Despite its length, the efficient range of diesel engines helps ensure Ford Grand Tourneo Connect running costs are kept low.

No model is particularly thirsty but the lack of a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine means all customers will spend more whenever they fill up due to diesel fuel’s higher retail price.

The version that negates this impact the best is the 1.6-litre TDCi with optional ‘Fuel Economy Pack’. Stop/start function and active grilles to increase aerodynamic performance help boost the average consumption to a claimed 61.4mpg.

Unsurprisingly, those same virtues mean that Ford Tourneo Connect emissions are also low, the most polluting models only rated at 130g/km.

The cleanest in the range is the 1.6-litre TDCi with ‘Fuel Economy Pack’ measuring 121g/km.

Buyers will be able to expect respectably high levels of Ford Grand Tourneo Connect reliability from their new purchase.

Being van-based, it’s designed to withstand the rigours of a hard life with robust components used throughout, all of which have demonstrated proven service in other Ford models.

Although the interior plastics are firm, they feel like they’ll withstand years of abuse from the car’s occupants, while the electrical equipment and switchgear is tried and tested in a variety of Ford’s other models.

Other manufacturers may offer a more comprehensive warranty than Ford’s three-year, 100,000 mile guarantee, but at the least it suggests the Grand Tourneo Connect’s unlikely to suffer series maladies in its early years.