US: Ford to launch Turkish-built 2010 Transit Connect in mid-2009
Wednesday, February 06, 2008, AutomotiveWorld.com
Ford is to launch the Transit Connect delivery van in the US market for the 2010 model year, it has announced, revealing the model to the media at the Chicago motor show.
At 6'8" tall but with a low floor, the Connect will provide lots of room for racks of tools, parts or whatever else the owner might need to haul around, the OEM states, adding that it will easily fit into a standard American garage.
The 2010 Transit Connect will be available with two front seats or with an additional second row bench seat for three. In two seater form, the Connect has 143 cubic ft. of storage space that is accessible from either of the two sliding doors or the 180-degree fold out rear doors. Its high, flat sides will appeal to business users for their ability to function as mobile billboards.
All versions for the US market will have a four-speed automatic gearbox and be powered by the OEM's 2.0-litre I4 gasoline engine, which it estimates will return averages of 19/24 mpg city/highway. The launch is planned for mid-2009, with pricing yet to be announced. Its natural rival will be another front-wheel drive small delivery van, the Chevrolet HHR Panel.
In Europe, where it was launched in 2002 the Connect is available with the choice of two wheelbases and two engines: a 1.8-litre gasoline I4 and a 1.8-litre turbodiesel I4. The last update was a minor facelift at the UK LCV show in April 2006. The replacement model, codenamed B460, is due in 2010 and may also be built in the US, sources state. The current model is made alongside the larger Transit van at Ford's Kocaeli plant in Turkey.
Published on Wednesday, February 06, 2008
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