Ford shows off a family oriented concept of the European delivery van that is due to hit North American dealers this year.

First came kayaks, dogs and diapers

Transit Connect

Last February, Ford Motor Company unveiled the Transit Connect at the Chicago Auto Show by demonstrating how versatile it could be. It did this by teaming up with a number of Chicago-area businesses (everything from a wine shop to a jazz group) and customized the vehicle to meet the needs of each business.

At the time, LotPro.com praised the company for finally bringing a European truck over here to help deal with urban congestion. Imagine, if you will, a van that features up to 143 cubic feet of cargo capacity using a vehicle that is 2 inches wider, 20 inches taller, 7 inches longer in wheelbase and 10 inches shorter, overall, than a Fusion sedan. In fact, if it weren’t for the large outside rearview mirrors, the Transit would actually be 2 inches narrower than the Fusion!

Ford Transit Connect

To mark the official introduction at this year’s Chicago show, Ford did some further customizing for five more business (kayak rentals, CPR instruction, maid service, assistance dogs and a baby proofing company). And while all of their previous customizations have shown the commercial versatility of the vehicle, there was nothing that demonstrated how it might appeal to families – until now.

Transit FO Concept

Now, all three

The latest concept version of the Transit Connect, called the Transit Connect Family One, is both more family-friendly and much more of a concept vehicle than any that have come before it, as Ford strives to include the words “family” and “fun” in the Transit’s lexicon. Now, in addition to hauling kayaks, electrical supplies and cases of wine, the TC has become a hauler of families – albeit it “young” families.

Transit FO Concept

How do we know Ford is targeting families with small children, you may ask? How about sunshade screens that double as digital media screens, water-pen friendly inner door panels and built-in hand-sanitizer and sunscreen dispensers? Likewise the built-in chargers for walkie-talkie radios, the twin cargo door-mounted scooters and a built-in folding stroller beneath the rear floor point to, shall we say, a less mature audience. The seat covers are also removable and washable (no need to elaborate here).

Transit FO Connect

A van for all reasons

As part of its push to make the Transit Connect more than just a commercial vehicle, the product team behind the Family One concept arranged a display of five family-friendly people mover vehicles from Ford outside the Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Guest respondents – representing 200 participating families – were invited to experience the display vehicles and were questioned regarding their individual preferences and asked to describe the type of person they envisioned as a driver of each vehicle.

Transit FO Connect

“Transit Connect is a versatile vehicle that can be adapted to a wide variety of applications,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “The Family One concept delivers fun with function. This fun, cool space is for parents and small children alike, combining fuel efficiency with advanced technologies that can help keep families connected on the go.”

Transit FO Concept

Keeping track of everything

No concept vehicle would be complete without the requisite “gee whiz” high-tech goodies and the Family One doesn’t disappoint. Using a concept borrowed from Ford’s real-life Work Solutions™ technologies, an in-dash computer with radio frequency identification (RFID), similar to that used by shipping companies to track packages, is used to keep track of everything from band instruments to homework folders.

By tagging these items with RFID tags, the computer, using “predictive algorithms” based on learning from past usage, will be able to remind parents of scheduled events as well as the equipment required for them and will notify the driver if the requisite musical instrument or math book is not on board (not to mention kayaks, dogs and diapers).

Transit FO Concept

The Bottom Line

While the Family One may be too small for many families, 135 cubic feet of storage space (smaller because of the rear seats) in such a compact package would certainly appeal to those with one or two small children. Certainly the ability to tag and track all your “stuff” as well as washable seat covers, alone, is worth the price of admission.