The 2010 Ford Transit Connect made its North American debut at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show.

Could a boxy Turkish-built minivan be the next big thing in commercial delivery vans? Ford CEO Alan Mulally thinks so, which is why a funky Euro-market compact is coming to North America.

What We Know About the 2010 Ford Transit Connect

Ford Motor Company may be floundering in North America, but it’s doing swimmingly most everywhere else. Appealing products are the reason, and CEO Alan Mulally has decided to bring some of those to the U.S. in hopes of jump-starting sales without spending much money—fast running low, thanks to continuing big losses in North America. Among these foreign recruits is a compact front-wheel-drive commercial van built in low-wage Turkey for the European market, the Transit Connect, and its upscale twin, the Tourneo Connect. Ford has announced that the commercial van will be offered in select North American markets during 2009. Ford says Transit Connect is purpose built for small business owners, and it offers a fuel-efficient alternative to full-size commercial vans.

The Connect has actually been around since 2002 and has seen no major change since, yet it remains popular as a versatile, thrifty compact hauler in a region where cities are quite crowded and fuel quite expensive. Small utility vans are big business in Europe, favored as light-duty urban delivery vehicles and as errand-runners by plumbers and other trades. Yet families also buy them as roomier, lower-cost alternatives to conventional minivans and station wagons. Manufacturers have lately taken note by adding passenger versions, some of them quite deluxe. Moreover, a certain funky functionalism has made small commercial vehicles a minor fad among trendy European youth, a fact evidently not lost on Mr. Mulally. It’s the very reason the ugly-cute Scion xB made such a big splash in the U.S. Could a 2010 Ford Transit Connect, er, connect in the same way? We think so.

Ford created the Connect to supplement its larger Transit vans and trucks, the European equivalent of U.S. Econolines. Though the company claims Connect is a “dual-purpose” design “built on a unique, dedicated commercial vehicle architecture,” insiders say some of the DNA is shared with the U.S.-market Focus compact car. That’s a good thing, because it means the Connect is sort of “pre-wired” for U.S. safety and emissions regulations. About the only changes that might be needed are a few structural upgrades and provisions for curtain side airbags. Front-drive powertrains from the American Focus should bolt in with little trouble. Even Ford’s signature horizontal-bar grille is in place, part of a 2006-model freshening.

In Europe, the Transit/Tourneo Connect line comprises standard-length models with two or four side doors and stretched high-roof four-doors standing nearly 10 inches taller on a 10-inch longer wheelbase. Based on the examples Ford displayed at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show--and the preliminary specifications the company released--it looks like the North American Transit Connect will be the long-wheelbase version and it may sport a combination of Euro-market Transit and Toureno Connect features.

North American models use minivan-style sliding rear doors on each side. Ford's press materials say that privacy glass will be standard on the sliding doors, but we wouldn't be surprised if windowless doors were also offered. Out back, Transit Connect buyers will find swing-out cargo doors. Final details aren't clear, but Ford says North American versions will have two-row seating for five. The rear bench seat is split 70/30 to allow carrying two passengers together with slim items like a bicycle. Both seat sections tumble and fold to make a flat load deck, or can be removed for max cargo space.

The Connect is no tin box, with base curb weight listed at around 3000 pounds. So far, Ford's says the only available powertrain on our side of the Atlantic will be a gasoline-fired 2.0-liter four cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Remember Transit Connect is front drive, so this combo is likely very similar to the one found in the North American 2008 Ford Focus. Ford estimates fuel economy at 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Ford says the 2010 Transit Connect is a fuel-efficient compact van aimed at small businesses.

A Notable Feature of the 2010 Ford Transit Connect

The 2010 Ford Transit Connect will offer cargo volume of about 130 cubic feet behind the front seats. That's about the same cargo room as in Ford's largest SUV, the Expedition EL.

Buying Advice for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect

With its city-friendly size, big-space interior, and likely good fuel economy, the 2010 Ford Transit Connect should appeal to all sorts of commercial buyers. The perky slab-sided styling will certainly be hard to miss, and that, too, is a good thing, as the current Ford lineup is rather low on the attention-getting scale. The utilitarian Transit Connect van could be a surprise hit, if only because there’s nothing else like it on the U.S. market with the arguable exception of the Chevrolet HHR Panel wagon.

2010 Ford Transit Connect Release Date: Exact timing is unclear, but Mr. Mulally probably wants the Connect here as soon as possible, so we’d expect an on-sale date in the first quarter of 2009.

2010 Ford Transit Connect First Test Drive: Assuming the above proves out, media previews for the U.S.-market Connect should be scheduled for late in calendar 2008.

2010 Ford Transit Connect Prices: Setting competitive price points is tough for any automaker in today’s fast-moving global economy, but the 2010 Ford Transit Connect will likely come in at the low end of the compact-car spectrum. That could put cargo models at around $12,000 before options.

The 2010 Ford Transit Connect uses a tall, boxy design to provide for maximum cargo room and relatively small exterior dimensions.

For more inside information on hundreds of new cars of today and tomorrow, check out:

• Consumer Guide New Car Reviews and Prices: Road test results, photos, specifications, and prices for hundreds of new cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs from the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide.
• Fords: Read Consumer Guide's full reports, including ratings, prices, specifications, and fuel economy.
• Compact cars: The 2010 Ford Transit Connect will compete in the compact car class. Here's Consumer Guide's roundup of all the compact cars on sale today.
• Fuel-economy leaders: The EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Ours are real. Here are the fuel-economy leaders as determined in Consumer Guide tests.
• Future Cars: Check out what's just on the horizon.