Ford Transit Connect van review (2025)
The not-quite-small small van from Ford that isn’t really a Ford
PROS
- Smart cabin and well equipped van
- Comes with rare plug-in hybrid version
- Car-based platform makes it great to drive
- Comfortable ride and good to drive
- Top safety score
CONS
- Payload isn’t the best
- Infotainment system is fiddly
- No electric model offered
- No space for three seats in the front
- Not really a Ford
Summary
The Ford Transit Connect used to be an easily defined vehicle – it was the brand’s small van that would compete with all the littlest models in rivals’ ranges. In some ways things haven’t changed – it is still similarly sized to lots of Ford’s key competitors’ smallest vans.
It’s the most direct equivalent to the likes of the Renault Kangoo, the Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo and the Volkswagen Caddy. The difference is that the Ford is now fundamentally the same vehicle as the last of those vans.
This is because Ford and Volkswagen have a partnership that has seen them collaborate on a few of their commercial vehicles. However, while the two companies co-developed its medium vans the Ford Transit Custom and VW Transporter and its pickup trucks, it’s a little different in this case. The Transit Connect is essentially just a rebadged VW Caddy, with Ford having not had any involvement in its original creation.
This is down to the Caddy’s relative age. It went on sale at the end of 2020, with the Ford-VW alliance only announced in the summer of that year. It would have been pointless to scrap such a new project and start again, so an old-fashioned rebadging affair it was.
As a result, there is little to differentiate the two vans in many senses, although it’s not just a case of taking off the VW roundel and replacing it with a blue Ford oval – the front-end looks are bespoke even if the ones at the rear are not.
The other fundamentals are all shared – the engines, gearboxes, interior features and infotainment, albeit with a bit of a Ford twist here and there. This is nothing new in the van world, but it does mark the Transit Connect out as a bit of an outlier in the Ford range, and it gives it less of a USP versus its closest competitors.
What versions of the Ford Transit Connect are there available?
The Ford Transit Connect is a rarity in the van sector full stop, as it is one of the few commercial vehicles to offer anything other than a plain choice between diesel or electric power. There is also a plug-in hybrid engine, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a battery and an electric motor, which combine to provide 150hp of power, making it the most powerful option available in the Transit Connect range.
There is still the option of a diesel engine, though, with two 2.0-litre units giving a choice of 102hp or 122hp power outputs. These are – you guessed it – the same as those offered in the Caddy. They are VW engines rather than Ford ones, though, despite them being branded as EcoBlue and EcoBoost in the official brochures.
The same is true with the gearboxes – you get a six-speed manual on the lower powered diesel while the other two engines come with an automatic as standard. However, they are not the same as each other – the diesel gets a seven-speed ‘box while the PHEV gets a six-speed unit.
One thing you won’t get is an electric version – if you want one of those then you’ll have to move down or up a size in Ford’s range. The Ford Transit Courier and Transit Custom both offer electric models but this van is based on a car platform (VW’s MQB base) that doesn’t accommodate a battery and motor.
In terms of the body styles, there is a plain panel van and a crew cab, which Ford has named the FlexCab. There are two lengths of panel van, but only the one height.
What are the Ford Transit Connect’s rivals?
Historically and currently the Ford Transit Connect’s rival is Volkswagen Caddy, but the choice between the two is now much harder or easier than it ever was depending on your viewpoint. It might feel tricky if you get bogged down in the details or it’s pretty simple if you have one of the two brands’ retailers on your doorstep.
The other usual suspects in the small van class include the Renault Kangoo, which also has its own close relatives. The Mercedes-Benz Citan and Nissan Townstar are both much the same as the Renault, having also been developed courtesy of a partnership. The Nissan is unique in offering a petrol engine, so is the only other alternative if you want to ditch diesel but retain an engine.
Then there is the Stellantis quartet – the Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Combo. These are, you guessed it, all the same van with some minor variances. The difference here is that they are all from companies that sit under the same parent company – Stellantis. You can add the Toyota Proace City to this group too, as this is also the same vehicle but sold as part of an agreement with Stellantis.
The other viable alternative is even closer to home than the Caddy – the latest Ford Transit Courier has grown in size compared to its predecessor and is now a relatively similar prospect to the Connect.
Verdict: is the Ford Transit Connect any good?
Yes, fundamentally, the Transit Connect is a good van, but it has some challenges to face. Chief among those is its own sibling, the slightly smaller Ford Transit Courier. If you need a small van then the Courier is a great prospect at a lower price without asking you to compromise that much on interior space.
Then there are the VW elements. The Caddy went on sale a couple of years before the Ford Transit Connect launched so if you really wanted one then you have had plenty of time to do so.
As ever with rebadging exercises like this, the differentiators come away from the actual vehicle. Ford has the edge on VW in a couple of areas, with its Ford Pro backup providing a high level of aftersales and servicing support. It also has a huge number of retailers around the country, so it may well be that you have one closer to you.
