Developed together with Mazda for the Asian market, the 1999 Ford Econovan was a small, affordable minivan used for people transport and as a light commercial vehicle.
On the Asian market, the light-utility vehicles were used as a basis for all kinds of transformations, from just a regular van use up to campers. Since the Econovan was an affordable vehicle built on a solid chassis, it made it one of the best choices for such conversions. The car was also known as Mazda Bongo.

Mazda design team created a cab-forward concept, with a raked windshield that started just above the front panel. The engine and gearbox were mounted between the front occupants, under a high center tunnel. There were two regular doors in the front to access the cabin, two sliding doors on the side, and a big liftgate at the car’s back. The car was offered with a short or long wheelbase. The latter featured sliding windows for the door area.

The instrument cluster featured an unusual design with the fuel gauge and coolant temperature indicator installed inside the tachometer dial. An LCD screen for the clock was placed at the bottom of the speedometer. Since the vehicle was made as an LCV, the base version didn’t have power windows or air-conditioning. The upper trim level featured both of that and side windows for the passenger area.

Ford offered the Econovan with either a 2.0-liter gasoline or a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, both paired to a 5-speed manual.