KatyMac - I have followed and/or commented on various threads of yours over the last few months as I think we're both in the same place for needing a new car, and roughly in the same ballpark on our requirements.
I know two people (alas, neither in the UK, but in Southern Europe) who have the Tourneo Connect.
One has the five seat 1.0 manual petrol model which he bought to replace a mk I Citroën Berlingo, itself bought on the basis of my experience and recommendation. He is very happy with it and its running costs - although to qualify this he runs it as a second vehicle alongside a Porsche Boxster. He had thought the engine would be a bit weedy in such a large vehicle, but unless fully loaded it is fine (albeit in a country where driving is nowhere near as aggressive as the UK).
The other has a seven seat manual diesel model which he runs as a taxi. He loves it, much more so than the Mercedes Benz C-class estate it replaced: lower out of pocket running expenses, and more room for passengers and luggage (it's a holiday area and he does a lot of airport runs). He can get full size adults in the two rear-most seats and there is still some luggage space behind them, which is not something you could say about the Zafiras of this world.
You haven't said whether you need seven or five seats, but as I understand it the long wheelbase (LWB) seven seat Grand model was never available with the petrol engine, only the diesel, which may explain why you are struggling to find one.
The dealbreaker for me is that I need an automatic and the Ford PowerShift dry-clutch automatic transmission has an absolutely terrible reputation for reliability. It has been the subject of several class action law suits around the world. I was only ever interested in a diesel, but I also have read that the 1.0 petrol engine has had reliability issues relating to coolant leaks, with Ford eventually having to replace over 1,000 engines in these vehicles after the warranty had expired. Check the Honest John vans website for more details.
Having ruled out the Ford Tourneo Connect, I have found the nearest (and, probably better) equivalent is the Citroën Berlingo/Peugeot Rifter/Vauxhall Combo Life model but for the time being these are only available with diesel engines if you want an automatic from the current model. If you see a used petrol 'automatic' Berlingo or Peugeot Partner it is the old model and uses an automated manual transmission which is best avoided unless you want to impersonate a nodding donkey when you drive anywhere.