New Ford Transit Connect review

It’s not often that a vehicle model is so iconic that it spawns a family of versions sharing a name – but the Ford Transit Connect is part of one such dynasty.

The Transit Connect van is the second-smallest spin-off from the Ford Transit – although this time round it's built by Volkswagen and is, under the skin, virtually identical to the VW Caddy Cargo. Not that you’d notice: each has its own distinct looks.

For the owner-operator, there’s a side benefit because the Transit Connect shares its underpinnings with the VW Golf. So, as with the Golf and Caddy Cargo, there's a good choice of engines – including a petrol plug-in hybrid – and you can have a manual or automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.

The choice doesn't end there. There's a Transit Connect Active with more rugged looks, plus a FlexCab model with a moveable bulkhead and three fold-down seats in the back.

All that sounds great, but is it enough to help the Ford Transit Connect win out in the very competitive small van class, where you'll find a whole fleet of rivals, ranging from the Citroën Berlingo Van and Peugeot Partner to the Mercedes Citan and Renault Kangoo? Read on to find out...

Being car-like to drive has long been an impressive accolade for any van, but the Ford Transit Connect goes one step further – by sharing underpinnings with not just the VW Golf but also the Audi TT (yes, really). And for a van, it drives really rather well.

The steering is responsive and precise – although for the avoidance of doubt a Golf is better in both regards. It soaks up bumps and potholes well, and there’s surprisingly little body roll, both of which are helped by the adoption of more sophisticated coil spring rear suspension. With that technology, its ride should be good regardless of the load weight in the back.

Buyers can choose between a pair of 2.0-litre diesel engines, producing either 101 or 120bhp, or a petrol plug-in hybrid (PHEV). No Transit Connect electric van is planned – the closest you'll find in the Ford range is the Ford E-Transit Courier.

The diesel engines are a little grumbly when starting, but are refined elsewhere and provide plenty of punch on the move, although the 101bhp version requires fairly frequent gear changes to stay in the power. We’ve yet to drive the PHEV.

All models have front-wheel drive as standard, but the 120bhp diesel engine is also available with four-wheel drive. Your choice of gearbox is governed by which engine you choose. The 101bhp diesel comes with a six-speed manual gearbox while the 120bhp version and the PHEV have a seven-speed automatic.

The manual has a positive action, and we’ve tried the automatic gearbox in the Ford Tourneo Connect (the Transit Connect's MPV equivalent), and it delivered quick, snappy shifts, although it can be jerky at low speeds. Even so, it should make stop-start urban deliveries that little bit easier.

There’s a touch more road noise than you might expect, so it’s a good thing those extra gears help to reduce road noise. 

The Transit Connect PHEV shares the same 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor as the VW Caddy Cargo for a combined 148bhp. The 19.7kWh (usable capacity) battery officially allows between 71.5 and 73.8 miles of electric driving.

Charging speeds match the Caddy, with around four hours from a 7kW home wall box charger or around 30 minutes from a fast public charger. Its 50kW maximum charging rate is unusually fast for a PHEV.

“On narrow urban streets, the Transit Connect felt smaller and more wieldy than I would’ve expected. Good news for delivery work and trades.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

While you’ll be hard pressed to spot the similarities between the Ford Transit Connect and the VW Caddy Cargo from the outside, there are far more recognisable bits inside.

That’s good news, because both share a modern look and a high-quality feel – although the piano-black trim is likely to quickly succumb to fingerprints and scratches in daily use, and it has a habit of reflecting bright sunlight.

The Transit Connect's infotainment system is a lightly revised version of the Caddy's set-up. It’s a little laggy in operations and slightly clunky to use, especially because there are no physical controls for the temperature, meaning you’ll need to battle with fiddly touch-sensitive sliders instead.

That could be a particular irritation for drivers who wear gloves, and those who frequently have greasy or grubby hands will quickly dirty the controls. At least Ford has retained physical buttons for the audio volume on the steering wheel and some air-con settings on the centre console.

All versions of the Transit Connect come with a DAB radio, voice control and sat-nav, plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. However, while there are a couple of USB-C ports, there are no USB-A sockets, meaning you'll need to buy an adaptor to connect some devices.

Like the Caddy – but unlike the Renault Kangoo – all Transit Connects come with a digital information display, which shows a range of features, including the sat-nav. It’s crisp and easy to operate with the steering wheel-mounted buttons.

