Ford Transit Connect |
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Wikipedia: Ford Transit Connect
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History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Ford Transit Connect page on 23 December 2017, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Ford Transit Connect is a compact panel van developed by Ford Europe and derived from the Ford Focus. The first generation was designed by Peter Horbury and introduced in 2002 to replace the older Ford Escort and Fiesta-based Courier van ranges, which had ceased production in the same year. It has been imported to the North American market since the 2010 model year. In North America, the Transit Connect does not have a direct predecessor; the closest vehicle to its size was the standard-length Ford Aerostar cargo van, which ceased production in 1997.
The Ford Tourneo Connect, a leisure activity vehicle, is a Transit Connect with side windows and rear seats. All Transit Connects bound for the United States are imported in this configuration to avoid the 25% "chicken tax" on imported light trucks. In 2013, US Customs told Ford that they must stop this practice of importing vans disguised as passenger cars.
On 18 March 2010, Canada Post and Ford Motor Company announced that Canada Post would purchase a fleet of Ford Transit Connect vans to replace their aging fleet of Grumman LLV vehicles. Right-hand-drive tooling already existed for the versions sold in RHD markets, likely contributing to the model's selection.
First generation (2002–2013)
The Transit Connect was introduced in Europe in October 2002 as the replacement for sedan delivery vans based on the Escort and the Fiesta. Production of the Escort in Europe ceased in 2000 (although the vans carried on for another two years), whilst the Fiesta Courier was also planned to be discontinued when the fifth generation Fiesta entered production in 2002. Ford elected not to develop a direct sedan delivery version of the Focus, instead pursuing a purpose built design.
Sharing few components with the much larger Transit, the Transit Connect was based on the front-wheel drive C170 platform shared with the international Ford Focus, then common with the first generation North American Ford Focus. Rather than adapting an existing bodystyle into a van, the Transit Connect was designed with sliding side doors.
The Escort van and the Fiesta Courier had been assembled at the Halewood and Dagenham plants in England, respectively, but both plants were to cease Ford car production (Halewood was to be handed over to Jaguar, whilst Dagenham was to become an engine plant only), so a new production facility was needed.
The Transit Connect was assembled by Otosan in an all-new production facility at Gölcük, near Kocaeli, Turkey. After September 2009, additional production began in Craiova, Romania.
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).
Second generation (2012–present)
The second generation Transit Connect was introduced on 6 September 2012 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In its first redesign since its 2002 introduction, the 2014 Transit Connect adopts many features of the Kinetic Design language. A major design change is an optional rear liftgate in addition to the double rear doors preferred by people in wheel chairs and delivery companies. The Transit Connect will include the optional new feature called MyKey, a personalized key system. MyKey owner controls let the vehicle owner program different keys to restrict different vehicle features, such as top speed and maximum radio volume.
Aside from Otosan's plant in Turkey, production now also takes place at Valencia, Spain. As before, to avoid the 25% tariff on imported trucks, all cargo vans sold in the United States will be passenger van conversions which will then be re-converted to cargo configuration upon customer demand. Reports have been published that US Customs told Ford that they must stop this practice.
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Green Clean Services, Inc. Photo ©2011 Bill Crittenden View photo of Ford Transit Connect (Green Clean Services) - 3,332KB |
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American Comfort Central Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden View photo of Ford Transit Connect (American Comfort Central) - 1.0MB |
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Apex Interiors, Inc. Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden View photo of Ford Transit Connect (Apex Interiors, Inc.) - 2.1MB |
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Star 105.5 Photo ©2017 Bill Crittenden View photo of Ford Transit Connect (Star 105.5) - 4.4MB |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 11 February 2008 | Ford To Connect North America With European-Designed Auto | Anthony Fontanelle |
| 19 June 2014 | Ford Motor Company, Receipt of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance | Federal Register: NHTSA (Jeffrey M. Giuseppe) |
| 2 March 2015 | Ford Motor Company, Grant of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance | Federal Register: NHTSA (Jeffrey M. Giuseppe) |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2010 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 201: Occupant Protection in Interior Impact, Upper Interior Head Impact Protection 2010 Ford Transit Connect National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |  PDF - 4.0MB - 174 pages |
| 20 April 2010 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 201: Occupant Protection in Interior Impact, Upper Interior Head Impact Protection 2010 Ford Transit Connect National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 6.5MB - 144 pages |
| 11 August 2010 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 301R: Fuel System Integrity - Rear Impact 2010 Ford Transit Connect National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 28.8MB - 57 pages |
| April 2011 | FMVSS 135 Safety Compliance Testing: Light Vehicle Brake Systems 2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT, 6-Door FWD, MPV National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 15.6MB - 70 pages |
| 20 April 2011 | Safety Compliance Testing for FMVSS 126: Electronic Stability Control Systems 2011 Ford Transit Connect National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 3.9MB - 65 pages |
