Ford may introduce another Turkish made LCV to the US market

Hurriyet - Ford Otosan’s next generation light commercial vehicle, 7th generation Transit, may follow its predecessor, Transit Connect, to the US market. The joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Türkiye’s Koc Holding has been exporting its Transit Connect model light commercial vehicle (LCV) to the US market since May, 2009.

Ford’s current dominant position in the US LCV market faces stiff competition and a revamp of its product line may help fend off rivals like Nissan, according to industry sources.

“Ford will introduce a new LCV that is available in European markets to the USA,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s Group Vice President of Global Product Development. The strongest candidate among available options is Ford-Otosan’s Turkish-produced Transit, which is about to evolve into its 7th generation.

Ford-Otosan will invest over USD 630 million in its Kocaeli plant in western Türkiye for the production of the new version of Transit. The company has exported over 50,000 vehicles to the USA over the last two years.