From £14,5158
Entry-level van-based Tourneo is another success for the Ecoboost triple. Flexible, zesty, great value, hugely spacious.

What is it?

This is Ford’s entry-level engine derivative of its Tourneo Connect utility MPV. And it’s a car that’s part of a sudden explosion of boxy-looking Fords on UK roads – a phenomenon that probably won’t have escaped your attention. All of them look a bit like the new Ford Transit, and that isn’t by coincidence. There is now a Transit family of light commercial vehicles, ranging from the Fiesta-based Transit Courier at the bottom of the pyramid up to the full-sized Transit ‘jumbo’ at the top.

The two medium-sized vans between those extremes – the Connect and the Custom – both have ‘Tourneo’-branded passenger car doubles, and it’s the smaller of the two we’re interested in here. A rival to the Fiat Doblo and Citroen Berlingo, the Tourneo Connect comes in regular five- or ‘Grand’ seven-seat versions, and is based on Ford’s ‘Global C’ platform – just like the current Focus. 

Even in standard five-seat form, this is a full-sized family car that’s more practical in many ways than even an Ford S-Max MPV. But it’s priced like a Ford B-Max; from little more than £14k.

What's it like?

Being totally slab-sided and square-cornered, the Connect offers huge cabin space. Passenger room is on a par with a large executive saloon in most respects, but headroom is even more abundant than that. Sliding rear doors make accessing the back seats easier in tight spaces; the front passenger seatback folds to accommodate extra-long loads.

The only disappointment is that the back seats don’t slide fore and aft – but they do tumble forwards to clear the way for really bulky loads. With everything folded, this car can carry 2410 litres of luggage. ‘Cargo’, more likely. It’s huge – the kind of car to just throw things into. Bikes, dogs, lounge furniture – you name it.

The compromises you’ll have to accept for that kind of space and value for money are on desirability, quality and rolling refinement. You’ll have noticed the first of those already – and frankly, you’ll either be willing to accept tooling around in something that looks so much like a van, or you won’t.

The Connect’s cabin, though entirely robust and functional, is only satisfactory on material quality. Some of the fittings and switches look and feel a bit basic. Not cheap – but certainly cheaper than you’d get on a proper passenger car. But relative to what you’ll find on a Doblo or Berlingo, they’re much more respectable.

To drive, the Connect is quietly impressive in lots of ways. It rides bumps in slightly stiff-legged fashion, and pogos a bit when the surface gets really bad - though would doubtless settle down the more load you put in it. 

That apart, the car’s quite refined and handles perfectly well. The steering’s got good weight and directness, and feels consistent at all times. The body’s well controlled, remaining upright even when you’re cornering quickly. Grip levels are quite high and well-balanced; the car’s ever-stable but never inert or dull to drive. Ride apart, the Connect feels every inch the modern Ford passenger car.

And choosing a Connect with a 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol engine wouldn’t be the maddest thing you’ve ever done, either. The turbo triple is unexpectedly quiet, and while it doesn’t give the Connect much outright pace, it’s flexible and obliging throughout the rev range. You’ll need all six speeds on that gearbox in you want to hurry the car along – and with a heavy load aboard and climbing hard, you might want for a bit of low-end torque. 

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But times like that are few and far between. Mostly, the Ecoboost engine just makes the Connect strangely zesty, well-mannered – and reasonably frugal (mid-40s-mpg on our mixed test drive).

Should I buy one?

Depends mostly if you mind the ‘light commercial’ associations. The Connect’s boxy looks are the worst of those by far. If you can stomach those, chances are you won’t find a compromise anywhere else on the car that’ll discourage you. And considering how much car you’re getting for the money, and how much use you could put it to, we certainly wouldn’t blame you.

Ford Tourneo Connect 1.0 Ecoboost Zetec 

Price £15,895 0-62mph 14.0sec Top speed 103mph Economy 50.4mpg Co2 129g/km Kerbweight 1429kg Engine three cylinders in line, 999cc, turbocharged petrol Power 99bhp at 6000rpm Torque 126lb ft at 4100rpm Gearbox six-speed manual

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce PhantomTesla RoadsterAriel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren SennaRenault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

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fadyady 19 June 2014

The tiny 1L unit

excels in the small Fiesta but I'm not so sure of it scoring similar success in larger Fords. Tourneo is huge I wonder how would this engine cope when it's fully laden?
Tuatara 20 June 2014

fadyady wrote:excels in the

fadyady wrote:

excels in the small Fiesta but I'm not so sure of it scoring similar success in larger Fords. Tourneo is huge I wonder how would this engine cope when it's fully laden?

It just seems cruel to expect such a small horse to work so hard.

johnythecash 20 June 2014

fadyady wrote:excels in the

fadyady wrote:

excels in the small Fiesta but I'm not so sure of it scoring similar success in larger Fords. Tourneo is huge I wonder how would this engine cope when it's fully laden?

and how long it will stay away from service..

Oilburner 19 June 2014

Better than the Galaxy?

In many ways, this makes far more sense than a Ford Galaxy does for people that want/need outright space and seats . Those that don't want a box on wheels can go for the S-Max instead.

Put it a decent diesel in it for pulling the caravan and I may be interested. Although I accept it's not going to win any style awards... :)

A34 19 June 2014

Add Auto and make it a Motabilitywagon

Looks like a cheap(ish) lifestyle ("blue collar is so cool") C-Max. The extra load capacity makes it quite an interesting proposition, and presumably the 1.0 makes it a better (and cheaper) car for smaller / non-motorway journey profiles. But note you can get bottom-rung CMaxen quite cheap too...