Ford Transit Connect Review 2024
The Ford Transit Connect is a small van that's perfect for businesses operating in urban areas. Sitting below the larger Transit Custom in terms of size, the Transit Connect comes with a car-like drive, decent load capacity, and an efficient range of engines.
Rivals to the Transit Connect include the Peugeot Partner, Citroen Berlingo, Renault Kangoo, and Toyota Proace.
Our Ford Transit Connect review covers:
- Good looking exterior design with sporty features
- Practical interior
- Up to 3.6m3 of load volume
- Diesel or petrol engines available
- Five trim levels
Pros:
- Good driving dynamics
- Practical interior
- Excellent range of engines
Cons:
- Payload falls short of rivals
- Base level model comes with not much tech
- Infotainment system is a bit dated
I will go as far as saying that the Transit Connect is the best-looking small van on the market. It perfectly blends practicality and style with a sporty front end, eye-catching alloy wheels, and neat creases from front to back.
Inside the Transit Connect, there's plenty of space for two passengers. Both get their own seat, which sounds simple but isn't the case for many of its rivals, and after a while you sometimes forget you're sitting in a van. If you want to accommodate a third passenger, you can. Go for the flexible dual passenger seat option, which also doubles as a portable desk for the driver.
Storage space is also pretty generous, with a large overhead shelf, door pockets, a glovebox, and a central storage compartment between the seats.
The Transit Connect is available in two body lengths: L1 and L2. The former has a load volume of 2.9m3 and a payload of up to 718kg, while the latter increases load volume to 3.6m3 and payload to up to 876kg. These are decent capabilities and will serve your business well, but does slightly fall short of the Citroen Berlingo and Fiat Doblo.
Regarding cargo space dimensions, the L1 version has a height of 1,269mm, a width of 1,543mm, and a length of 1,786mm. L2 keeps the same height and increases the length to 2,152mm, but it's worth remembering that the width decreases to 1,496mm.
The cabin of the Transit Connect is well-built and pleasant to be in. It's a nice balance of practicality and comfort, featuring all the features you'd need to help run your business while also using some premium materials to add to the feel-good factor of the van. There's no denying the cabin isn't going to blow you away, but it does the job.
Base-level versions of the Transit Connect are a bit of a blast from the past in terms of tech; all you get is a DAB radio with MP3 capabilities. For the best experience, we'd recommend upgrading to the Active trim that comes with a six-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It comes with Ford Sync 3 that integrates with your phone, letting you control everything from phone calls to sat-nav.
Five trim levels are available for the Transit Connect: Leader, Trend, Limited, Sport, and Active.
Leader has 16-inch steel wheels, a DAB radio with MP3 capability, electrically operated front windows, an adjustable steering column, and overhead storage.
Trend adds 16-inch sparkle silver steel wheels, a body-coloured front bumper, front fog lights, a heated windscreen, a DAB radio with a 4.2-inch TFT display, a height-adjustable driver's seat, and a front interior light.
Limited has 16-inch 5x2-spoke alloy wheels, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, rear parking distance sensors, manual air conditioning, heated front seats, a four-spoke leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, and cruise control.
Sport adds 17-inch machined alloy wheels, a sports exterior styling pack, and a partial leather seat trim with red stitching.
Active adds 17-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, a carbon black active front grille, a unique active interior trim with Nordic blue stitching, and a SYNC 3 radio with a six-inch TFT touchscreen.
One petrol and three diesels make up the engine range for the Transit Connect. The entry-level unit is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol, labelled the EcoBoost 100. Returning a power output of 100PS, it's a fantastic engine for an entry-level unit. We'd recommend it if you operate in an urban environment and need a nippy van to get from A to B.
If you plan on carrying lots of cargo, go for one of the diesel options. All 1.5-litre four-cylinder units, you can choose between 75 and 100PS, the latter of which is our pick of the bunch. Available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, it's smooth to drive both around town and at cruising speed.
The petrol engine will return around 45mpg for fuel economy, while the diesel engines return between 57 - 63mpg (depending on the gearbox).
As expected for a van in the Transit range, the Transit Connect is good to drive. Its handling is responsive and composed, and the engines return punchy performance both around town and at cruising speed.
Around town is the Transit Connects bread and butter. A small van, it's a breeze to navigate city streets thanks to its accurate and responsive handling. The turning circle is also small, making parking relatively straightforward. If there are a few bumps or cracks in the road, the suspension system makes light work of them, keeping you and your cargo secure.
Increase it to motorway speed, and it's a composed cruiser. Once up to 70mph, road and wind noise are kept to a minimum to make for a relaxing long-distance experience. If you plan on hitting the motorway network regularly, we'd recommend going for one of the diesel engines, which returns a very competitive fuel economy.
Prices for the new Ford Transit Connect start from £28,200.00 OTR* or to lease from £351.81 per month.
Looking to get behind the wheel of the Ford Transit Connect? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest van leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.
