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Ford reveals new Transit, Transit Connect Commercial Vehicles


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http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/ford-transit-and-transit-connect-make-landfall-in-amsterdam/

 

 

As part of a lavish event held to announce its European product plan, Ford introduced refreshed versions of its European van fleet on Thursday in Amsterdam: the Transit, Transit Connect commercial van and Transit Connect Wagon. And in keeping with the automaker’s strategy of uniting its global vehicle lines, the vans are the clearest indication of the models to be offered in North America.

Ford announced late last year that the new Transit would replace the automaker’s E-Series commercial and passenger van in the United States. The Transit nameplate has been a fixture in Europe for more than 40 years, but in America, it was the E-Series, previously marketed as the Econoline, that served as basic, rugged transportation for rock bands, work crews and airport shuttle services.

The 2014 Transit is a tall van in the mode of the Sprinter, a model experiencing considerable success in the United States with a Mercedes-Benz badge on its grille. (Before the dissolution of the Daimler-Chrysler marriage, the Sprinter was marketed in the United States as a Dodge.) According to a news release, the North American version of the Transit will be offered in a range of body styles with varying roof heights and wheelbases. Engines to be offered to American buyers include the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 power plant that has proven popular in the F-150 pickup, as well as a diesel engine, but Ford has not released details about the diesel powertrain.

 

 

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From Mike Levine, Ford Truck Communications Manager, on Facebook...

 

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Edited by PREMiERdrum
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Looks good to me. I'm not really as concerned with the looks as much as I am with the specs, pricing and availability. Anybody want to take a guess when Ford will officially release that kind of info. I know I sound like a broken record, but my F350 work truck is killing me on gas and I can't wait to get my hands on one of these.

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Do we know if this next-gen Transit Connect will be built in North America? You'd think that New World volume could justify localized production...possibly at the Mexican Fiesta plant?

 

I would guess that the TC is riding on some version of the Focus chassis, thus it might make more sense for it to be built at MAP or perhaps LAP (alongside the Escape).

 

Question for those in the know: is the new TC chassis close enough to the C-Max that Ford could consider the hybrid drivetrains/chassis for it? IMO the passenger version of this vehicle paired with the hybrid drivetrain might make some decent inroads in the family market - there is simply no family van alternative in terms of superior mileage/hybrid drivetrain.

 

Edit: Sorry silversvt, you beat me to the punch!

Edited by Harley Lover
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What's up with this quote:

 

The 2014 Transit is a tall van in the mode of the Sprinter, a model experiencing considerable success in the United States

 

Sprinter is a Transit knock-off, and its numbers pale in comparison to the E-Series.

 

Re: design

 

Too much style on the front end, not enough on the rest of the van.

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If Ford keeps the TC wagon affordable, they'll sell a whole mess of those funky little people movers. That looks like it would make a GREAT entry-level family vehicle

 

This new TC looks better the Grand C-Max, maybe that's why Ford cancelled it for the US. I would love to see one like the Tourneo with the 2.0EB sold here.

 

I'm also looking forward to the specs on the Transit. I really would like to find out the GVWR, GCWR, etc. I'm also curious if we'll get a driver's side sliding door and windows all the way around as an option. There's Transit van info now up on Ford.com.

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