2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon announced

Ford has introduced the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon, a vehicle the automaker is calling “so unique it is a revolution in seven-passenger transportation.” We won't know whether or not it is truly revolutionary until we can get behind the wheel, but at first glance, the new vehicle appears to be a very tall wagon or a small minivan, or a Transit Connect with larger windows.

The Transit Connect Wagon is tied to Ford's current car lineup aesthetically via the characteristic Blue Oval hexagonal grille, but it's the van/wagon's utility that will likely become its biggest selling point.

Ford claims the Transit Connect Wagon will be able to swallow a 1,200 lb. payload or tow up to 2,000 pounds if properly equipped.

The list of options and features Ford has released for the Transit Connect Wagon so far suggests that buyers will be relatively free to configure the vehicle to meet their specific needs.

To start, Ford will offer the vehicle with two different wheelbase lengths and two different engine options. The automaker expects one, a 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four, to be good for at least 30 mpg on the highway. The other is a 2.5-liter inline four. Both are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Inside, buyers can select a five- or seven-passenger seating configuration and choose between XL, XLT and Titanium trim levels. Fold-flat seating and a choice of hinged rear doors or a conventional liftgate should make loading and unloading cargo relatively straightforward.

Ford reports that an unspecified number of additional “meaningful” options, from a panoramic glass roof to touch-screen navigation, will be on the table as well.

The Transit Connect Wagon is expected to go on sale in the fall of 2013. Details, including specifications, full feature availability and pricing, have not yet been released.

By Graham Kozak