Photo: SB-Medien
We are looking at one of the weirdest, most puzzling test mules we've seen in a long time. Our spies caught this thing and say they think it's the 2022 Ford Transit Connect, even though it looks nothing like that.
Ford makes a lot of vans that are called Transit, ranging from little ones that deliver your packages to the "jumbos" that get turned into pickups, buses or campers.
Unless we're mistaken, the Connect is the second from the bottom, after the Courier, although they have variable sizes, payload capacities, and cabin configurations. The vehicle that the mule is based on gives us our first big clue.
It's the new Focus compact that's not offered in America, only it's got the wagon body and a wheelbase extension on top of that. You can see the rear fenders are unnaturally long for this type of vehicle. We figure this has a wheelbase of about 3 meters now, which is on par with the current van models.
But why use a Focus body instead of testing with the old Transit van instead? A lifted wagon prototype immediately made us think of the replacement for the Mondeo that's supposed to be Subaru-like. The prototypes look very similar, but maybe leaf springs make more sense in the context of a delivery vehicle.
But the decision to work around the Focus architecture could have something to do where the van will be made. Production of the new Transit model will take place in Mexico, where Ford currently makes two cars that are almost dead, the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. It makes sense to have something new and car-like there to keep the unions happy.
The powertrains would obviously be dependent on the market. America is fine to keep the 2-liter turbo, but the European Union wants everything to be as clean as a Prius. For that job, Ford has developed hybrid versions of its 1-liter EcoBoost, though a plug-in or short-range EV can't be ruled out either.
Unless we're mistaken, the Connect is the second from the bottom, after the Courier, although they have variable sizes, payload capacities, and cabin configurations. The vehicle that the mule is based on gives us our first big clue.
It's the new Focus compact that's not offered in America, only it's got the wagon body and a wheelbase extension on top of that. You can see the rear fenders are unnaturally long for this type of vehicle. We figure this has a wheelbase of about 3 meters now, which is on par with the current van models.
But why use a Focus body instead of testing with the old Transit van instead? A lifted wagon prototype immediately made us think of the replacement for the Mondeo that's supposed to be Subaru-like. The prototypes look very similar, but maybe leaf springs make more sense in the context of a delivery vehicle.
But the decision to work around the Focus architecture could have something to do where the van will be made. Production of the new Transit model will take place in Mexico, where Ford currently makes two cars that are almost dead, the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. It makes sense to have something new and car-like there to keep the unions happy.
The powertrains would obviously be dependent on the market. America is fine to keep the 2-liter turbo, but the European Union wants everything to be as clean as a Prius. For that job, Ford has developed hybrid versions of its 1-liter EcoBoost, though a plug-in or short-range EV can't be ruled out either.
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