Customers looking for a small van are about to be out of options as Ford has confirmed plans to drop the Transit Connect in North America.
The van will be phased out at the end of the 2023 model year and the automaker released a statement to Automotive News saying the move comes as a result of “efforts to reduce global manufacturing cost and complexity, alongside decreased demand for the compact van segment.”
The publication reports another Transit Connect was originally planned for North America, and would have been built in Mexico on the same platform that underpins the Maverick and Bronco Sport. While those plans were scrapped, the van will continue to be built in Spain and offered in Europe.
More: Rugged 2023 Ford Transit Trail Takes Van Life Off The Grid
The Transit Connect was a modest seller for Ford as U.S. sales peaked at 52,221 units in 2015. However, sales have been declining for years and the company moved a mere 25,140 units in 2022.
While the van certainly wasn’t as flashy as the Bronco or Mustang, it starts at $34,100 and is available in cargo van and passenger van configurations. Both are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 162 hp (121 kW / 164 PS) and 144 lb-ft (195 Nm) of torque.
With the Transit Connect dying, small van fans are out of luck as Ram discontinued the ProMaster City last year while Nissan wrapped up NV200 production in 2021. This was proceeded by the death of the Chevrolet City Express in 2018.
Small vans haven’t been the only victims as the mid-size Mercedes Metris is going away shortly. As a result, customers better like the Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, and Ram ProMaster.
