What’s the range and prices like?

Pretty good. As with other budget MPVs in this class, it’s all about maximum space and versatility for the least outlay. The Ford Tourneo Connect scores well in all three areas.

The five-seat Tourneo Connect is available in three grades – Style, Zetec and Titanium.

Prices start from £14,245 for the Style 1.0-litre 100PS EcoBoost six-speed manual petrol with stop/start. It does 50.4 mpg, and company car tax is £40 a month for a basic rate tax payer. 

The five-seat Tourneo Connect range tops out at a reasonable £18,895 for the Titanium 1.6-litre six-speed petrol automatic. But for this model company car tax more than doubles to £86 a month for a basic rate tax payer, and even the official economy figure has dropped to a measly 35mpg. 

The corresponding diesel does 59mpg and company car tax is £63 a month. Much more sensible for a company car driver.

The seven-seat Grand Tourneo Connect is also available in Style, Zetec and Titanium grades, with prices starting at £16,985 for the Style 1.6 95PS diesel five-speed. This one promises 56.5mpg and company car tax will cost a basic rate tax payer £59 a month.

The Grand Tourneo range peaks with the Titanium 1.6 diesel offering 115PS through a six-speed manual gearbox. That will cost business car drivers on 20% income tax rate a cool £71 a month but it’s still economical at 59mpg.

How does it drive?

Ford’s very tried and equally tested 1.6 diesel engine is available in both the five- and seven-seat variants in two different states of tune – 95PS and 115PS – and is widely expected to be the best seller.

I drove both cars with this engine and it slightly exceeded my expectations with the difference of 20PS barely noticeable between the two under normal driving conditions. 

On the road, the Ford Tourneo Connect offers a very comfortable, refined and oddly quiet ride.

We’re not surprised. The van is brilliant to drive too – see our Ford Transit Connect review – go to the top of the class Henry.

As might be expected from a car born of a van of this nature, there is an almost acceptable degree of roll and float through the corners but the car never feels unnerving or disconnected in any way.

Also, as an errant rural Bavarian cyclist gave good cause to prove, the all-round disc brakes offer exceptional performance when required to do so, in a composed and safe way.

The steering is well weighted for its class and offers a greater degree of ‘feel’ than expected.

What’s it like inside?

Depending on the chosen specification, expect a utilitarian, no-nonsense approach.

All rear seats in both five- and seven-seat guise fold to allow a large level load area where two grown-ups could sleep if they wanted to. Head and legroom are excellent throughout both five- and seven-seat models.

Space and seating versatility win the day here because there’s plenty of both.

The rear doors both slide which is great for getting in and out, especially with children. The tailgate is carport-like when open.

Having the lowest load sill in its class completes the truly extraordinary space and functional benefit package of the Ford Tourneo Connect range.

There’s a host of smart storage areas including overhead lockers above the rear seats and luggage area. A glass panoramic roof is standard on the Titanium variant.

What’s hot?

• Fuel economy is good on both models and the 1.6 diesel manual with a choice of 95PS or 115PS returns an official 58.9mpg with 134g/km CO2 emissions, falling into Band E, with £125 road tax – at least for the time being.
• All Ford Tourneo Connect models are fitted with Active City Stop, Ford’s automatic emergency braking system, as standard, along with Ford SYNC – Ford’s voice activated in-car communications system.
• Rear suspension and driving dynamics are improved with the introduction of torsion beam, replacing the previous leaf-spring arrangement.
• Ford’s award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine joins the powerplant line-up, along with the Dagenham-built 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel.
• A refined automatic gearbox is available too when choosing the Bridgend-built 150PS 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. I drove it for a long spell and it performed surprisingly well.
• Space and functionality are the buzzwords on the 17-model Tourneo Connect range, along with price and efficiencies.

What’s not

• Not a lot really and certainly nothing that would break a deal.
• With Fagin-like undertones, Ford offers no air-conditioning as standard on entry-level Style grades. If you want it, you will need to find an extra £720. Frankly, I’d rather just open one of the two electric front windows.
• The oversized box of electronic sensors mounted behind the rear-view mirror is a major distraction for the driver.
• Some seat-folding parts are flimsy resulting in two failures during a pre-drive ‘discovery’ session.