It’s not hard to get comfy behind the wheel, because the seats provide a wide range of adjustment and have adjustable lumbar support. The steering wheel has a good range of movement for reach and rake on all models. It’s a shame, then, that armrests are only available in option packs, which also include more supportive seats (accredited by Germany’s Healthy Back Campaign).

“I love the row of big, physical buttons above the centre console to max the air-con. That’ll be handy when the weather is particularly hot or cold.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

As you might expect from Ford, the Transit Connect is available in a wide range of body styles. You get standard and long-wheelbase models, both available with fixed or moveable bulkheads.

The moveable bulkhead version is called the FlexCab, and allows you to choose between two seats with more cargo space, or three extra drop-down seats for extra passenger capacity.

In any configuration, there’s space for a Euro pallet, making the Transit Connect a usefully functional van. All models measure 2,100mm wide (including door mirrors) so they're wieldy on narrow streets. The short-wheelbase model is 4,500mm long, providing a load space measuring 1,797mm long, 1,628mm wide and 1,272mm tall.

Long-wheelbase versions are stretched to an overall length of 4,853mm. The load space is 2,150mm long, and the width and height are virtually identical to the shorter model. FlexCab versions can vary the load space by 516mm depending on the position of the bulkhead.

All of that adds up to a total volume of 3.1m³ for the short-wheelbase and 3.7m³ for the longer van. As you'd expected those figures match the closely related VW Caddy Cargo.

However, you get more storage space in the equivalent Renault Kangoo and all models in the Stellantis small-van quartet (the Citroën Berlingo Van, the Peugeot Partner, the Toyota Proace City and the Vauxhall Combo Cargo).

The Transit Connect has, depending on engine and wheelbase length, a payload capacity ranging from 706 to 793kg, which is more than almost any version of the Caddy Cargo – although it’s worth remembering that versions of the Berlingo, Partner, Proace City and Combo Cargo can carry more than a tonne.

There’s no shortage of tie-down points in the load area, and the 12-volt power supply is useful too. We found the load area well lit, and the doors are easy to open and shut.

The short-wheelbase version has a single 703mm kerbside side door, while the long-wheelbase gets two side doors measuring 846mm. The doors can be glazed as an option, as can the rear cargo door and bulkhead.

As for towing ability, most versions of the Transit Connect can pull a 1,500kg braked trailer (750kg unbraked), which is competitive in the small van class.

There’s a decent amount of storage in the passenger compartment, including a large shelf above the windscreen with slits to make it easier to see from the front seats what’s in there.

You'll find more storage on top of the dashboard, plus large door pockets and a hidden storage cubby in the centre console. There are handy coat hooks on the bulkhead, but we found the glovebox a bit small.

“Glazed side doors might make it easier to pull out of junctions at oblique angles, although I didn’t find it any less tricky than in other small vans.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

The Ford Transit Connect is priced very close to its small van "twin", the VW Caddy Cargo. You’ll pay less to jump from the short to long-wheelbase Transit Connect than you would with the Caddy Cargo, but there’s a significant jump in price for the FlexCab versions.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that some equivalent versions of the Citroën Berlingo Van and the mechanically identical Peugeot Partner cost less.

Official fuel economy figures of between 48.8 and 52.1mpg put diesel-powered versions of the Transit Connect roughly on par with the Renault Kangoo and other small vans. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) delivers official fuel economy figures of up to a whopping 586.3mpg. That's only remotely achievable if you charge up the PHEV battery whenever it runs down.

There are three trims available for the Transit Custom, starting with entry-level Trend – which we think is the best choice. It comes with traffic-sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, a 10in infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25in digital driver's display, sat-nav and a heated windscreen. 

Limited adds some exterior and interior styling tweaks, a handy fold-flat passenger seat that doubles as a work surface, wireless phone-charging, adaptive cruise control (on automatics only), blind-spot assist, heated and power-folding door mirrors, and a rear-view camera.

Active models look a little more rugged, but aside from anti-dazzle adaptive LED headlights, the FlexCab-only model is pricey and tricky to recommend.

Options worth considering are the more supportive seats, glazed rear and side doors, ply lining and tow bars (with or without a system to help when you're reversing). It's also worth looking at the well-priced Driver Assistance Pack, which includes intelligent cruise control, lane-change assistance and self-parking.

Ford has partnered with security firm TVL to provide a range of factory-fitted security features, which will grow to include deadlocks, reinforcing panels and anti-drill locks. You get a Thatcham-rated alarm and immobiliser as standard.

“I think the standard three years or 60,000 miles warranty is rather average, although it can be extended to four years or 100,000 miles.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

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