• by Karl Greenberg , April 10, 2009

Those who are old enough to remember when vans didn't refer to a hip brand of sneakers will know that there aren't too many vehicles around these days that you can fit out with shag carpeting and a waterbed.

Ford is hoping to capture a corner of that -- well, not precisely that -- in the U.S. automotive market by importing its Transit Connect vehicle, a more aerodynamic take on the small commercial van, and a big seller overseas.

Ford is hoping that consumers -- particularly small-business owners -- will climb over each other for one, as there hasn't been anything like it since Chevrolet discontinued the Astro (and GMC Safari) four years ago. Since then, caterers, plumbers, cable guys, florists -- you name it -- have had to make do either with big white boxes like Ford's own Econoline or vehicles like the Dodge Sprinter.

Damoni Hurt, a Ford SUV marketing manager, says there's also a big white space in the market for Transit Connect, which goes on sale this summer. "Since Chevy left the segment, the market for smaller vans has gotten fragmented," he says. "People who need that functionality have had to rely on minivans, B-segment vehicles (like Chevy HHR or Honda Element), pickups and small SUVs. We think we will be that solution for people who have had to go to other kinds of vehicles because there just is no purpose-built vehicle for them."

Per Hurt, Ford has sold some 600,000 of the vehicles on three continents, including Europe, since its 2003 debut. He says Ford will prime the U.S. market with consumer events in 13 major cities this year as part of a road show called "Transit Connect Across America." Ford is kicking off the program with a media ride-and-drive program in Washington, D.C. timed with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's America's Small Business Summit next month. Ford is also bringing the vehicle to trade shows.

"The U.S. events will include both media and consumer events," he says. "We will be inviting consumers to big-box retailers like Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Lowe's and Home Depot where small business owners tend to frequent. We want to let them drive it, experience its maneuverability, and showcase the Ford Works solutions."

The latter feature is an in-dash computer system comprising radio-frequency tracking for tools, and an assortment of database programs for things like inventory, scheduling, and tracking.

Chevrolet once marketed the Astro as the vehicle for people whose lives were too big for minivans, and Ford may be testing those family-friendly waters, too. The company showed a conceptualized version of the van -- Family One -- at the New York International Auto Show, and Hurt says Ford has also shown it at kid-friendly places like the Ann Arbor, Mich. Hands On Museum to see if moms take to it.

"The vehicle has retail applications in Europe, where it is more of a people mover," says Hurt, adding that whether or not Ford considers a production model Transit Connect as an un-minivan will depend on consumer feedback at shows and events.

Ultimately, says Hurt, the success of the vehicle will depend on whether that "white space" is real or a mirage. "When Chevrolet left the market, Astra had 30,000 registrations," says. "And those customers are hanging onto those vehicles because they have nothing else, so we think it's the right opportunity."