Ford To Counter The Dodge Sprinter
The Dodge Sprinter has been a successful commercial van for Chrysler LLC thanks to its partnership with the newly renamed Daimler AG company. Back when Dodge was a division of DaimlerChrysler, the Sprinter was brought in to replace Dodge’s previous full sized vans which were bulky and outdated. The Sprinter is sold as a Mercedes-Benz model in Europe.
Ford and General Motors have been relying on older engineering as the backbone for their cargo van fleets and now it appears that the Ford Transit Connect will be imported to the US to fill an important void in its truck line up.
According to published reports, announcement of the Turkish-built vehicle’s export stateside will be made at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect’s appeal is likely to be more for caterers and other small business people while the larger vans, which will remain in production, will continue to serve plumbers, electricians, and do duty as transit vehicles.
The Transit Connect is powered by a 1.8L 16v I-4 engine and has a 5-speed manual transmission. Diesel versions are available in the European market, but there is no word whether that engine will be optional on this side of the Atlantic.
Photo copyright/courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.
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9 Responses to “Ford To Counter The Dodge Sprinter”
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January 31st, 2008 at 1:05 am
That’s real wicked for a Transit. All it now needs is a V10 in the cargo bay!
January 31st, 2008 at 6:49 am
LOL. I think a V10 engine would cause the vehicle to tip over. I believe it is about the size of a smaller Chrysler minivan.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:23 am
This would be a perfect pickup and delivery vehicle. I had no idea Turkey was involved in the auto industry.
October 12th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Don’t like it, I gotta say. I think it’s pretty ugly. I don’t mind the colour but those white stripes would have to go. Something about it doesn’t look proportionate at all.