Which Ford compact panel van replaced the Escort Van and Courier vans?

The Ford Transit Connect replaced the Ford Escort Van and Ford Courier vans.

Ford introduced the Transit Connect in Europe in 2002 as a purpose-built compact commercial vehicle. It replaced earlier small vans derived from passenger cars, specifically the three-door Escort Van and the smaller Fiesta-based Courier van. Unlike those predecessors, the Transit Connect was designed from the outset around the practical needs of commercial users.

The model was developed by Ford of Europe and positioned below the full-size Ford Transit. Its compact dimensions, sliding side doors, panel-van body, and available long-wheelbase layout made it better suited to urban delivery work than a converted hatchback. Passenger-oriented versions were sold under the Tourneo Connect name in many markets.

The Transit Connect also became important in North America. From 2010, Ford imported it from Europe, where cargo versions were adapted to avoid the U.S. 25% chicken tax. The van was shipped in passenger configuration and converted after importation. That tariff workaround is sometimes confused with the model’s replacement history, but the predecessor question is about Ford’s European Escort and Courier vans.