Spy shot of the 2022 Ford Transit Connect

Ford is set to unveil a new generation of Transit Connect vans, and an early test rack has been spotted.

Using a makeshift body from a Ford Focus wagon to hide the mechanicals, this test mule may at first glance look like a tester for the new soft-roader that will replace the Ford Fusion. But look a little closer and you will notice that the latest test mule has a longer wheelbase and a taller nose.

If this test mule is the redesigned Transit Connect, Ford appears to be increasing the size of the van. This is presumably to fill in for the Ford Flex, which will be retired after 2019.

It is not clear what powertrains are planned, but a plug-in hybrid option is expected. This would likely be a turbocharged 1.0-liter inline 3-cylinder combined with an electric drive system. Such a setup is already available in the Tourneo Custom van that Ford sells abroad.

The only thing Ford said about the redesigned Transit Connect is that it will be produced at the Hermosillo assembly plant in Mexico starting in 2021. The plant is currently home to the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, but production of both sedans is scheduled to end this year. Meanwhile, the current Transit Connect is sourced from Spain.

Expect the redesigned Transit Connect to debut in 2021 as a 2022 model.