Ford’s Grand Tourneo Connect is an incredibly capacious people carrier with seating for up to seven.
One of the first vehicles created through Ford’s new partnership with Volkswagen, the Grand Tourneo Connect is sister car to the VW Caddy.
Prices start at a very reasonable £29,000 and there is the option of a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. You can choose from a 2.0 litre diesel engine or a 1.5 litre petrol unit.
You can choose to have two or three rows of seats, allowing either five or seven occupants. All rear seats can fold down, tumble forward, or be removed entirely. You can even fold the front passenger seat flat to transport extra-long loads.
Essentially, it’s a people carrier that can easily be turned into a van.
On the road
My test car was a seven-seat model that paired the 2.0 litre EcoBlue diesel engine with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. It wasn’t a rocket off the line (0-62mph takes around 13 seconds) but it pulled strongly even when fully laden.
With an official fuel economy of around 53mpg, it’s remarkably efficient for such a large vehicle.
I loaded my Grand Tourneo Connect up with ski gear and took a friend to Glenshee for a day on the slopes. The enormous boot swallowed three sets of skis, two pairs of boots, a couple of backpacks and other odds and ends with plenty of room to spare.
The front-wheel drive Grand Tourneo Connect handled the snowy roads and Glenshee’s icy car park with surefootedness.
Driving dynamics
It’s based on a van and so isn’t quite as refined as a good SUV such as a Skoda Kodiaq or Mazda CX-5. It’s far from noisy, however, and even on long journeys I found it quite relaxing to drive. It also has far more internal space than any SUV you can buy.
Even tall adults have acres of room in the front and middle row and the rearmost seats are ideal for children. Even with all seven seats in place there’s a decent 322 litre boot left over. That’s enough for a couple of large suitcases or a baby buggy. In five-seat mode there’s a gigantic 1,452 litre boot.
As is the case with many van-based people carriers, the tailgate is a single flip-up panel. This creates a huge opening but means you have to be careful not to reverse too close to a wall or you won’t have enough clearance. An electronically opening tailgate is a useful extra on the options list.
Well equipped
In general the Grand Tourneo Connect comes very well equipped. In general the Grand Tourneo Connect comes very well equipped. You get heated front seats, automatic air conditioning, keyless start-up, and front and rear parking sensors.
The 10in infotainment screen has sat nav and smart phone connectivity. However, because it’s from VW, it inherits a frustrating touchscreen system and the heating controls in particular are a fiddly to use. A particularly strange quirk is the decision to have the temperature scale from 0-15, rather than in degrees Celsius like every other car.
Volkswagen has publicly acknowledged their infotainment system is not up to scratch and has vowed to create a better system. Hopefully future generations of the Grand Tourneo Connect will be updated with this.
That minor gripe aside, there was very little I did not like about the Grand Tourneo Connect. Yes, it’s a little bit van-like to drive, but not so much that you really notice it.
It’s one of the most roomy and practical cars on the road. It’s economical and it’s very sensibly priced. In a world of SUVs and crossovers I found it a real breath of fresh air.
Facts
Price: £32,696
0-62mph: 13.3 seconds
Top speed: 106mph
Economy: 52.9mpg
CO2 emissions: 140g/km
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