Ford’s 2014 Transit Connect Wagon Is The Unminivan

May 19, 2014 4:28 pm

Ford will use the #unminivan theme to market its 2014 Transit Connect Wagon. Essentially a passenger version variant of the well-received Transit Connect panel van, the Transit Connect Wagon offers replaces a flat-load floor and paneled windows with 2^nd and 3^rd row seats and glass.

“Ford’s all-new Transit Connect Wagon is unlike anything else,” said Minyang Jiang, Transit Connect brand manager, Ford Motor Company. “It drives like a car, has the flexibility of a utility and can haul the payload of a full-size pickup. This new wagon is a great combination of affordability and functionality – a unique global vehicle we’re proud to offer our customers.”

In positioning the new Transit Connect Wagon as the unminivan, Ford says that the vehicle represents an “affordable people mover for families and active individuals who want to be ready for whatever life brings”. It’s fuel-efficient, flexible, uniquely-styled, and fun-to-drive.

Vehicle highlights include:

Available in two wheelbase lengths — a five-passenger with removable seating or a seven-passenger with fold-flat seating.
Offers sliding side doors, a choice of a rear liftgate or side-hinged cargo doors, more than 100 cubic feet of cargo space and a maximum payload of 1,270 pounds (576 pounds).
The short-wheelbase, five-passenger wagon model allows for the second row to flip, fold or be removed entirely. It features 77.1 cubic feet (2,183 liters) of cargo volume behind the first row with the second-row seats flipped forward, and 46.9 cubic feet (1,328 liters) of volume behind the second row.
The long-wheelbase, seven-passenger wagon model has second- and third-row seats that fold flat. It has 104.2 cubic feet (2,950 liters) of cargo volume behind the first row with the second and third row folded flat; with passengers in the second row, cargo volume reaches nearly 60 cubic feet (1,700 liters).
Available in XL, XLT and range-topping Titanium trim levels.
Based on Ford’s global C platform shared with the Focus, C-MAX, and Escape/Kuga, therefore including the technology and features of other Ford vehicles based on the platform.
Customers can select from two fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines — the standard 2.5-liter with an EPA-estimated rating of 28 mpg on the highway, and a 1.6-liter EcoBoost with an EPA-estimated rating of 29 mpg highway. Both engines are paired to a six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission designed for smooth driving around town and efficiency on the highway.
Torque vectoring control technology, which uses the brakes to provide stability through turns, is responsible for the fun handling characteristics the vehicle offers.
Has ample interior room and is notable for its headroom, which bests many other seven-seat vehicles. Available headroom in the first row is 46.8 inches, with 45.1 inches in the second row. The long-wheelbase model has 41.3 inches of headroom in the third row. This excellent headroom led to Tall Clubs International recently naming it the official vehicle for the “vertically gifted.”
Features various overhead storage options — an overhead storage shelf with retaining net and available aircraft-style overhead storage for rear passengers. Additionally, there’s room for small items on the floor under the first-row passenger seat. There is a second-row storage compartment in the long-wheelbase wagon model.
Available driver-assist features include a rear view camera, and forward and rear-sensing systems.
Industry-exclusive Ford MyKey technology is available, which can be programmed to limit top speed and audio volume, encourage seat belt use, and restrict incoming calls and texts to a paired cell phone.
Features side airbags for front-row occupants and side curtain airbags for all rows. The vehicle has earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government’s highest possible overall rating.
Has been designed, engineered and tested to meet Ford’s rigorous Built Ford Tough durability standards. The testing is equal to more than 3 million miles and includes 250,000-plus miles in such demanding conditions as gravel roads, tracks that mimic rugged environments and pothole-damaged pavement.
The Transit Connect was introduced in Europe in 2002 and the 2014 Transit Connect van has been named International Van of the Year by a panel of European auto media. The vehicle made its North American debut in 2009, quickly becoming a fleet favorite for its size and capability as a hauler of people and cargo.