The Ford Tourneo Connect is based on the Transit Connect van, with various extra trimmings designed to push it out of the commercial vehicle sector and into the competitive MPV market.
The five-seat version is called the Tourneo Connect, the larger Grand Tourneo Connect is available with seven seats. Both include rear-sliding doors and large-capacity boots with low loading heights to make carrying objects easier.
There are three engine options available - a base-spec 99bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol, plus a 1.5-litre Duratorq diesel in either 99bhp or 118bhp guises.
Ford's five-seat option is likely to take the majority of sales, and slots in between the current C-Max and Grand C-Max in Ford's lineup. The rear row of seats split 60/40 and can either be tumbled forward or removed altogether - increasing the standard 1089 litres of storage space to 2410 litres.
The cabin is light, airy and spacious. The latter effect is enhanced by the addition of large windows in both models, plus the optional panoramic sunroof. In a bid to stop potential buyers being turned off by the commercial-vehicle connotations of the Tourneo badge, however, Ford is offering the Tourneo Connect with the same Zetec and Titanium trim levels offered on its conventional road cars.
The not-so-entry-level Zetec comes with electric windows, Ford's Quickclear heated windscreeen, front foglights, and heated and folding wing mirrors, while inside there is DAB radio, air conditioning and a manually adjustable driver's seat, while the range-topping Titanium models add an arm rest for the driver, cruise control, rear-parking sensors, alloy wheels, panaromic glass roof and active city stop braking system.
Ford says it expects Zetec trim to be the biggest seller, and it's easy to see why. There's really no need for the luxuries that Titanium specification brings, and they go against the rough-and-ready ideal of the Tourneo Connect.
There's a range of engine options available, starting with the entry-level 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol, which produces 99bhp and 125lb ft of torque. We tried this engine in the smaller five-door Tourneo Connect, and although it did run out of puff fairly quickly the tiny EcoBoost still provides enough pull to get around.
It's loud under load, though, and we don't think we'd choose it for long journeys. Remember that even the five-door weighs 1420kg, while the seven-door puts that up to 1523kg - however the larger Tourneo Connect isn't available with this 1.0-litre engine, sensibly.
