New Ford Tourneo Connect is a Caddy

Highlights Ford Tourneo Connect

• Based on the Volkswagen Caddy for the first time
• In four visually recognizable flavours
• With 1.5 petrol and 2.0 diesel engines
• On the market early 2022

Ford and Volkswagen are getting closer to each other when it comes to commercial vehicles. The new Ford Ranger will serve as the basis for the new Volkswagen Amarok, the successor to the Transporter T6 will probably be the new Transit Custom and the brand new Ford Tourneo Connect that plays the lead role in this article is in fact a Volkswagen Caddy modified by Ford. It is therefore also the first Ford ever on an MQB basis.

The outgoing Transit and Tourneo Connect, which were unveiled in Amsterdam in 2012, are being followed after 9 years by a completely new generation. The Tourneo Connect, the passenger car version of the Transit Connect van, is now presented in a completely new form. Although the Tourneo Connect can immediately be recognized as a brother of the Volkswagen Caddy, Ford has poured its own strong sauce over it. Especially at the front, the new Tourneo Connect has its own design. The Tourneo Connect has a typical Ford snout, complete with headlights placed high above the self-designed grille that differ from those of the Caddy. In addition, even the hood is completely Tourneo Connect-own, the same applies to the shape of the bumpers on both the front and rear. At the rear, the Tourneo Connect shows stronger resemblance to its German brother, although the layout of the rear lights of the Ford Tourneo Connect is completely unique and the tailgate itself is also different in shape. This is particularly visible around the license plate.

Technic

Just like the Caddy, the Tourneo Connect will soon be available in two lengths. Undoubtedly, just like the Caddy 3.5 and 4.85 meter long versions, the short version has a wheelbase of 2.75 meters and that of the long version is 2.97 meters. Ford hangs, among other things, a 114 hp and 220 Nm strong 1.5 four-cylinder in the car. Although the brand refers to that engine as Ecoboost, it is a TSI machine from Volkswagen. There are also two diesels: a 122 hp and 320 Nm strong variant and a 112 and 280 Nm strong flavour. These are also machines from the shelves of Volkswagen. All engines have a six-speed manual transmission, but are optionally available with a seven-speed automatic transmission. The 122 hp diesel version is also available with four-wheel drive, although you cannot opt ​​for the automatic transmission.

Ford Tourneo

Interior and safety

The interior of the Ford Tourneo Connect is almost one to one from the Volkswagen Caddy, but that’s no punishment. Ford will deliver the Tourneo Connect in the versions Active, Sport, Titanium and Trend. The Active is the adventurous variant while the Sport – you don’t expect it – is the sportiest of the bunch. The Sport has a standard 10.25-inch digital instrumentation that is optionally available in the Titanium and Active. In addition, the Trend has an 8.25-inch infotainment screen, a display that can be optionally replaced with a 10-inch large one that is standard on the Active, Sport and Titanium. Every Tourneo Connect has an electronic handbrake. The Sport version will receive adaptive LED viewers as standard.

Ford Tourneo

Of course, the new Tourneo Connect benefits from the arrival of modern passive and active safety systems. As standard, the new Ford Tourneo Connect already has Pre-Collision Assist with an emergency braking system and Forward Collision Warning, Lane-Keeping System, cruise control and parking sensors front and rear. Options such as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, blind spot detection and Cross Traffic Alert are available. If you opt for the Parking Pack, you also get Active Park Assist and Park Out Assist, systems that can park and exit the Tourneo Connect itself.

The Ford Tourneo Connect will be available early next year. The order version, the Transit Connect, will probably follow shortly after. Striking: Ford does bring the Tourneo Connect passenger version to the Netherlands, while Volkswagen only supplies the Caddy here as an orderer.

Incidentally, it is not surprising that Ford and Volkswagen exchange a lot. In commercial vehicle land, models have been exchanged for decades that go into production with a different name almost unchanged. We mention the customers of Stellantis as an example, of which Toyota also supplies variants. The Fiat Doblò and Ducato have also served as the basis for commercial vehicles of various other brands. The same goes for Renault’s Trafic and Master.