Test drive Ford Tourneo Connect 2003 - 2007 Minivan

Ford Tourneo Connect

Technician is a service car designed to maintain in an efficient state of the main equipment that performs the main task. In addition, service vehicles transport goods for shops, perform courier functions, other housework, ensuring the functioning of the main services. Previously, for this purpose, either cars or trucks were used. But over time, market requirements led to a significant expansion of this type of car and the emergence of their crossovers even in this segment.

The first from the traditional heel were the French. The appearance of Renault Kangoo, and then Peugeot Partner showed what can be made from a simple passenger car. And the creators of the Transit/Tourneo Connect family went even further. They crossed a light machine and a minibus. It turned out very interesting.

Outwardly, Tourneo Connect makes a rather pleasant impression. The fact is that the photographs somewhat conceal the idea of \u200b\u200bthe real size of the machine, and when you see this car for the first time, it turns out to be unexpectedly large, especially since the test with a high roof and a long base was provided for the test. Of course, you should not approach the Tourneo Connect design with passenger standards, it is still different, and therefore it looks like a cube, but the cube is quite nice. Already during an external examination, it is possible to note the features confirming that this is a kind of hybrid of a passenger car and a minibus. The back door opening up is very similar to the door of the usual Transit, large two -section side mirrors are more inherent in minibuses. And if you look at the back under the car, then there you can see a completely cargo rear axle on the springs. At the same time, the front of the car is more reminiscent of the car's capture layout for minibuses is non -characteristic.

Take everything

The process of planting the cube was quite convenient. You sit down, like a passenger car, only you do not need to bend your head, and with it the doorway is quite high. Considering that Connect claims the role of a transported car and the driver will have to go out of the steering wheel more than a dozen times, the convenience of landing and planting becomes a significant factor. The first impression that makes Connect from the inside, the spaciousness. Despite the fact that landing behind the wheel is almost car, places around like on a bus. Large windshield with huge lounges of enormous sizes, a wide interior, doors, the panels of which resemble the width of the window sills, you will not find this in a passenger car.

And when there is a supply of space, you feel more safety, especially since the thickness of the body racks inspires confidence in their strength. The combination of devices, the steering wheel and the central console are the same as that of Fiesta. The seat is comfortable, with good lateral support, moderately hard and non -nonsense. However, the landing is slightly more vertical than in the same Fiesta, and as a result, pressing the pedals, especially for gas, turned out to be inconvenient. You have to pull the sock too much on yourself, in addition, the accelerator pedal is very light, and due to constant tension, the leg quickly gets tired, and it is difficult to dose traction in such an uncomfortable position. If the gas pedal is slightly lower and away, it would be much better. It should also be noted the small size of the site for the rest of the left leg. Otherwise, no complaints about ergonomics.

The possibility of transforming the salon, taking into account the purpose of the car, can be recognized quite sufficient. The rear seats are folded in the proportion of 40/60, freeing a large cargo platform. If necessary, you can order a folding flush with the floor of the front passenger, and then the length of the luggage compartment can reach 2714 mm for a long -drawn version. In addition to the transformation of the salon, various body options are also possible, as is customary in minibuses.

The easiest van without side glasses with one row of seats and one side door (such a cargo version is called Transit Connect). And on the upper step of the gamma there is a Tourneo Connect option with a glazed body, two rows of seats, two shifts, windshield heating, an electronic system for distribution of efforts, side airbags, a rear hinged door and other pleasant trifles. By the way, thanks to the large width of the cabin in the back seat, three passengers can accommodate quite comfortably. And the second sliding door, offered as an option, is not so necessary: \u200b\u200bthanks to a high ceiling, climbing the rear seat easily and through the right door, at least in a long -standing machine with a high roof.

Each everywhere

Two engines for Connect are offered: a 1.8-liter 115-horsepower gasoline Zetec and a 1.8-liter 90-horsepower diesel Duratorq TDCI. Diesels are installed only on Transit Connect T230 LWB with a lifting capacity of 900 kg. Mechanical gearboxes 5-speed with a short main transmission (4.06), which improves traction characteristics.

