Ford's Valencia plant will stop the production of the Transit Connect
- Within the Ford utility models range in Europe, there are currently two Ford Transit Connect models (N1-2 segment): a first released in 2013 and based on a platform designed by Ford and a second, marketed in 2022 and based on a platform designed by VW (especially for the VW Caddy).
- Between 2002 and 2013, the first Ford Transit Connect (Ford design) was produced at the Turkish plant in Kocaeli. It was then produced in Spain (Valencia plant) when it was renewed in 2013. The second Ford Transit Connect (VW design) has been produced since 2022 in Poland at the VW plant in Poznan (alongside the VW Caddy).
- The Transit Connect was only marketed in Europe and Turkey until 2009. Since then, the model has been marketed both in Europe, Turkey and in the USA and Canada (with only a long wheelbase for these last two markets).
- Despite the launch of the new generation of the Transit Connect (VW design) intended only for the European and Turkish markets, Ford continued to produce the old version in Valencia for the American and Canadian markets. But sales of the model in these two markets have declined sharply, from 52,000 units in 2015 to 43,000 in 2016, 34,000 in 2017 and 25,000 in 2022.
- Ford once considered replacing the old model with a new Transit Connect designed and produced in North America. But given the low sales volumes of the model and the low potential of this segment, Ford simply decided to withdraw this model from the American and Canadian markets. Consequently, the Valencia plant will cease producing the older generation Transit Connect. It is the fourth model to be phased out since last year at this plant after the Ford Mondeo, Ford Galaxy and Ford S-Max.