Ahhh, the land of the free. Where we get the most limited choice.
Once again vehicle manufacturers only provide America with the 'biggest and best', while the UK and Europe get choices galore. I was talking with a friend last night about the need for better designed and more efficient family transport. In particular I was thinking about the Ford Transit Connect, which does come available as a five seater wagon as pictured above, but what we discussed was the need for additional seating. The Transit is cool in a utilitarian way (it's billed as a commercial vehicle), it's small but spacious, and has a Euro appeal that I like. However I would like it even more if it had a third row of seats, and I'm not the only person with this opinion, this blogger is thinking along these lines as well. The fact is the Scion XB, the Honda Element, and the Ford Flex are cool family cars/utility vehicles but they just don't accommodate a family with more than three children, not to mention friends or dogs. So what's a growing family on a budget supposed to do to get where they are going?
So in the United Kingdom they get the option of the similarly styled Tourneo Connect (a 1.8 liter Diesel with available seating for eight). Sounds perfect. Also the Transit Connect available on the other side of the pond is available with a diesel, and manual transmission, and AWD! We won't see that here for the foreseeable future, unless we the public can convince Ford to give it a try here.
For me? I want a 1.8L TDCi Tourneo Connect with a manual transmission, eight seats, and AWD. (If it was lifted, with rugged steel wheels and semi knobby tires, had a grill protector, fold flat bench seats, and a popup camper roof with a roof rack and a ladder on the back door, and a hitch for a scooter/bicycle hauler, that would be just great!)
Tourneo pics.
With the tall roof.
And looks a little better without the tall roof, but I bet that head room is worth it.
What do you think? Should we petition Ford USA for more options?