On the road, Connect was openly pleased. He drives, like most of the latest generation Ford cars, with pleasure. Of course, the manageability of a high cargo-passenger van with a rear axle on the springs is not so honed as Focus with a multi-link suspension, but we did not note any shortcomings. It is very convenient to ride Connect in the city. The landing is high, the area of \u200b\u200bglazing is large, large two -section side mirrors with a spherical surface practically do not leave dead zones around the car. True, on the suburban road, the lower part of the side glasses in the area of \u200b\u200bthe rear -view mirrors is sprayed, and this makes it difficult to review, but not so much as to greatly affect safety. Our car was not equipped with a wiper of the rear window, and therefore it, which is quite natural, almost immediately became opaque. As an option, the installation of the rear wiper is provided, but thanks to the lateral mirrors it is not so obligatory, and it can be safely saved on it. The large area of \u200b\u200bglazing has, of course, its disadvantages: in a 10-degree frost, the heater needs quite a lot of time to melt the hoarfrost on the side glass, and with short trips, the rear lateral glass will always be frozen. For the same reason, heating the windshield seemed not at all superfluous in the size of it is also rather big.

The possibilities of a gasoline engine in the city and the city are enough with a margin. Of course, with full load, and for a long -drawn version it is 700 kg, Connect will not be so frisky, with the same passengers the car easily holds in a traffic flow, and beyond the city it easily accelerates to 120 km/h. We have not tried slippery anymore, and use nothing. I really liked the work of the checkpoint: the switching is light and clear, the movements of the lever are small. The switching mechanism is so good that I want to switch even without a special need. Such a box is an undoubted plus, because on a loaded car you will have to switch the programs often, especially since such cars work mainly in the city and for a shift the driver has to make thousands of switching. The gear ratio is selected in such a way as to ensure the normal dynamics of a loaded machine, so without loading you can easily switch the transmission through one difficulties, this does not cause a driver or a car.

The steering and suspension also left a pleasant impression: the car behaves stably in any traffic modes, except that it is sensitive to the gusts of the side wind, but with such a lateral square it is not surprising. With regard to acoustic comfort, everything is good for a car of this class. Even at 120 km/h of aerodynamic noise, it is practically not heard, which indicates a good study of the front of the body. But the noise from the work of the rear suspension is given in a large salon quite noticeably. This is not to say that this interfered hard, and there is nothing especially to blame for this, in the end, Connect is not luxury sedan, but a cargo-passenger hard worker. At first, we were afraid that the rear passengers would be cold, because the volume of the salon is large and it is not so simple to warm it. Indeed, at the beginning, until the engine warmed up, the back was not very comfortable. But as soon as the coolant in the radiator warmed up enough, the rear passengers ceased to feel uncomfortable: warm air regularly arrived at their feet in the central tunnel.

Facking the budget

So what is the family of Connect and what is it necessary for? Previously, when there were no service parks on the rally and the maintenance of combat vehicles could be carried out almost anywhere, in addition to heavy services, the role of which was played by trucks and large minibuses, there were light technical technical specifications. Typically, there was nothing else in this capacity. It was they who rushed between the special stages, intercepting the crews on the distillations, bringing fuel for refueling, tires, spare parts and helping to bring combat vehicles in full readiness to the start of the next dopa. Connect is wonderful for the role of light technician.

In it and the brigade of mechanics there is where to accommodate, and canisters, a set of wheels, a power station, a compressor, a tool, spare parts are where to put. At the same time, it will not yield to the speed of Connect, and with full load, perhaps it will be even faster. True, with the introduction of service parks and strict regulation of the service order for the rally, the need for light technicians has almost disappeared. But there is still enough work to such machines. Connect is really very good as a service machine. Take small parties of the goods shopping, pick up employees or guests with a bunch of luggage from the airport, just going somewhere for all this Connect is quite suitable.

At the same time, thanks to its relatively small dimensions, there will be fewer problems with parking in the city center banned by cars, and a relatively small fuel consumption will not make the trip too much. In the editors of Connect, it would be good as an escort machine during tests. Again, there is where to put the equipment, thanks to the presence of a side sliding and wide rear doors, it is quite convenient to carry out photography of cars in motion, and it is convenient to drive a car or return to the editorial office after the end of the work. It is also very gratifying that two options are offered in size and carrying capacity. The one that is smaller, in the SWB version, with a carrying capacity of 625 kg, is close to the Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Partner, and if this does not seem enough, you can pay attention to the increased version of LWB, the difference in the price between them is not so great. The basic version of Transit Connect SWB costs 13770 euros, LWB 14750 euros, Tourneo Connect, respectively, 14750 and 15590 euros.

Leonid Klimanovich
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine