Photo: Ford
When the Ford Motor Company took the veils off the 2019 Transit Connect, the Blue Oval promised to add the 1.5-liter EcoBlue turbo diesel to the engine lineup. As it happens, the four-cylinder option has been dropped over “a lack of market demand.”
Oh, how shocking! North America was never responsive to turbo diesel-engined vehicles with the exception of heavy-duty pickup trucks and big rigs. It makes you wonder how this detail slipped past Ford, let alone the army of researchers who work at Ford.
Car & Driver received confirmation about this change from spokesperson Elizabeth Kraft, and with that, prospective customers are left with a naturally aspirated GDI that comes as standard. The EPA’s website also lists a 2.5-liter engine, and the options list includes short- and long-wheelbase flavors for the 2019 Transit Connect.
On the downside, Ford has dropped the five-seat, short-wheelbase version of the passenger van. Only the cargo-oriented configuration is still available with the short wheelbase. Customers opting for the long-wheelbase Transit Connect are treated to either six or seven seats.
Pricing, you ask? For the 2020 model year, expect to pony up $25,570 and $28,315 for the cargo and passenger versions. The big question is, why didn’t the 1.5-liter EcoBlue get an EPA rating at all?
The decision to pull the plug on the turbo diesel in North America might be related to the increased scrutiny of diesel engines, which has been made worse by the alleged cheating in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The Dieselgate scandal from a few years ago didn’t help either.
On the upside, Ford offers the Power Stroke V6 even on the F-150 XLT. Based on an engine from Jaguar Land Rover, the 3.0-liter turbo diesel develops 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque while returning more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway. On a single tank, that’s more than 750 miles on a single tank of fuel in a light-duty pickup truck!
Car & Driver received confirmation about this change from spokesperson Elizabeth Kraft, and with that, prospective customers are left with a naturally aspirated GDI that comes as standard. The EPA’s website also lists a 2.5-liter engine, and the options list includes short- and long-wheelbase flavors for the 2019 Transit Connect.
On the downside, Ford has dropped the five-seat, short-wheelbase version of the passenger van. Only the cargo-oriented configuration is still available with the short wheelbase. Customers opting for the long-wheelbase Transit Connect are treated to either six or seven seats.
Pricing, you ask? For the 2020 model year, expect to pony up $25,570 and $28,315 for the cargo and passenger versions. The big question is, why didn’t the 1.5-liter EcoBlue get an EPA rating at all?
The decision to pull the plug on the turbo diesel in North America might be related to the increased scrutiny of diesel engines, which has been made worse by the alleged cheating in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The Dieselgate scandal from a few years ago didn’t help either.
On the upside, Ford offers the Power Stroke V6 even on the F-150 XLT. Based on an engine from Jaguar Land Rover, the 3.0-liter turbo diesel develops 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque while returning more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway. On a single tank, that’s more than 750 miles on a single tank of fuel in a light-duty pickup truck!
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