Is Ford preparing for the return of the Transit Connect here in North America? This question inevitably raised its head when we were in the Detroit area for the unveiling of the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt.
Why so? Because while on Highway 94, we spotted what we believe to be a recent and modern version of the Ford Transit. We interrogated Matthew Drennan-Scace, Communications manager for Ford Canada, about it; he clarified to Auto123 that we’d seen “a Transit Courier offered in Europe and, I believe, in certain other international markets.” He added that Ford “test vehicles all over the world, including models from other markets.” He also made clear that Ford has no plans to bring that Transit Courier to the North American market.
That’s undoubtedly true, but it’s nonetheless easy to imagine that Ford could currently be studying the possibility of reintroducing the Transit Connect in North America. For one thing, it’s worth noting that Stellantis will re-enter the small commercial van market in the coming months with the ProMaster City.
Withdrawal in 2023
In March 2023, Ford confirmed the removal of the Transit Connect from its catalogue for our market. The compact commercial van was highly valued for urban deliveries in particular, but the automaker cited shifting consumer demand and lower profitability to explain its decision. The small commercial van, known for its urban maneuverability and cargo capacity, had been imported from Spain for our market.
Last August, Automotive News reported comments from a dealer meeting suggesting that Ford is exploring the possibility of developing a commercial van based on the Maverick.
Camouflaged Ford Mustangs
Our brief travels around the Detroit area turned up other little discoveries, for example two camouflaged units of the Ford Mustang Coupe spotted on the road. Which shows, if nothing else, that Ford is continuing its research and development efforts for its iconic sports car.