Behind the wheel

Looking back at the past dozen or so issues of Fleet Van, it’s true that the Transit Connect hasn’t occupied many column inches – there have just been so many other new offerings to write about.

But Ford is rarely out of the limelight for long and this new model is set to turn a few heads, just as the Transit Sportvan did.

The first thing to notice about the Transit Connect in general is that it’s bigger and chunkier than most of its rivals.

It isn’t exactly handsome to look at but it does exude its own brutish muscly charm.

The Sportvan, though, looks superb – in a chavvy kind of way – although it was a bit disappointing to discover that those chrome exhaust pipes aren’t actually attached to anything – they just hang there on the underside of the van while a standard exhaust system does the real work.

Climbing aboard, the doors are heavy and chunky and slam shut with a mighty thwunk, which speaks volumes about the solid build quality of the vehicle.

The cab is bigger than most of the rivals too and is light and airy thanks to the oversize windscreen and high roof line.

Under way it’s interesting to feel how quick this van seems, bearing in mind that it carries a standard engine.

The secret is in the torque, which is at its maximum from as low as 1,500rpm, thus giving the Sportvan an enormous amount of low-down grunt.

Top speed isn’t any better than an average van but you do seem to get there very quickly.

The engine may be standard but those chunky low profile tyres certainly aren’t.

The result is that this variant can be thrown into corners at speeds that would frighten the pants off its standard brother.

The Connect is about the only small van still to have a floor-mounted gearlever – most of the others have migrated to the dash – but it’s a short-throw stick mounted on a square plinth and the changes are as slick and sure as with any dash-mounted van.

But the question is – can the Transit Connect Sportvan be called a fleet vehicle in any way, shape or form.

Well, yes and no.

It is undoubtedly aimed at one-man business users who fancy giving themselves a treat but how about this for an idea for van fleet operators ... if you have, say a fleet of 30 Connects, why not take on one of these Sportvans?

Then you offer a competition for your drivers (say most fuel-efficient person in the firm) and whoever wins each month gets to drive the Sportvan for the following four weeks.

Just watch you staff’s driving improve!

Verdict

Anyone who wants to buy a Sportvan had better be quick.

Those 300 models on offer will be flying off the shelves.