2008 New York Auto Show: Ford Rolls Out a New Take on the Taxicab

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NEW YORK — It's not a hybrid, but Ford earned brownie points among members of the green movement on Wednesday with the debut of its Transit Connect Taxi Concept at the 2008 New York Auto Show. The new concept is a more sensible take on urban transportation — compared with such old Ford warhorses as the Crown Victoria — for a time when gas prices threaten to cross the $4 per gallon threshold.

The Transit Connect uses a standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine linked to an automatic transmission. Ford pegs the concept's fuel economy at 19 mpg in the city, a number it describes as "a more than 30 percent improvement in fuel economy and nearly 90 percent lower tailpipe emissions than many of today's traditional taxis."

Wisely, Ford uses a post-modern take on classic taxicab-yellow paint. Ford describes the exterior color as a "more modern hue that contrasts with the deep gray, molded-in-color fender flares."

The taxi concept features a new infotainment and navigation system that shows passengers their accumulating cab fare and scrolling news, weather, sports scores and a stock ticker. The driver's area comes with a fold-flat passenger seat that Ford says doubles as a work station. It also gets a version of the Ford Work Solutions integrated computer.

What this means to you: What better place to roll out a new taxi than the Big Apple? — Anita Lienert, Correspondent