The Transit Connect Family One Concept is based on the Transit Connect model, which goes on sale in the U.S. this summer, starting at $21,475.

“The customers we envisioned when developing the Family One are cosmopolitan parents in their mid-30s with highly refined design sensitivities,” said Ford Designer Chiwei Lee.

“They waited until they were ready for children and see parenthood as adding to their aesthetic portfolio, instead of smashing it.”

Transit Connect has a utilitarian form that offers 135 cubic feet of space on a compact platform.

The vibrant color scheme and expansive greenhouse area combine to give the Family One concept friendly visual character and a bright, airy interior space.

“For children, the conceptual intent of the vehicle is to be as engaging and entertaining when parked as it is on the go,” added Lee.

“The Family One easily transitions from functional family mobility to ‘base camp’ when the coolest mom puts the shift lever into the park position.”

The second-row seats in the concept provide youth passengers with ample room to get comfortable, enjoy projected digital media entertainment on the bulkhead-mounted sunshade screens or look through the expansive windows.

Side rear inner door panels are water-pen friendly and easily wipe clean.

Clever, family-friendly features include built-in hand sanitizer and sunscreen dispensers, family walkie-talkie radios that charge when docked, an integrated first-aid kit and cargo door-mounted folding twin scooters.

The storage area beneath the rear floor holds a folding stroller and an integrated awning extends from the open rear cargo doors. Seat covers are removable, washable and can be changed to redecorate and evolve with changing preferences.

The Transit Connect Family One concept vehicle uses in-dash computer technology to keep a family organized, on-schedule and properly equipped with everything from diaper bags to sporting goods, back packs and homework folders that populate the active family environment.

The Family One concept employs radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to keep track of all the items the active family needs to stay organized.

When the driver enters the vehicle with children, the in-dash computer will provide notification that Timmy’s hockey equipment is still in the front hall closet.

Using predictive algorithms to “learn” based on past usage, the system will identify missing musical instruments or homework on the way to school and will remind parents if they haven’t packed clubs for a scheduled Saturday golf outing.

The system is designed to be intuitively easy to operate, with minimal menu scrolling and programming. It also plays a role in safety – adding to peace of mind – as the system integrates with sensors to notify the driver if a child seat is improperly attached or tensioned.

The technology is designed to seamlessly integrate with the parents’ digital lifestyle.

The Family One concept is powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 engine – delivering 22 city and 25 highway miles per gallon – and features SmartGauge™ to help parents drive more efficiently.

The Family One concept is based on the Transit Connect, a global Ford platform adaptable to a wide variety of applications and capable to host different efficient engine alternatives, including battery electric propulsion.

About the Project

In October, the team arranged a display of five family-friendly people mover vehicles from Ford's global product portfolio outside the Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Guest respondents – representing 200 participating families – were invited to experience the display vehicles and were questioned regarding their individual preferences, likes and dislikes and asked to describe the type of person they envisioned as a driver of each vehicle.

Beyond the cost reduction and time savings, the Transit Connect Family One concept team came to understand that parents with younger children are open-minded to a fuel-efficient vehicle specifically targeted to their unique family needs.

(Souce: Ford)