Test Drive Ford Tourneo since 2010 Minibus
Universal Soldier
Ford Tourneo Connect A representative of the so-called commercial vehicles: nothing superfluous, all in the case, each detail has its own purely practical purpose. Agree, a little boring. However, the Transit / Tourneo Connect model has been conquered without visible efforts by the Prestigious Award of International Van of The Year 2003, having collected the maximum number of votes. All 20 jury members assigned the car first place among the four finalists of the competition.It looks like this younger colleague of domestic gazelle modestly, but at the same time quite stylish and modern. Beautiful headlights, trendy silver metallic, large glazing area. Everything is relying, without delights. Hardware ...
We take for a very big handle on the driver's door, open. A wide doorway will provide the most comfortable landing, even if you are in Toulup and boots. Sitty, look around. Evaluating the quality of the finish and in general the interior of the car should be kept in the head that Tourneo Connect is not a business class crew. This is a commercial, delivering car. And therefore perfectly. Good gray plastic, partly Kondovy, but shockproof, and for sure it is easily mounted with an ordinary cloth. High roof after a regular passenger car is perceived very strange, the space crushes. But, of course, this is a certain plus. True, all this airspace is heated somewhat longer than I would like.
Ergonomics of the machine corresponds to the advanced positions that the modern products of Ford came out. The small steering wheel is adjustable in two directions, the driver's seat has six adjustments. The location of the gearbox lever is not at all freight-passenger, but quite passenger. The clarity of the inclusion and selectivity of the mechanism is on Mondeo.
From luxury air conditioning, electrically regulating large two-piece (lower section for convenience of parking) mirrors, heated front and rear windows. But the absence of a janitor behind the back disappointed in the bad weather glass is polluted instantly, and you will not wipe it every five minutes, of course, you will not. Side glass raise and lower the savings ... Magnetola is simple, cassette, with memory for four radio stations and cheap speakers. The climate installation control unit is also simple (but functional enough). But in the basic configuration there are airbags for the front passengers and the ability to install side curtains.
Small difficulties with back-bed visibility are associated with the massiveness of the racks. Perhaps this is the only one obvious minus if you evaluate the car from the driver's position. Behind the wheel of Tourneo Connect you feel almost like in a passenger car. The car, which is called, initially convenient does not require addiction. Everywhere niches, shelves, cup holders, pockets. Everything will fit. With the exception of cigarette buttons, the car is not equipped.
Provided by the version of Tourneo Connect four-door. From the driver's side a deaf wall, with a passenger sliding door. The rear door opens up, but it is possible to order swing flaps. Landing from behind is not so impulse as ahead, but quite comfortable. There are three adults on the seats without any problems. However, in their place may well be inanimal objects. The rear row is capable of transforming in various versions, the seats are folded in time and in parts, and if necessary, removed from the machine. All operations are done without tension. For the sake of transportation of long cargo, metamorphosis and front armchair can be subjected. Once or two, and the amount of useful space increased almost three times compared to the initial one.
Tourneo Connect is available in two modifications. The first short, with a conventional roof (length 4278 mm, height of 1814 mm, volume of freight compartment 2.8 m cubic meters.). The second is long, high (4525 mm, 1981 mm and 3.67 cubic meters). By the way, Tourneo Connect differs from Transit Connect exclusively with the glazing of the rear.
Three engines are installed on TourNeo: 1.8-liter gasoline duratec (115 hp, 160 nm at 4400 rpm.), Turbodizel DuratorQ TDI (75 hp, 175 nm at 1800 rpm. ) and turbodiesel DuratorQ TDCI (90 hp, 220 nm at 1700 rpm). Transmission In any case, manual five-speed.
But not the capacity of the cabin and the possibility of its transformation surprised the most. A pleasant surprise was the handling of the van. To confess, from the car with the rear spring suspension, we have the right to expect much smaller!
Under the hood, our hardships gasoline engine with a volume of 1.8 liters is the most reasonable choice for Russian operating conditions. To help the driver, two electronic systems: ABS and Trexchne control. Despite the considerable curly mass, the car is quite cheerfully accelerated, and if desired, the van can move forward from traffic lights without tension. The gear ratios are perfectly selected for the nature of the motor, the transmission is sufficiently long, so as not to tire frequent switching.
In the nature of the power unit, the emphasis is made, understandable, on the bottom and middle, and turn it above five thousand turns no sense. Tourneo Connect is superbly held direct and clearly prescribes turns. The behavior of the car is reliably practically in any situation. Rars in turns are moderate, which can be considered a great achievement, given the high center of gravity of the car. Well, a high landing helps better navigate in a dense urban stream. Suspension energy in height. All the delights of Russian road conditions are processed by the chassis without problems.
I want to praise brakes excellent informativeness and a very confident slowdown. Plus, the anti-lock system is correctly engaging. The steering is also worthy of high marks: good feedback, sufficient sharpness and clear zero. However, this is all the heritage of Ford Focus, which (naturally, anterior suspension was borrowed with adaptation for a new weight and size). It seems to be a goat of the back of the rear part, we never waited only minor hints. Well, if you download the car, then the smoothness of the course for this class will be just excellent.
Now it is clear what conquered the international jury Transit Connect. It has an exhaustive set of combattrass qualities and at the same time offers a passenger level of comfort. Very harmonious and in demand now symbiosis.
Leonty Tytelev
A source: Magazine Motor [March 2004]
