Okay, so we wrote about (and gushed over) the forthcoming Ford Transit Connect panel van upon its Chicago debut last month, and as cool as it was, the cargo-hauler can't hold a candle to this new Transit Connect Taxi Concept, fittingly created for the New York Auto Show. With a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, the T.C. Taxi promises 30-percent better fuel economy than the geriatric Crown Victoria — while offering vastly more space for riders and their luggage, better visibility, and an array of advanced features. We love the 13-inch touch-screen display that provides to rear-seat riders such info as current fare, a follow-along nav system noting points of interest, and a host of in-car entertainment options. There's even a card-swipe slot, allowing passengers to pay up using a debit or credit card, complete with tip.
There are more than 13,000 yellow cabs in New York City, and Ford has pretty much owned the market since the demise of the Chevy Caprice; the Crown Vic is ubiquitous, and the company's fleet of Escape Hybrids has grown to more than 800 from the initial batch of 18 that arrived in 2005 (all, says Ford, still with their first nickel-metal-hydride batteries, despite near-continuous use and three abusive New York winters). There's no word on production plans for the Transit Connect taxi, but it's certain that such a vehicle would be cheaper to purchase and run — and at least as durable — as a body-on-frame behemoth like the Crown Vic or a gasoline-electric SUV like the Escape Hybrid. And unlike the Vic or the Escape, the T.C. Taxi has real character. It could be the Big Apple's Checker Marathon for the 21st century.
More photos after the break, courtesy of Ford.