These aren’t the only reasons to buy a Transit Connect, though, as it is a great van to drive, has some practical features and offers a rare plug-in hybrid model.
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- Smooth to drive but some noise on diesel models
- Sharp steering and good ride
- Choice of different powertrain options
The Ford Transit Connect is a great van to drive in many senses. A large amount of this is down to the underpinnings – this commercial vehicle uses the same underneath elements as several cars, which helps on several fronts. For one it means that it has a more sophisticated steering and suspension setup than commercial vehicles of old.
Said platform is the same one that is used under the likes of the VW Golf and other vehicles right up to the largest of SUVS. It’s a flexible and adaptable arrangement that is more than capable of dealing with the demands of van life.
The result is a van that has a light steering reaction that is definitely more car-like, which helps it turn quickly and without loads of effort. In some senses it is almost a little too light – we like the old-school heftiness of the steering response that vans often provide, but it does make it simpler for parking in town and you get used to it fairly rapidly.
It’s comfortable on the move, too – it absorbs bumps and imperfections in the road, and does so without transmitting much in the way of clonks and noises into the cabin. In short, this is the sort of van that you can happily get into from a passenger car and not feel much of a difference.
Multiple engine options
The Ford Transit Connect is a bit of a rarity in that it is a van that offers more internal combustion engine options than just the standard diesel. There are still diesel engines – two 2.0-litre versions with a choice of 102hp or 122hp power outputs in fact. These are relatively low powered, but Ford has been selective here as there is a 75hp model in the Caddy that doesn’t feature in the Transit Connect.
That makes life easier, as that lowest powered model doesn’t offer the same effortless progress that the two others do, and the 102hp is the best all rounder. In both cases they are pretty relaxed at lower speeds with the sound insulation doing its job, though there is a little noise when you put your foot down for a burst of speed. The higher power one is the better choice if you are going to max out the payload on a regular basis.
The other option is the rarity, as the Connect is one of only a few vans to offer a plug-in hybrid version, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and battery. The result is a powertrain that is the most powerful in the range at 150hp. This is no tiny battery, either, with a claimed electric range of up to 73 miles. This means you can spend most of the time on electric alone, which makes for a smooth and quiet experience and allows for a relaxing drive around town.
This is the main reason to go for the Transit Connect PHEV really, as the extra weight of the system removes some of the payload and, as it isn’t a pure EV.
This goes a little way to mitigate the fact that there is no pure electric option in the range. This would bring more benefits in terms of lower running and maintenance costs, but the platform isn’t designed to be able to take all the necessary equipment, so that isn’t going to happen.
Wide range of gearboxes
There are as many gearboxes as there are engines in the Ford Transit Connect’s range, with each version getting a different ‘box. As you might expect, the entry level model gets a manual ‘box – a six-speed unit that is pleasant to use.
The higher-power 122hp model gets a slick and speedy seven-speed DSG automatic transmission that you really can just leave alone to do its thing. It’s a far cry from autos of old and with gear shifts happening imperceptibly in the background.
Oddly, the PHEV model gets one fewer ratio in its DSG gearbox, as it is a six-speed unit. This doesn’t markedly change your interaction with the van, though, as it offers just as smooth an experience as the seven-speed version.
- Modern and car-like space
- Only ever space for two across the front
- Annoying touch-sensitive features
In some senses the Ford Transit Connect’s cabin is great – it is a comfortable and car-like space that is a well-designed place to spend a working day. The materials are solid but feel decent, while there are a good amount of features dotted around. There are some irritations and drawbacks though.
Because of the van’s underpinnings, there isn’t as much space across the Connect’s cabin as there is in some small-van rivals. This means that you will only ever get a pair of individual seats and there is no option to add a bench seat to give space for three in the front. There is a crew-cab version if you really need to carry more, but that has obvious ramifications for your rear practicality.
The storage spots are generally good, but stop short of being excellent. The electronic parking brake means that there is a good amount of room for a pair of cupholders and a couple of storage slots in between the seats, although the front element could be bigger for phones. The door bins are decent and there is an open space on the top of the dash, which is a little oddly shaped.
Infotainment irritation
The elephant in the room, or the cabin at least, is the infotainment screen and the various associated controls. The underlying system is VW’s, but it has been reskinned by Ford so that it features the latter’s fonts and menus. This will be largely immaterial if you choose to link up your phone and use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – both are offered as standard on all versions, and you can connect using a cable or wirelessly.
The irritation is that you have to control several of the main systems like the cabin temperature through the screen, and the volume buttons are haptic ones rather than physical buttons. This makes it really fiddly when you are wearing gloves and less optimal for those that get dirty or greasy hands as part of their work.
