercial vehicle market – it does not produce electric cars and has never done so.In 2011 after its United States...
would install the electric drivetrains and lithium-ion battery packs in the vehicles, but they later partnered with Azure Dynamics Corporation instead, with Johnson Controls-Saft as the battery supplier.
Production of the Transit Connect Electric began in December 2010, and Azure Dynamics is the official manufacturer of record. The the official US Environmental Protection Agency range is 56 mi (90.1 km) and has a combined city/highway fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
rating of 62 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent
Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent
Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. MPGe is used by the U.S...
(62 miles per US gallon equivalent) based on the five-cycle tests using varying driving conditions and climate controls. The electric van costs , which more than doubles the price of the gas-powered version even after federal and any state or local incentives for electric vehicles is discounted.
Ford Transit Connect X-Press
The Ford Transit Connect X-press is a much faster version of the Ford Transit Connect.It was created by a team of Ford engineers using the 212BHP engine from the Ford Focus RS as shown on Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
.
Keying
The Ford Transit Connect is known to use an oddball key called a Tibbe key. The only other cars using this type of key are the Ford Jaguar, and one year of Ford Mercury. The Tibbe key was designed to have a cylindrical base that is easily twirled in your forefingers. The key handle is large and contains a battery powered transponder for unlocking the wheel column and 3 buttons for remote keyless entry. A valet version of the Tibbe key is notably absent from the market.Grumman LLV Replacement
Canada PostCanada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
is replacing their fleet of Grumman LLV
Grumman LLV
The Grumman Long Life Vehicle or LLV is a light transport truck designed for and primarily used by the United States Postal Service.In the United States, it is the most common vehicle used by letter carriers for curbside and residential delivery of mail, replacing the previous standard...
vans with the Transit Connect after the former are retired.