And then there were none. Ford on Tuesday said it’s discontinuing its Transit Connect small van in the United States after the 2023 model year. A planned successor, based on the Ford Maverick pickup, has also been scrapped, according to Automotive News. Ford will reportedly continue to produce the van in its Valencia, Spain, assembly facility, where it’s currently imported to the U.S.
A Ford spokesperson offered the following statement to The Drive: “In combination with our efforts to reduce global manufacturing cost and complexity, alongside decreased demand for the compact van segment, Ford Motor Company has made the decision to end importing Transit Connect cargo and passenger vans to the U.S. and Canadian markets at the conclusion of this model year (2023).”
Ford leaving the small cargo van market is the latest in a string of departures. Last year, Mercedes announced it would discontinue the Metris cargo van sales in the U.S. later this year. Ram also said it would end production of the ProMaster City vans in the U.S., and both General Motors and Nissan, which shared a common van, left the U.S. market several years ago.
Ford offered the Transit Connect in XL, XLT, and Titanium trim levels in cargo and passenger configurations, with the capacity to seat up to seven people inside. Offered in front-wheel-drive configuration with a 2.0-liter inline-four and eight-speed automatic, the Transit Connect was a mainstay for fleet buyers, although passenger versions didn’t catch on with families like a minivan could. It’s unclear if Ford will re-enter the small van market with an all-electric model, although the automaker announced recently it would build a second electric pickup at its new facility in Tennessee.
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