Ford will showcase the new Transit Connect Wagon later this month at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but they have been doing everything they can to convince people the vehicle isn't a minivan.
Despite having sliding doors and seven seats, Ford is refusing to call the vehicle a minivan in an attempt to sell more vehicles. Simply put the company wants to get back into the minivan business after a six year absence, but they don't feel vehicles that contain the word "minivan" in the name sell well.
"It's anything but a minivan," said David Mondragon, Ford's general manager of marketing to Fox News. "In our mind, it's a people mover. We think of it as more of a utility, or kind of a hybrid sport utility, than a minivan."
The Connect Wagon, which is based on Ford's Transit Connect commercial van according to the company's website, has the higher roof than the previous model, and also got rid of the "industrial-looking hood" for a narrower appearance. The grille also has more of a Ford feel to it than the previous model according to The New York Times.
With five to seven seats depending on the model and two sliding doors, the van could certainly pass for a minivan despite what the company says. The vehicle will also be priced like a minivan as well.
Ford has yet to reveal the price of the vehicle, but they've said to expect it to fall around the same range as the Dodge Grand Caravan which is $19,995. In the end, the Connect could fall more within a range of at least $30,000 to $40,000.
2000 was a popular year for minivans according to Fox as 1.37 vehicles were purchased that year, the highest amount of minivans ever sold. In 2011 however, only 472,000 were sold according to Strategic Vision.
"Yes, the term minivan is polarizing, but for those who are open to a minivan-styled vehicle, most do not care or worry about such stigma," said Alexander Edwards, the head of Strategic Vision's automotive division to Fox News.
The new vehicle will be sold in the U.S., Europe, and Asia and produced at the Ford production plant in Valencia, Spain. Approximately 35,000 Transit Connects are sold in the U.S. yearly.
More specifics about the vehicle will be released when the car is offically showcased at the LA Auto Show. The vehicle will go on sale offically next fall.
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