Thankfully Ford has fitted its own steering wheel, which comes with physical buttons for controlling the volume and cruise control. The exterior lights also get a physical set of buttons to the side of the wheel, which is an improvement over the touch-screen style system in the Caddy.
- Streamlined range of trims
- Priced slightly higher than entry-level rivals
- PHEV the king for running costs
The Transit Connect takes a simple approach to its trim offering. There are just two versions of the panel van to choose from, and two of the FlexCab, although the top-end version of each is slightly different to one another.
This is a similar approach to that shown on the smaller Ford Transit Courier, but differs wildly from the mid-size Transit Custom and the Ranger pickup truck, which offer a wide array of versions.
Instead, Ford has kept it simple and stuck with entry-level Trend and the higher-up Limited. The FlexCab version is offered in Trend and Active variants.
This simplistic approach means that the Transit Connect is slightly higher priced than the equivalent entry-level VW Caddy, but there are variations in the specifications of the two vans so it isn’t just a case of drawing a direct line between the two.
Ford Transit Connect mpg
Every version of the Transit Connect has a decent on-paper fuel economy, with only a couple of models dipping below the 50mpg mark, and even then it is by less than 1mpg. The most efficient diesel is the short wheelbase model with the 102hp engine, which manages a top claimed figure of 52.3mpg.
The PHEV official fuel economy figures need to be taken with the usual huge caveat, as it depends hugely on how you use the battery element of it. The claimed official range is a decent 71-73 miles depending on which version you pick. It gets the same 50-litre fuel tank as the diesel, though, so it has plenty of backup for when you run out of charge on longer runs.
Ford Transit Connect warranty
The warranty on the Ford Transit Connect is nothing special – it meets the bare minimum by industry standards these days at three years and 60,000-miles, but that is some way short of the best in class now.
Ford Transit Connect standard equipment
Trend is the entry level trim for both panel van and FlexCab versions of the Ford Transit Connect. The two versions get a different higher spec though, with the van offering Limited and the FlexCab going for Active. Highlights are below.
Ford Transit Connect Trend equipment highlights:
- Kerbside sliding door (short wheelbase)
- Twin sliding doors (long wheelbase)
- Body colour front bumper
- Black rear bumper, door handles and mirrors
- Quickclear windscreen defroster
- Auto headlights
- 0-inch touchscreen with DAB, Bluetooth and navigation
- Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto
- Two USB-C connections
- Manual air conditioning (diesel models)
- Dual electronic air conditioning (PHEV model)
- Tyre repair kit
- Rubber floor covering
Ford Transit Connect Limited equipment highlights (over Trend):
- Chrome Grille details
- Body coloured rear bumper and door handles
- Automatic wipers
- Digital instrument cluster
- LED lighting in the cargo area
- Lumbar support for the driver’s seat
- Fold-flat passenger seat with work surface
- Dual electronic air conditioning
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Wireless phone charging
Ford Transit Connect Limited equipment highlights (over Trend):
- Honeycomb grille
- Wheelarch mouldings
- Body coloured rear bumper and door handles
- LED auto-high-beam headlights
- LED tail lights
- Auto wipers
- Rear tinted glass
- Silver roof rails
- Dual electronic air conditioning
- 17-inch allow wheels
- Wireless phone charging
The old Ford Transit Connect always did fairly well in the FN50 reliability survey but the good news is that the VW Caddy that forms the basis of this latest model does even better and is a regular in the top five.
- Top score from Euro NCAP
- Good level of kit but not everything is standard
The Ford Transit Connect has achieved the top rating from Euro NCAP, getting a full five stars for its safety systems.
Ford offers a good level of systems as standard, but not everything is included, with a couple of driver aids not added until you get to the Limited trim. These are more things that are nice to have rather than the basics. The highlights are below
- Driver, passenger, seat and curtain airbags
- Pre-collision assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Cruise control with intelligent speed limiter
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Hill start assist
- Electronic emergency brake assist
The Limited and Active trims then bring the Adaptive Cruise Control Pack, which adds adaptive cruise, blind spot assist with cross traffic alert and exit warning and a rear-view camera.
Ford Transit Connect security
The Transit Connect comes with an engine immobiliser and a Thatcham alarm as standard.
Which Ford Transit Connect is best for me?
We’d keep it simple with the Ford Transit Connect and stick with the entry level diesel model. There is plenty of kit, the engine does sufficiently well to cover all basic needs and there is not really any need to complicate matters by going higher up the range.
There’s not really any benefit to going for the plug-in hybrid – either go for a different fully electric van or stick with the cheaper diesel.
The Ford Transit Connect is a sophisticated van to drive.
There are two diesel engines in the Ford Transit Connect range.
The Ford Transit Connect comes with a plug-in hybrid version.
The Ford Transit Connect's cabin feels well made.
There is only space for two in the Transit Connect.
