The new production facility was previously used by Daewoo, with the American manufacturer buying it back in March 2008. According to just-auto.com, Ford said at that time that it would invest up to 675 million euros for upgrading the plant which is expected to build 300,000 vehicles and 300,000 engines per year starting with 2011.
As for the Transit Connect, the company has high expectations from the model, which will be offered in the United States with a starting price of $21,475.
“We see rising optimism among small business owners and strong demand for arriving Transit Connect vehicles among this group as reflections of an encouraging economic uptick,” Len Deluca, Ford Commercial Truck director said in a release last week.
"With cautious optimism, entrepreneurs continue to judiciously evaluate costs and seek viable, efficient solutions for their businesses. Swift sale of the initial allocation of Transit Connect vehicles arriving at Ford dealerships nationwide provides additional evidence that small business owners are anxious to invest in a useful tool to help them work smarter, more efficiently and more effectively," Ford added.
The Connect is developed on a dedicated front-wheel drive commercial vehicle platform and is powered by a 2.0l Duratec DOHC powerplant, capable of achieving 22 mpg in city mode and 25 mpg highway. The unit generates 136 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 128 ft.-lb. of torque at 4,750 rpm and is mated to a four-speed automatic transaxle with overdrive.
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