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"  If you&amp;#039;ve been paying attention over the last two decades, you&amp;#039;ve noticed the that minivan\u2026 isn&amp;#039;t. Segment leaders have grown to such huge proportions that there&amp;#039;s nothing mini about them, while the original promise of fuel efficient people moving has dwindled. The Mazda5 sticks to the original concept, but it doesn&amp;#039;t sell in serious numbers. Ford has been out of the minivan market since discontinuing the Windstar/Freestar, but now the company has announced a full-throated return with the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon. In its first generation, the Transit Connect was aimed at the commercial stuff-moving market with only a tiny nod to a consumer option package. The Transit Connect is still available as a pocket-sized workhorse, but for 2014 it&amp;#039;s also getting a family-friendly makeover. New styling inside and out aligns the TC with the rest of the Ford showroom. It&amp;#039;s the options, however, that make this new model a contender against its bigger brethren. There are now two wheelbases, the original 104.5-inch with a maximum of five seats and a new 120.6-inch to accommodate a seven passenger layout. A traditional lift gate joins the original side-by-side swinging barn doors at the rear for access. There are two engines now, a 2.5-liter four cylinder or the 1.6-liter Ecoboost four cylinder upgrade. Both get hooked up to a six speed automatic transmission. Ford hasn&amp;#039;t published power figures for either, but expects fuel economy in the 30-mpg range for the Ecoboost model. Since this minivan is all about moving stuff, let&amp;#039;s talk capacities. Passenger volume inside is prodigious: 122.6 cubic feet for the short wheelbase, and 168.5 for the long. Legroom seems surprisingly good for such a small footprint: 41.3 inches up front, 38.1 inches in the second row, and a maximum of 35.5 inches in the optional third row (and that third row slides fore and aft to balance legroom against behind-the-seats cargo room).  All the seats behind the driver&amp;#039;s row fold down for a flat load floor, giving the TC a maximum of 104 cubic feet of cargo room. You can buy a Transit without seats, or you can remove and store them. In maximum cargo mode, the Ford will hold a full pallet and 1200 lbs of stuff. The little bugger can even tow 2000 lbs. In minivan mode, the three trim levels are the from industrial-indestructible XL, to upgraded XLT, and the top-of-the-line Titanium. Productivity tools like Ford Works Solutions remain available, but now there&amp;#039;s a 6.5-inch touchscreen, navigation, Sync, and MyFord Touch. Passengers will enjoy the panoramic sunroof option, soft touch materials throughout the interior, leather seating, and plenty of airbags for safety. Drivers in northern climates will love the electric front window defroster, something European drivers have been enjoying for years. We&amp;#039;re excited to see how Ford&amp;#039;s compact Swiss Army Knife stacks up as a true family wagon. The van will make its debut at the LA Auto Show later this month and go on sale some time in 2013. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a8402/ford-transit-connect-wagon-the-true-minivan-returns-14725992/>