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Ford turned a compact car into a compact van. Or a family carriage from a van. Or simply conjure up the maximum amount of interior space from a few square meters of floor space. Whichever way you turn it, the new Ford Tourneo Connect is one thing above all else, a practical family van. Especially as “Grand Tourneo Connect”.
Family value Transport Van-coach
In the driving report:
Ford Grand Tourneo Connect 1.6 TDCi (95 PS) Titanium
Family vans should be practical. Of course, they have to offer a huge amount of space. A practical family car is particularly important for “fresh” parents. For example, when the family carriage offers so much space that you can park a stroller in the trunk without having to fold it up or even dismantle it. The Tourneo Connect series from Ford is based on the current Ford Focus, but the Tourneo Connect focuses on the cargo space and seat. And if the normal Tourneo Connect with its 4.42 meters is too short, the “Grand Tourneo Connect” gives you an extra 40 centimeters in the wheelbase and thus space in abundance.
space travel
The Tourneo comes in series with two sliding doors. The sliding doors of the Grand Tourneo are so wide that the interior could be loaded with Euro pallets using a forklift. Probably a rather rare scenario - unlike the practical trade brother Transit. But wherever Euro pallets fit, children can hop through with ease and this is exactly where the Tourneo has its strengths. The interior is available in the short version with 5 seats and in the long grand version with a third row of seats for an extra charge. Those who limit themselves to 5 seats for the “long” Grand also get a real family truck. The huge sliding doors make it easy to load the Tourneo, even in tight parking spaces and multi-storey car parks. And anyone who has ever handled two bulky child seats will curse every other door variant.
Two children including their child seats, a stroller and a dog. The Grand Tourneo Connect swallows everything and still offers the comfort of a car. Here, the Cologne-based company benefits from the construction based on the successful Ford Focus. The compact van is easy to drive, almost sporty. On the motorway, the Grand Tourneo Connect can take advantage of the convenience of its long wheelbase. It springs comfortably, runs steadily in a straight line and does nothing else that could cause discomfort. “Long runs well” - people used to say and the wheelbase of 2.89 meters even makes you forget the rather compact base of the Ford Focus.
Where the Grand Tourneo a little payload really good. It is noticeable to the spring / damper vote that a compromise had to be made here. The Grand Tourneo swallows a lot of luggage, so it has to handle a lot of payload (~ 600 kg). On uneven country roads, one then feels the high-load springs of the family van. Short bumps like the chassis, for example, in the unloaded state not at all.
Titanium for the family
The test tourneo came as a titanium variant. And so fine extras such as the large panoramic roof and cruise control were included. The exterior mirrors could be folded in electrically and the air conditioning system ensured an individual comfortable temperature on the left and right.
The Grand Tourneo already has some important extras on board in series. The basic version also includes the hill start assistant, electric window lifters at the front, a steering wheel with adjustable height and range and the torque vectoring control system for driving enjoyment.
For the kids there are fold-down tables in the second row. If dad is traveling alone, then you can work well on the small tables. Space for a laptop is on it and the headroom in row two convinced completely.
The third row seats cost extra and is actually only interesting for buyers who already know that they will often use their Grand Tourneo as a school bus. But you should be clear: The access in series 3 is not very comfortable and the storage space of the Tourneo is also limited. Up to three children, the space in row two is sufficient. And if you're often traveling with up to 7 people, you might want to buy a van one size bigger.
Manageable performance
The award-winning three-cylinder turbo Ecoboost with 100 hp can only be ordered in the “short” Tourneo. The four other engines are meanwhile available for both variants. The 1.6 liter TDCi diesel engine is available in three output levels: with 75, 95 and 115 hp.
The 95 PS TDCi with 1.6 liter displacement was installed in the test car. Dynamic is definitely different. It swings up to a good 170 km / h on the motorway, but it doesn't really want to be fun. In everyday life, the diesel's 215 Nm and its 5 gears are sufficient, but those who frequently drive longer distances with four adults are better off going for the most powerful diesel with 115 hp. in the NEDC fuel consumption the big Tourneo with the 95 PS of the test car should be able to move with 5 liters of diesel over 100 km. We were a long way away from that in the test.
test consumption
[tabgroup] [tab title=”Everyday driver”]In everyday life, the 95 HP TDCi is far from the standard consumption. We determined a consumption of 6.5 liters in our test mix. Far from the 5.0 liters that FORD specifies for the NEDC. [/tab] [tab title=”Eco-Expert”]On the economy lap, which was driven in an emphatically defensive manner, we undercut the 6.0 liter limit, but not enough to get into the NEDC range. Less than 5.7 liters could not be achieved.[/tab] [tab title=”Without consideration”]On the maximum lap with a high proportion of motorway traffic, 8.8 liters was the upper limit of the consumption test. [/tab] [/tabgroup]
Price question
FORD has confidently priced in the Grand Tourneo. In the recommended titanium version, the test car cost € 28.200 according to the list. If you use the options a little and order the useful reversing camera, the all-round Park Pilot system, the chic 17-inch wheels and the dashing metallic paint, then you can easily jump the € 30.000 hurdle.
That's missing
Xenon light and an automatic transmission. At the moment, Ford does not offer either for money or good words extras for touring. Too bad.
And finally ...
Above all, the Grand Tourneo is a practitioner. A loadmaster and family-guide. The tired 95-PS diesel can convince only conditionally, but driving behavior and comfort are balanced.
Great box!
Download: Ford Tourneo Connect price list
[tabgroup] [tab title=”Vehicle registration:"]Ford Grand Tourneo Connect 1.6 TDCi Titanium
| Manufacturer: | Ford |
|---|---|
| Type: | Grand Tourneo |
| Class: | C-segment, Van |
| Engine: | R4 |
| Transmission: | 5G manually |
| Drive: | front-wheel drive |
| displacement: | 1.1560 cc |
| Power / power (electric motor): | 95 HP / - |
| Torque: / Torque (E-Motor): | 215 Nm / - |
| Weight ready to drive: | 1.533 kg |
| From 0 to 100: | 15.1 s |
| Top speed .: | 170 km/h |
| Consumption (NEDC): | 5.0 liter |
| CO2 output (NEDC): | 119 g / km |
| Emission Class: | EU 5b |
| Efficiency: | B |
| CW value: | - |
| Comment: | - |
Photos in the article: Bjoern Habegger / FORD, Cover picture: Bjoern Habegger