Spy cameras have hauled in this oddball Focus earlier today, complete with a tall hood and suspension and a large insert between the rear doors and fenders. What could it be?
The best guess we have heard so far identifies it as a test mule of the third-gen Transit Connect/Tourneo Connect compact panel van. The Connect currently on the market ships with a variety of engines, including a 1.0 TSI (100 hp / 75 kW), a 1.5 TDI (75 – 120 hp, 56 – 90 kW), and 2.0 TSI (152 hp / 114 kW, USA only).
The next generation will likely introduce mild hybrid power to the range, or possibly the Custom Plug-In Hybrid Concept system where a 1.0 TSI engine is used solely as a power generator for a 13.6-kWh battery. Once you run out of gasoline, you should still have around 50 kilometers (31 miles) of range remaining thanks to the fully charged battery.
The longest Transit Connect body has a wheelbase 3,060 millimeters (10.05 feet) long. The test mule shown on the photos appears to have the same wheelbase.
Ford had used a Focus wagon body to test the next-gen Fusion/Mondeo before, so maybe the new Ford Transit Connect/Tourneo Connect will be based on the C2 architecture of the latest Focus. We will not know for sure until the premiere, which should happen in 2021.