Ford Transit Connect

Ford Transit Connect is a compact van panel is designed and Ford Europe design Peter Horbury, introduced in 2002 to replace older Ford Escort and Fiesta based Courier van range, which ceased production in the same year.

Ford Tourneo Connect, recreational vehicle, a Transit Connect with side windows and rear seats. All North American Transit Connect destined for the United States are imported as a car to get around 25% of the "chicken tax" on imported trucks light .

Transit Connect uses front-wheel drive Ford C170 platform of the original Ford Focus-International same platform with used Ford Focus North America 2012 model. Besides the name, it shares some components with the Transit. Connection is made by Otosan in all new plant in Gölcük near Kocaeli, Turkey, and in September 2009 in the Romanian Automobile Craiova.

Ford Transit Connect was awarded "Van of the Year 2004" Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine. In his first year in North America, Transit Connect was awarded "North American Truck of the Year 2010" at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Since mid-2009, Transit Connect has been imported into the United States and Canada. It was first shown in the U.S. in 2008 and 2010 Chicago Auto Show the production model was presented at the exhibition next year on February 11, 2009. The introduction of the North American version has coincided with a mid-cycle facelift which includes a restyled front grille, deeper front bumper and a new dashboard with the image of the device and the instrument pod on the C307 Focus.

Initially, only the long-wheelbase version of the van, equipped with a 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine and 4-speed automatic transmission was offered in North America and in other places, 1.8L diesel engine and 5 speed manual transmission was only available transmission. An electric version is to follow in about a year after launch, Azure Dynamics Corporation is converted at the facility in the U.S..

To create interest and awareness in North America, the Transit Connect as a specially equipped "mobile showrooms" were delivered to the industrial parks and other appropriate locations in 13 U.S. urban areas in May 2009 to offer a 3000 test drives for small business owners.

Starting in 2011, Ford will offer the Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon in the U.S. and Canada, more stylish and personal version of a utilitarian wagon. It will include a room for five, the rear windows that are open for ventalation, BLIS blind spot awareness, rearview camera, large alloy wheels, body-color grille, and front fog lights. Universal Transit Connect will be the first Ford vehicle with a 2007 cease Freestar, but it is closer in size to a standard length Ford Aerostar for sale from 1986 to 1997.

Conversion to cargo van

To circumvent the 25% tariff on imported trucks light, Ford transit connect all imports as cars with rear windows, rear seats and rear seat belts. Vehicles exported from Turkey to cargo ships owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, arriving in Baltimore, and turn to commercial vehicles WWL Vehicle Services Americas LLC object: .. rear windows replaced with metal panels and the rear seats removed (except for cars) removed parts, and then reworked exploits a loophole in the process of determining the customs cargo van. As the load does not require seat belts or the rear window, the availability of these items exempt from the commercial vehicle status of the vehicle. The conversion process costs hundreds of dollars a Ford van, but it saves having to pay thousands for a chicken tax. Partly because of this, only with a long wheelbase, high roof configuration is exported to North America. In most places, high-roof Transit Connect, Ford, like most vans Econoline, can not access the multi-storey parking lot because of his height (6'-6 ").

Taxi

Transit Connect was one of three finalists (along Karsan V-1 and winner of the Nissan NV200) for a taxi in New York tomorrow. Winning model was unveiled in early May 2011 and will be awarded a 10-year contract to exclusively serve the city.

Transit Connect Electric
In 2009 Chicago Auto Show, Ford has confirmed the development of battery-powered version of the Transit Connect. Later in the Geneva Auto Show that same year, Ford showed a prototype electric version of the Ford Tourneo Connect passenger van, which is closely related to the Ford Transit Connect. Ford initially announced Smith Electric Vehicles will install electric powertrain and lithium-ion batteries in vehicles, but they later collaborated with Azure Dynamics Corporation instead, Johnson Controls-Saft as a supplier of batteries.

Production
Ford Transit Connect has an electric all-electric range of up to 80 miles (130 km). Production began in December 2010 and will reach full capacity in April 2011 to 600 to 700 units per year. Transit Connect is manufactured using electrical vehicles glider (a vehicle produced no transmission) in the Transit Connect assembly plant in Kocaeli, and then sent to the Azure Dynamics U.S. upfitter, AM General in Livonia, Mich., where the group Drive ™ electric drive and other components are added to the vehicle. Azure Dynamics has partnered with Johnson Controls-Saft to produce lithium-ion batteries used in the Ford Transit Connect Electric.

Sales and prices
The first units were delivered to several companies in the U.S. and Canada in December 2010, including AT & T, Canada Post, the New York Power Authority and Southern California Edison. Transit Connect Electric costs U.S. $ 57 400, which is more than twice the price of gas-powered version, even after the federal and any state or local incentives for electric vehicles is discounted.

The test fleet of 14 will be exported to the UK for Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator program of the Government.

Ford Transit Connect X-Press
Ford Transit Connect X-press is much faster version of the Ford Transit Connect. It was created by a group of engineers using the Ford 212BHP engine from the Ford Focus, RS, as shown on Fifth Gear.

2011 Ford Transit Connect
2011 Transit Connect Wagon is a 4-door, 5-passenger full size van, available in two trims, XLT and ... read more XLT Premium.

After the introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 136-horsepower engine that achieves 21 miles per gallon city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway. 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

2011 Transit Connect Wagon is rolling in 2010.