When the 2019 Transit Connect debuted in February last year, Ford was excited to announce it is adding a turbodiesel powertrain to the range "responding to requests we've heard from our customers going back to 2010." Something must've gone wrong in the last few months as the Blue Oval is reportedly pulling the plug of the 1.5-liter EcoBlue model due "lack of market demand," as confirmed by Ford spokesperson Elizabeth Kraft to Car and Driver.
The company's initial estimations showed the Transit Connect with the 120-horsepower (89-kilowatt), 200-pound-feet (271-Newton-meter) four-cylinder engine should return more than 30 miles per gallon highway. However, the diesel van never received official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy ratings, which are only available for the gasoline-powered 2.0- and 2.5-liter motors, for both the 2019 and 2020 model years.
Car and Driver points out that Ford's decision to drop the compression ignition engine from the portfolio might be related to "EPA's increased scrutiny on all diesel engines" in the United States. As standard, the 1.5-liter diesel was mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with an engine start-stop function. Additionally, the Transit Connect diesel had an EcoCoach function integrated into the instrument cluster, which teaches drivers how to drive more efficiently.
Our source also reports Ford is dropping the five-seat, short-wheelbase variant of the passenger version of the model. This means you'll be able to order the long-wheelbase Transit Connect as cargo and passenger van, but the short-wheelbase will be available only as a cargo LCV. The 2019 Transit Connect starts at $26,845 and has an estimated EPA fuel economy ratings of 24/29 mpg (city/highway). Car and Driver reports the 2020 model year will start at $25,570 for the short-wheelbase cargo version and $28,315 for the passenger version.
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