Ford Reports Brisk Sales of Its New Fuel-Efficient Transit Connect Compact Vans

Ford Motor Co. sold more than 2,000 of its model year 2010 Transit Connect compact vans during the first full month they were available in the U.S., the company announced today.

Ford said the new commercial vehicles are selling in under 10 days of arrival on dealer lots, significantly quicker than current industry norms.

The automaker is targeting small business operators and fleet customers for the fuel-efficient Turkish vans, which are smaller than comparably priced U.S.-made models.

The van has a suggested retail price of $20,780, comes in eight styles, and gets combined city/highway fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon, according to Edmunds.com.

Jody Slucker, commercial business manager in Ford's North Central region, said the Chicago market leads the nation for Transit Connect fleet and business sales, while Southern California has seen the highest number of sales to non-business users.

Dealers in Southern California have reported sales to a diverse range of hobbyists needing extra space to efficiently haul everything from show dogs to motor scooters.

Early commercial buyers represent a cross section of small businesses, Slucker said, including laundromats, caterers, door-and-lock companies, painters, electricians, restaurant suppliers, satellite dish installers, carpet installers and commercial carpet cleaners.

Ford said three recent surveys of small business owners showed entrepreneurs were "seeing positive marketplace signals."

"We see rising optimism among small business owners and strong demand for arriving Transit Connect vehicles among this group as reflections of an encouraging economic uptick," said Len Deluca, head of the automaker's commercial truck sales and marketing.

Excellent. May the battered U.S. economy continue to improve.

Posted by

Scott Doggett September 1, 2009, 1:05 PM

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2010 Ford Transit Connect, Edmunds.com, Fuel Economy, Fuel Effcient, Fuel-Efficient