5 minute read
Grand Tourneo Connect
FORECOURT FORD GRAND TOURNEO CONNECT
Power
The 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel produces 120bhp and 330Nm of torque.
The Grand Tourneo Connect is the firstborn of the new FordVolkswagen alliance – James Batchelor was invited to the christening...
THE KNOWLEDGE
Grand Tourneo Connect 2.0 122 EcoBlue Auto Active
Price (as tested): £32,696 Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel
Power: 120bhp
Torque: 330Nm
Max speed:
106mph
O-60mph: 13 seconds
MPG (combined):
52.9 mpg
Emissions:
140g/km CO2
WHAT IS IT?
Designing and developing new cars costs a lot of money. It’s for this reason many carmakers join forces to spread those costs, and one of the most recent alliances is between Ford and Volkswagen. The first child of the happy new marriage is the Tourneo Connect – a five- or seven-seat people mover that focuses on practicality and versatility in a world of high-riding SUVs.
WHAT’S NEW?
This Tourneo Connect is essentially a rebadged Volkswagen Caddy rather than a bespoke in-house offering like previous versions. So, there are different lights at the front, different badges and a large Ford grille – even the interior is essentially the same as the Caddy’s.
Volkswagen has happily switched the Caddy over to its famed MQB platform, promising it and the Tourneo Connect a more car-like feel to the way they drive. There’s also the choice of two bodystyles – the regular Tourneo comes as a five-seater with an option to add two seats in the boot, or a Grand Tourneo that gets seven seats as standard.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
The engines may well wear Ford’s ‘EcoBoost’ and ‘EcoBlue’ branding but they are in fact rebadged VW units. They comprise a 112bhp 1.5-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel with 102bhp (arriving later in 2023) or 120bhp, which are all available with six-speed manual or a sevenspeed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, with drive going to the front wheels.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
The blocky dimensions don’t bode well for a fun driving experience but there’s pleasure to be had behind the wheel. Thanks to that MQB platform, the family-friendly Ford rides and handles remarkably well, with relatively sharp and well-weighted steering. The suspension can get a bit floaty at higher speeds, but all in all this is a comfortable people mover that is surprisingly hushed with little wind noise, and it doesn’t bang, creek or rattle over potholes.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Style is very unlikely to feature high on potential buyers’ list of requirements when it comes to van-based people carriers, but Ford has tried to add a little interest here. The overall shape does look very Volkswagen versus the previous Tourneo Connect – which was an
in-house Ford design – but in mid-spec Active or top-spec Sport trim (the latter even coming with twin racing stripes) there’s enough Ford flair going on.
The Active trim, as tested, adds some grey body wheel arch cladding and silver-painted skid plates to give an off-roader vibe, but this is very much a road-biased vehicle.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
The Tourneo Connect gets the Caddy’s interior too, save for a few trim alterations and changes to where certain switchgear is placed. That means a modern-looking dashboard, and while there are plenty of hard plastics, the interior is solid and feels like it could withstand family life. The standard-length Tourneo Connect is roomy for five, but we’d question why buyers would specify the optional two extra seats in the boot when the Grand Tourneo Connect comes as a seven-seater as standard. There’s a decent-sized boot with all the seats in place, and with them removed there’s van-like room. The twin sliding doors make loading and unloading a breeze, too.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
There are three versions, with base-spec Titanium offering alloy wheels, heated front seats, keyless entry, roof rails, sat nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Active adds the off-road styling pack while Sport gets LED tail-lights and digital dials. The price jump from the standard wheelbase Tourneo to the long-wheelbase Grand is a very reasonable £960.
The Tourneo Connect is better equipped than its VW brother, and while that’s certainly a good thing on the whole, when it comes to the infotainment system it really isn’t a plus point. That’s because the Tourneo features VW’s larger touchscreen as standard, which relies on fiddly, touch-sensitive ‘sliders’ to adjust volume and heating. But our Grand Tourneo Connect Active test car fitted with 120bhp 2.0-litre diesel and seven-speed automatic gearbox seems good value at just over £32,600.
WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK?
What Car? said: ‘Fine to drive, very safe and has a huge price advantage over the mechanically similar Caddy, making it a practical choice for families not swayed by SUVs.’
WHAT DO WE THINK?
It’s great to see vehicles such as the Ford Grand Tourneo Connect still being offered by carmakers, as while seven-seat SUVs no doubt play the fashion card better, for outright practicality a van-based MPV can’t be beaten. With the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo sisters recently going pure-electric, outdoorsy families looking for a flexible petrol- or diesel-powered MPV now have less choice. The Dacia Jogger has risen to the top in this sector, but for those who crave a bit more space and sliding doors, the Tourneo Connect is an excellent all-rounder and one we’d recommend.
On the road
Inside
The cabin has a solid feel plus a modern-looking dashboard, and the twin sliding doors are very handy.
TARGET BUYERS:
Families who are after the most space for the least buck.
THE RIVALS:
Volkswagen Caddy Citroen e-Berlingo Dacia Jogger
KEY SELLING POINTS:
1. Decent to drive 2.Loads of space 3.Practical sliding doors
