2014 Ford Fiesta, Transit Connect to Gain MyKey

The Ford Fiesta and Transit Connect are probably the most pertinent vehicles for the brand to offer with its MyKey restrictive system but neither come with it… until now.

First introduced in the 2010 Focus compact, Ford’s MyKey system controls a handful of functions in most of its lineup in an attempt to woo parents worried about their children driving. It didn’t take long for the system to find its way through most of the brand’s product line, but the Transit Connect van and Fiesta sub-compact are the only two in North America that can’t come with the system.

“Both of those models pick up the feature in the [2014] model year,” said Ford spokesman Alan Hall in an email.

What’s interesting about that is how those two in some ways make a stronger case for the restrictions than most of the brand’s other products.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Ford Fiesta Review

In case you’re unfamiliar, MyKey restricts the maximum stereo volume, which satellite radio stations you can listen to, the car’s top speed and several other parts of the car. The primary purpose is to encourage, and to a degree, enforce safe driving habits. It’s part of Ford’s spiel to convince parents its cars are good for young drivers.

The Fiesta is Ford’s least expensive product with a starting MRSP of $15,090 mated to the six-speed automatic transmission — the fraction of new drivers who pick a stick is part of a quickly shriveling demographic. That price includes delivery and excludes incentives; it also makes the Fiesta cheaper than anything else with MyKey and therefore an attractive first car.

So what about the Transit Connect, the commercial van with looks that would make Quasimodo blush? It’s likely to be found in corporate fleets, the one place a car is as likely to suffer frequent abuse on par with teenage shenanigans.

Once the 2014 model year arrives, business owners will be able to enjoy all the control afforded within that system.

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