Ford Transit Connect
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 2002- |
| Assembly | Kocaeli, Turkey |
| Predecessor | Ford Freestar (North America) |
| Class | Compact MPV |
| Body style(s) | 3-door minivan 4-door minivan |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Ford C170 platform |
| Engine(s) | 1.8L Duratorq TDCi Diesel I4 2.0L Duratec Gasoline I4 |
| Transmission(s) | 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | SWB: 2665 mm (104.9 in) LWB: 2912 mm (114.6 in) |
| Length | SWB: 4308 mm (169.6 in) LWB: 4555 mm (179.3 in) |
| Width | 2044 mm (80.5 in) |
| Height | SWB: 1814 mm (71.4 in) LWB: 1981 mm (78 in) |
| Related | Ford Focus |
The Ford Transit Connect is a compact panel van developed by Ford Otosan[1] and introduced in 2002. It replaced the older Escort van range, which had ceased production two years earlier. The Tourneo Connect, a leisure activity vehicle, is basically a Transit Connect with side windows and rear seats.
Despite the name, it shares very few components with the Transit; in fact its closest architecture is the C170 platform of the original Ford Focus. The Connect is built by Otosan in an all new production plant at Gölcük, near Kocaeli, Turkey.
The Ford Transit Connect was awarded "Van of the Year 2004" by Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine. However, it has yet to gain the popularity of the Ford Escort Van and the Ford Fiesta-based Ford Courier.
Starting in mid-2009, the Transit Connect will be exported to the United States and Canada. It was first shown in the U.S. at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, and the 2010 model was introduced at the following year's show on February 11, 2009.[2]
Initially, only the long wheelbase version of the van[3], outfitted with a 2.0L gasoline engine and 4 speed automatic transmission will be offered in the U.S., whereas elsewhere, the 1.8L diesel engine and 5 speed manual transmission is the only available powertrain. An electric version will follow about a year after launch, converted by Smith Electric Vehicles at a U.S. facility.[4]
To build up interest and awareness in North America, Transit Connects specifically equipped as "mobile showrooms" were taken to industrial parks and other appropriate venues in 13 U.S. urban areas in May 2009, with the goal of offering 3,000 test drives to small business owners.[5]
Since the vehicle was designed by Peter Horbury, who earlier worked at Volvo, there is some speculation that it was inspired by the 1977 Volvo City Taxi concept.[6]
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[edit] Ford Transit Connect X-Press
The Ford Transit Connect X-press is a much faster version of the Ford Transit Connect. It was created by a team of Ford engineers using the 212BHP engine from the Ford Focus RS as shown on Fifth Gear.
[edit] Electric vehicles
Ford has announced a battery-powered version of the Transit Connect in the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. It features a 21 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery pack, a 50 kW permanent magnet motor, and a single-speed transmission, for a 160-km (100-mile) range and top speeds of about 113 km/h (70 mph). [7] [8]
[edit] Aftermarket
Smith Electric Vehicles, has launched the Smith Ampere, a new product aimed at the light van sector. Ampere, which utilises the Ford Transit Connect chassis, and will be joint branded Ford and Smith. [9] It will be assembled in the former Trans World Airlines overhaul hanger at Kansas City International Airport. Production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2009.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.kobifinans.com.tr/en/sector/0102/16414
- ^ http://www.media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29829
- ^ Ford 2010 Transit Connect brochure, ref. # 10TCONCAT
- ^ http://www.freep.com/article/20090209/BUSINESS01/902090358/1014/Plug-in+Ford+Transit+Connect+to+make+its+debut+in+2010
- ^ http://www.media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=30371
- ^ http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1064&a=753771
- ^ http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/03/02/geneva-2009-fords-all-electric-tourneo-connect?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_autoblog
- ^ http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/2009/03/02/ford-reveals-new-tourneo-connect-with-battery-electric-powertrain/
- ^ Smith Electric Vehicles - News
- ^ Smith Electric to begin building delivery vans in KC this summer - kansascity.com - Retrieved March 27, 2009
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ford Transit Connect |
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| Ford Motor Company light truck timeline, United States and Canada, 1980s–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | |
| Mid-size Crossover | Edge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size Crossover | Flex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Freestyle | Taurus X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact SUV | Bronco II | Escape | Escape | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size SUV | Explorer | Explorer | Explorer | Explorer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size SUV | Bronco | Expedition | Expedition | Expedition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Excursion | Expedition EL/Max | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact pickup | Courier | Ranger | Ranger | Ranger | Ranger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size Pickup | Explorer Sport Trac | Explorer Sport Trac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size pickup | F-Series | F-Series | F-Series | F-Series | F-Series | F-Series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Super Duty | Super Duty | Super Duty | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minivan | Aerostar | Transit Connect | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Windstar | Freestar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Van | Econoline | Econoline/E-Series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
