Montreal, QC - Ford will pioneer a new market segment in North America with the 2009 Transit Connect.
Unveiled at this year's Chicago Auto Show, in February, and later as a taxicab concept at the New York Auto Show, this compact van was developed by Ford of Europe, where it is sold since the fall of 2002. Manufactured at the Kocaeli plant, in Turkey, the Transit Connect will be shipped by boat to two East Coast ports.
It will replace the Freestar minivan and Focus ZXW wagon, two popular models among fleet managers that were discontinued in recent years. Rising gas prices, however, have led to a push back to small, efficient commercial vehicles. The people at Ford realize it and that's why they've decided to bring in the Transit Connect.
A true truck!
"The Transit Connect is a truck, not a modified automobile that wants to look like a truck. It's designed for commercial purposes first and foremost," claims Michel Maisonneuve, Ford's regional supervisor of commercial sales in Eastern Canada. "There's nothing else quite like it in the country, and it should stay that way when the vehicle finally arrives on our shores."
He's right. Perhaps the closest thing to the Transit Connect in 2008 is the commercial variant of GM's Chevrolet Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6, not to mention the Dodge Grand Caravan CV. Of course, we should not forget about the small Chevrolet HHR Panel.
Unlike these minivans, however, the Ford Transit Connect offers a pair of doors instead of the more common liftgate. They open 180 degrees -- or 270 upon request. An additional, sliding door on the passenger's side also allows access to the cargo area.
Unveiled at this year's Chicago Auto Show, in February, and later as a taxicab concept at the New York Auto Show, this compact van was developed by Ford of Europe, where it is sold since the fall of 2002. Manufactured at the Kocaeli plant, in Turkey, the Transit Connect will be shipped by boat to two East Coast ports.
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It will replace the Freestar minivan and Focus ZXW wagon, two popular models among fleet managers that were discontinued in recent years. Rising gas prices, however, have led to a push back to small, efficient commercial vehicles. The people at Ford realize it and that's why they've decided to bring in the Transit Connect.
A true truck!
"The Transit Connect is a truck, not a modified automobile that wants to look like a truck. It's designed for commercial purposes first and foremost," claims Michel Maisonneuve, Ford's regional supervisor of commercial sales in Eastern Canada. "There's nothing else quite like it in the country, and it should stay that way when the vehicle finally arrives on our shores."
He's right. Perhaps the closest thing to the Transit Connect in 2008 is the commercial variant of GM's Chevrolet Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6, not to mention the Dodge Grand Caravan CV. Of course, we should not forget about the small Chevrolet HHR Panel.
Unlike these minivans, however, the Ford Transit Connect offers a pair of doors instead of the more common liftgate. They open 180 degrees -- or 270 upon request. An additional, sliding door on the passenger's side also allows access to the cargo area.
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