Overview

When the amount of luggage space offered by even the biggest SUVs isn’t enough, you need a repurposed van like the plug-in hybrid Ford Tourneo Connect. It’s what the brand calls a multi-activity vehicle, which sounds about right when you consider its load-lugging potential. In just a few minutes, the Tourneo Connect can transform from a seven-seater MPV to a van long enough to carry a stack of kayaks. Could your Bentley Bentayga do that?  We doubt it.

The Ford Tourneo Connect makes a lot of sense for large families, and even more for those with the ability to charge its battery pack at home. The small 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine is frugal enough, but with an official electric range of over 70 miles the plug in hybrid Tourneo Connect could theoretically be run on battery power exclusively all week, which would slash running costs. Not only that, but since the Tourneo Connect is a re-badged Volkswagen Caddy – built on the VW Golf platform – it even handles okay, too.

What’s not to like? Well, running a van comes with its own caveats including oddly shaped proportions and interior gripes but we’ll get onto those over the next few pages. As for what the Tourneo Connect is up against, there’s of course the latest Volkswagen Caddy itself, as well as a few electric MPVs from the Stellantis Group including the Peugeot e-Rifter, Citroen e-Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo-e. If you’ve got a chunk of money in your pocket then you might also want to consider the Mercedes V-Class, but it’s so expensive that it’s almost in a class of its own. 

Ford’s Tourneo Connect is available either in short wheelbase or long wheelbase form, with five seats and seven seats respectively. Three engines are on offer here, including a 115hp 1.5-litre petrol, a 122hp 2.0-litre diesel and a 150hp 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid. All are hooked up to an automatic gearbox, with either seven speeds or six in the PHEV. There are just two trims: Titanium, which starts from £34,500 and Active from £37,580. The latter only adds a few extras over the standard specification, including a panoramic roof, a few cosmetic changes including a honeycomb mesh grille and adaptive LED headlights.

To find out what it’s really like to live with, we’ve put Ford’s MPV through its paces. Over the next few pages, we’ll be exploring what the Tourneo Connect is like to drive, what its interior is like to live with and how well it’s priced. Read on for the full review, or head over to our how we test cars page to find out how we conducted our examination.