Ford Tourneo Connect price is right

The Tourneo Connect is of course the people mover and is available in standard and long-wheelbase, known as the Grand Tourneo Connect. The choice is further extended to provide a choice between five- and seven-seater configurations.

There is therefore not much the Connect range does not provide for when it comes to moving the family around. All the Tourneos offer the added advantage of seating that folds flat. What is more, the seat backs have been cleverly designed to ensure that floor space which is created is uniform.

The seatbacks mate neatly and are reinforced so that the Tourneo can carry a fairly substantial domestic load and given the sliding side and wide opening rear doors the Tourneo can carry the sort of things that one might have expected to need a bakkie for.

Furthermore, the purchase price is lower and the ride more comfortable than a comparable double-cab. Despite being smaller than the eight-seat Tourneo Custom and the large 12 and 18-seater Tourneo Bus models, the Connect is far from small. Inside there are storage compartments aplenty which add to the feeling of space.

The Ford Tourneo Connect. Picture: Supplied

Two adults can sit quite comfortably in the third row without even using the extra legroom provided for by the sliding middle row of seats.

The line-up starts with the 1.0 EcoBoost Ambiente, which is far from Spartan in its appointment boasting a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, air-conditioning with pollen filter, Auto Start/Stop and the Active Grille Shutter to aid aerodynamics and reduce fuel consumption.

A fully-featured Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is fitted as standard, and includes supplementary systems such as Traction Control, Torque Vectoring Control, Hill Launch Assist, Load Adaptive Control, Trailer Sway Control and Roll-Over Mitigation.

The ABS brakes incorporate front and rear discs, allied to Emergency Brake Assist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Driver and front passenger airbags are provided, along with side and curtain airbags for optimal occupant safety in a collision.

The radio is a standard fitment and plays through four speakers and includes Bluetooth connectivity, USB and AUX inputs as well as steering wheel controls for superb connectivity and ease-of-use. A built-in trip computer measures instant and average fuel consumption, distance to empty, average speed, timer and outside temperature.

The 1.0 EcoBoost Trend steps things up by adding by adding cruise control with speed limiter, power windows for the second row passengers, front fog lamps and Ford SYNC®, incorporating Bluetooth with Voice Control and a 3.5-inch multi-function display.

The 1.0 EcoBoost engine produces 74kW of power and 170Nm of torque and is paired with a six-speed manual transmission.