Imagine the scene; you are happily driving along with The Wurzels hit song Twice Daily, banned by the BBC for referring to shotgun weddings at full blast when, as you turn the corner, there is a red light and a queue of traffic as long as you've ever seen.

Your co-passenger, in this case one Simon Wood from Mercedes Benz, leans across and turns off the music just as you are about to discover what Twice Daily means.

"Once you come to a standstill, Mr Swallow," he says, "slip the transmission into neutral, lift your left foot off the clutch, and the engine will cut out. You needn't apply the hand brake but it's probably wise that you do. Then, to reignite the engine, re-engage the clutch and the engine will start. If the vehicle rolls forward, or backwards, the engine will start as you need the driveline to assist the servo for any potential braking procedure that might be required as you roll, perhaps unwittingly, towards another object. And that, Mr Swallow, is how Eco Start works."

While I have paraphrased Mr Wood somewhat, Eco Start's benefits have already been seen. A Sprinter van roadtest for Motor Transport saw Eco Start activated four times, saving more than eight minutes of idle time on the test route. That equates to eight minutes of diesel consumption not used during a 67 minutes section of the test route. At £545 is should pay for itself sooner if you work urban routes, and perhaps a little longer if you travel on the motorway networks.
Turning off the engine during unforeseen delays is good practice but with traffic lights playing a bigger part in the UK road network, idle time is only likely to increase, as will your fuel bill.

Launched in 2001, the Connect quickly established itself as one of the best small vans on the market, thanks to its robust build and driver friendly design.

However, time has seen rivals introduce newer products, with Citroen's Berlingo and Volkswagen's Caddy the main antagonists.

To keep things fresh Ford has given it a facelift, which inlcudes new grill, lights and bumpers - though it's not wholly successful, making the front appear a little glum.

The rear gets new lights, and there's also redesigned side mouldings.

Inside there's a new dashboard (lifted from the company's S Max passenger car), seats and colour scheme; and it works well, giving the Connect a modern, progressive look.

Also now fitted as standard are ESP, traction control and hill launch assist.

On the road the Ford feels, well, pretty much like the old version, and that's a good thing.

It retains that bullet-proof quality, making it easy to drive and live with. Steering and suspension provide excellent communication, while handling is failsafe whether laden or unladen.

And this inner strength also gives an insight into the ownership costs for the Connect. Build quality is among the best in class making this a van that'll stand the test of time, retaining its value when the time comes to selling.

THE VERDICT

The latest version of Ford's Connect continues to garner our respect thanks to its all-round class. It might be putting on the years; however the update does enough to maintain its position as arguably the best small van on the market.

Engine: 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi

Power: 74, 89, 109hp

Torque: 175, 220, 250Nm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Payload: 607-902kg

Price: TBA