2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon Video

Ford introduced an all-new cargo van for 2014, and Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek takes a look at the passenger variant of the Ford Transit Connect. Available in short- or long-wheelbase form, the Transit Connect Wagon seats up to seven and gets a class-leading 30 mpg thanks to an optional EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. This isn’t just a commercial van with seats in it; the Transit Connect Wagon offers plenty of storage — a generous 100 cubic feet of cargo volume with the seats folded flat — and luxury features like heated leather seats, a panoramic roof and MyFord Touch.

More 2012 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The 2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon is set to go on sale in late 2013. Check out the video below.

2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon: First Look

• Competes with: Minivans and larger vans like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Nissan NV passenger van
• Looks like: Minivans may be out, but Ford’s all-in with another seven-passenger people mover
• Drivetrain: 2.5-liter four-cylinder and an optional turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: Late 2013 

Ford may have gotten out of the minivan segment years ago, but it's still solidly in the people-mover market. Its Transit Connect van lineup is growing to include a new seven-passenger version.

Big Families Find Choices are Limited for Full-Size Vans

Update 11/13/2012: Today, Ford unveiled its seven-passenger Transit Connect Wagon; this article has been updated to reflect the new information.

What do you do when your family gets really big—bigger than a minivan can handle? With more than five kids, your vehicle choices narrow so quickly your head will spin. There are options for families of eight or more, though they can be counted on just one hand. However, there's something to be said for only having a few choices because it limits analysis paralysis.

Ford is adding a player to the large-van market with its 2014 Transit Connect Wagon (photo above), which was first announced in September. The tall van features minivan-like sliding side doors and room for seven passengers. The Transit Connect Wagon looks more modern than Ford's current large family hauler, the E-Series Wagon, and will use a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder or an optional turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. Ford expects it to get an EPA-rating of at least 30 mpg on the highway. The Transit will debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show and is scheduled to be on lots in late 2013.

If your growing family is bursting the seams of your minivan or three-row crossover, there are several options on dealership lots now. Be warned: Most manufacturers don't offer a plethora of nice-to-have features on these large family vans, but like having privacy while in the bathroom, you knew you'd lose that once you started having a family.

Ford's Cargo Van Gets an Extreme Makeover

You see them at convention centers, airports, hotels, resorts and spas. Your mechanic, cable guy and even your favorite band will probably pull up in one. Even America's celebrities get carted around in them on movie sets; and, if you're unfortunate enough, it'll be your police wagon on your way to jail.

Of course, we're talking about the Ford E-Series (formerly called the Econoline/Club Wagon). The E-Series, which is by far the best-selling full-size cargo van, is due for a complete overhaul. When the new model goes on sale here later this year, it will adopt a much more international look and get a new name: behold the 2014 Ford Transit.

Cars.com News Briefs: Feb. 22, 2012

Here's what we have our eye on today:

• As prospects in the European car market continue to look grim — 2012 is expected to be another down year — there's word that GM and French carmaker Peugeot are looking into a business alliance, according to Bloomberg News. The partnership could include shared development of engines and vehicles. The plan would help bolster GM's Opel brand – which is closely aligned with Buick in the U.S. — and Peugeot and help reduce development costs. It could also allow the two carmakers to compete better against Volkswagen, which controls nearly a quarter of the European market. The alliance could be announced at the 2012 Geneva International Motor Show.
• Speaking of the Geneva show, Ford plans to unveil a concept commercial van that will look similar to the E-Series replacement for the U.S., which will be called the Transit. The Tourneo Custom Concept (pictured above) is a one-ton passenger van that, unfortunately, won't be coming to North America, Ford says. A rear-wheel-drive, two-ton Transit van — larger than this concept and with a higher payload capacity — will be revealed later this year, says the automaker.
• The parent company to Land Rover and Jaguar says it will double its annual investment in the car brands, according to Reuters. Tata Motors will start investing about $2.4 billion a year into the brands. Last year, Tata said it was planning three new Jaguar models, including an entry-level sedan. The recently released Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is currently responsible for a surge in revenue growth at Jaguar Land Rover, Reuters reports. Overall, Jaguar Land Rover accounted for about 95% of Tata Motors' profit in the last fiscal quarter.
• Struggling Mazda is looking to raise more capital in a public share offering that it hopes will bring in about $2 billion, according to Reuters. The carmaker says it may also borrow about $872 million from banks, too. The new stock offering would dilute existing shares by 69%, says Reuters. While the strong yen has hurt most Japanese automakers, Mazda (the fifth-largest automaker in Japan) has been hit the hardest, according to Reuters. Mazda makes about 70% of its vehicles in Japan, and 90% of those vehicles are exported to other markets, including the U.S. Mazda says it needs to raise money to help build factories in Mexico and Russia. The goal is to have 50% of Mazdas built outside of Japan by 2016.

PickupTrucks.com Tests the 2012 Ford Transit Connect Electric

Ford plans on selling an electric version of its Focus compact car, but the automaker’s first gas-free offering is the Transit Connect Electric. Based on the van that was launched in the U.S. for 2010, the Transit Connect Electric trades the traditional version’s 136-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine for a 74-hp electric motor and a 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. But are more robust acceleration and a smaller carbon footprint enough to justify the 2012 Transit Connect Electric’s $35,000 price premium over the base version? According to Cars.com Editor Mike Hanley, Transit Connect Electric’s high cost will be a significant hurdle to its success.

2012 Ford Transit Connect Electric Review

Ford Drops E-Series Van, Replaces with Transit

Come 2013, Ford will replace the long-running E-Series of vans with Europe's Transit van, The Detroit News reports. How long-running is it? The E-Series dates back to 1960.

Its replacement has similar chops. Ford says it's sold more than 6 million Transits across 75 countries in more than 40 years. We'll get the next-generation Transit, which will be built at Ford's Kansas City, Mo., plant — part of a $1.1 billion investment to build the full-size van plus the next-gen F-150. The current E-Series is built in Ohio.