FORD TRANSIT-IONING: The new Transit Connect is a brilliant little wagon thanks to the VW Caddy

FORD is a company that’s barely recognisable from what it was ten years ago.

Like all manufacturers, it is on a mission to phase out internal combustion engines.

Ford is also transitioning away from making cars.

Its current passenger vehicle range consists only of SUVs, as the Mondeo is long gone, and it killed off the fabulous Focus and feisty Fiesta.

But it’s not only its passenger vehicle range that’s changing. Ford has recently been collaborating with Volkswagen, with a lot of its vehicles sharing the same underpinnings.

The Ford Explorer and the new Capri have much in common with the VW ID.7.

And this partnership has extended into both manufacturers’ commercial vehicle range, too.

For example, the new Ford Transit shares its chassis and engines with the new VW Transporter.

It’s the same for the Ford Ranger and the VW Amarok pick-ups.

This week’s test drive, the Ford Connect, may look a bit familiar, and that’s because it’s actually a Volkswagen Caddy wearing blue oval badges.

The Transit Connect does have a different front face with new headlights and grill, but from the side profile, they are almost identical.

On the inside, apart from a Ford badge on the steering wheel, everything else is as you’d find in the Caddy.

The switchgear, operating systems are all VW with Ford logos, but that’s no bad thing as it is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

The Connect line-up consists of two sizes, short wheelbase or long wheelbase variants.

And it comes with load lengths up to 1,979mm, a load height up to 1,275mm and load volume up to 3.7m3, so both can happily handle two euro pallets.

There are two trim levels — Trend or Limited.

And there are two engine options, with a trusty 2.0-litre EcoBlue turbo diesel that’s actually a Ford unit, not a VW TDI as I first thought.

The diesel has two power outputs: 102bhp with a 6-speed manual and 122bhp that comes with a 7-speed auto.

The other engine option is the 150bhp, 1.5-litre EcoBoost Plug-in Hybrid petrol that offers around 118km of electric-only driving and a bit more if you’re in the city.

Ford also produces a very clever FlexCab version that has an innovative moveable bulkhead so you can switch between one or two rows of seats.

With five people aboard, there’s still enough space for a euro pallet.

My test van was the 122bhp diesel in Trend trim, so it had creature comforts like a 10-inch infotainment system, dual air-con and power heated door mirrors.

But no heated seats — that’s an optional extra — although the seats are very comfy.

But it really could do with a reversing camera as standard kit too.

The diesel engine has plenty of poke, but there are no driving modes.

However, the 7-speed auto gearbox has a Sport setting that allows a longer rev range, so it actually feels quite nippy.

The Connect handles superbly, no body roll, great grip for a front-wheel drive chassis, but there’s no all-wheel drive option.

And it’s economical, Ford quotes 51.5mpg, and I easily averaged 43mpg.

There are plenty of cubby holes around the cabins, as well as handy overhead storage.

And that’s something the vantastic Transit Custom doesn’t even come with.