- After some speculation, Ford will not bring a diesel Transit Connect to the U.S. after all.
- Ford confirmed it has canceled production in America, after other versions of the van went on sale earlier in the year.
- The company also scrapped plans for a short-wheelbase version of the passenger Transit Connect.
Ford spokesperson Elizabeth Kraft recently confirmed to Car and Driver that the Ford Transit Connect diesel will not hit the streets due to low demand. Some of you had reached out to us asking what Ford’s plans were for the van, as it still hadn’t hit the market. We originally learned of the diesel Transit Connect back in January, and it was supposed to launch in Spring 2019. We did see the new Transit Connect at the Chicago Auto Show in March.
While there were no final official power and EPA numbers, we know that the Ford Transit Connect diesel was supposed to have a 1.5-liter turbodiesel. That engine supposedly makes 118 horsepower and around 200 lb-ft of torque. The diesel powertrain makes the most of the available power by way of an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Transit Connect fuel economy
Projected highway efficiency? 30 mpg. That’s slightly better than the 2.0-liter gas engine, as that manages 29 mpg on the highway.
It is a shame, but maybe this will make way for an electric or plug-in hybrid version of the Transit Connect in the future? The rest of the Ford Transit Connect lineup looks like it will mostly remain the same.
While the diesel is absent, Ford does still sell gasoline versions of the 2019 Transit Connect. A short-wheelbase version is available in the cargo van, while the long-wheelbase version is on sale as a six or seven-seat passenger van or a cargo van. Prices start at $26,845 before destination. The Transit Connect Commercial, as Ford calls the cargo van, starts at $24,100.
