[REVIEW] Mundane looks but an awesome drive
You are an animal lover. About eight weeks ago your dog presented you with a litter of six and now it is about time that you start finding homes for the puppies. And as is often the case, you end up having no choice but to keep the one that everyone else considered the ugliest of the litter. Get the picture? Of course this is not the end of that story. The latter will eventually prove to be the most loyal, lovable, intelligent and fearless of the bunch and you could not be happier. Yeah, we all have, perhaps even a couple of those T-shirts - been there, done that?
Is it awkward or not?
The new Ford Tourneo Connect might in my mind, probably not win any prizes for looks (and I am not implying that it is ugly – because it is not) but man, it is one awesome drive. Be that as it may, I still prefer vehicles in this class to offer a higher than normal ground clearance. It does not and that is my only gripe about the vehicle.
The exterior design does to one’s brain what Mitsubishi’s Triton did when it was introduced to the market. Long front end – short overhangs with a bit of a bread-bin-like rear end and most interesting is the fact that when you sit in the drivers seat, you can’t see the front end – how strange is that?
The shark-like front end is the most visible and striking element of the exterior design. And sided by elongated headlight clusters, it confirms the Ford DNA. The side-on view is quite pleasing though – large windows and a rooftop which offers awesome head room inside the cabin.
The fact that the rear window is not square, has lifted the design from possibly being utterly boring to something that is aesthetically much more pleasing and modern. Ground clearance? I have said my piece on that.
The Tourneo Connect was voted the International Van of the Year 2014 – so people do consider it very trend-setting. Good word – I like it – yes, definitely.
Office space
When we went for our open-road drive on the Sunday, Annalize got into the passenger side – wiggled her back slightly and said, “Hmm, outjie… Dis soos om ‘n babygrowtjie aan te trek. Lekker”, meaning she loved the way the seats supported her body. Well, I do agree 100 per cent on that. You sit in the seat rather than on it – truly comfortable and not once during our almost 150km drive did I experience even the slightest of discomfort.
The interior is very spacious as a result of Ford’s designers utilising and optimising space like in no other bus I have driven before. And referring to the driver and passenger space – no double-cab can match this, not even closely, and that made me think. If Ford was to take this office space and stick it onto a Ranger 4×4 chassis, you would have one serious kick-butt adventure vehicle. But then, I am just dreaming – that is what you are thinking anyway?
I love the ergonomics of the cockpit design, especially the position of the gear shift and the handbrake. It still offers a driver-oriented feel but it is not as claustrophobic as many of those “driver-orientated” cockpits – probably also due to the high roof line and large windows. All-round visibility is wonderful and the A-pillar does not offer any obstacle in terms of the latter.
The space behind the driver, offering many configurations for both second and third-row seats, will thrill families, and those adventurous folk endlessly. The space beneath the seats are open and there is plenty of storage space around the vehicle and even in the ceiling. Fact is, the Connect offers a whopping 2 761 litres depending on the configuration.
Long and the short – we loved the interior.
It’s an EcoBoost of course
The connect is available in three spec levels and two wheelbase configurations with either a 1.0 or a 1.6 EcoBoost engine. I drove the 1.6 which delivers 85kW and 285Nm and is linked to a six-speed, smooth and clean shifting manual gearbox. Throttle response was eager and pleasing.
It is one beautiful quiet and responsive engine and the suspension set-up ensured a truly good all-round driving experience – even on gravel.
My fuel index for the combined cycle registered about 6,5liter/100km – not bad at all.
Conclusion
The Tourneo with its dual sliding doors and inclusive of all the other mod cons like ABS, EBD, EBA,ESC, traction control, hill assist and the rest, should sell like cupcakes. It is, despite my ground clearance reservation, an awesome vehicle.
