DEARBORN, MI --- Ford has confirmed EPA fuel economy for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect at 22 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 miles per gallon on the highway.

"Transit Connect will be a useful small business tool," said Chief Engineer Rob Stevens. "It drives like a car, works like a van and is engineered to be as tough as a truck."

Ford said it is tapping its global portfolio of products to meet the needs of American small business owners with the 2010 Transit Connect. It represents a spacious new alternative to larger commercial vehicles and is designed for navigating congested cities.

Ford Transit Connect is designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford of Europe to beat tough, light commercial vehicle durability standards.

The Transit Connect is powered by a Duratec 2.0-liter DOHC I-4 engine, featuring four valves per cylinder and an aluminum block and head. Sequential multiport electronic fuel injection provides precise fuel metering. This engine delivers an estimated 136 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 128 ft.-lbs. of torque at 4,750 rpm.

The engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transaxle with overdrive. A final-drive ratio of 4.20 to 1 is specified to give Transit Connect pulling power for the long haul, and fifteen-inch steel wheels with P205/65R-15 black sidewall tires put it in contact with the road.

The Transit Connect was developed to be durable, with a boron steel front crossmember, a high-strength steel reinforced body shell, twin-side cross members and side-impact protection. Several areas of the body structure are double-skinned for additional strength.