Ford seems to struggle with introspection. Just four years ago, the brand was pelted with vitriol for slapping the Mustang badge on the boot of its first-ever electric SUV. Now, Ford has trod the same path, repurposing its iconic Capri nameplate for yet another family-focused electric vehicle.
The new Ford Capri is essentially the coupe-SUV equivalent to the Ford Explorer. Like its sister car, it’s built on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture – so it shares its battery packs and motors with cars such as the Audi Q4 e-tron and Skoda Enyaq Coupe. However, Ford is positioning the Capri as a more aspirational vehicle, so it’s commanding more cash. We’re not sure that’s the right decision.
Currently, prices for the Capri start from around £48,000. That’s around £1,500 more than the cheapest Skoda Enyaq Coupe and around £8,000 more than the most basic Explorer. And if you want the flagship model, you’ll need to fork out upwards of £52,000
There is a cheaper version of the Ford Capri on the way, which will be priced from a shade over £42,000. That won’t be available to order in the UK until the end of 2024, though. If you want the car on your driveway before the end of this year, you’ll need to come to terms with the fact that you’ll be paying a little over the odds.
What’s even more disconcerting is that the Capri, which was historically the affordable working-class hero of Ford’s UK range, currently costs almost £5,000 more than the Mustang Mach-E. Even when Ford eventually launches its more affordable Capri, the difference between the two cars will only be about £1,000. To us, it seems like this new car is too expensive for what it is – but we’ll hold off on passing our final judgement until we’ve driven it.
Scroll down to learn everything you need to know about the new Capri. We’ve covered its performance specifications, interior technology and practicality. We’ve also added some opinions from the Parkers team about how they reacted to the car when it was unveiled.
What motors and batteries can you have?
From launch, you’ll be able to choose from two versions of the Ford Capri. They’re called Extended Range RWD and Extended Range AWD. The former uses a 77kWh battery pack and a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle with 210hp and 545Nm of torque.
Ford says that’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 112mph. In its most efficient trim, the Extended Range RWD also has a maximum driving range of up to 390 miles. The more generously appointed Premium model sacrifices 18 miles of range to its extra equipment.
As its name suggests, the Capri Extended Range AWD has an extra electric motor on its front axle, bringing all-wheel drive. It also boosts power to 340hp, although the system’s torque figure remains the same at 545Nm. Still, the extra poke hacks the car’s 0–62mph time down to 5.3 seconds.
Because it’s based on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture, the AWD model also capitalises on the same improved battery technology found in the new ID. Buzz GTX. It’s slightly larger than the standard car’s battery at 79kWh – and that means the Capri’s maximum range doesn’t take a massive hit from the extra motor. Ford says it’ll do 368 miles.
What’s the Ford Capri’s interior like?
We sent Seth Walton to the Ford Capri’s launch event – and he reported the car was a rather unconventional blend of sleek modernism and cheap practicality. There’s an ultra-slick 14.6-inch portrait infotainment system in the middle of the dashboard.
It has a very logical menu design and rather sharp graphics. It’s also mounted on runners which can raise the screen up to a higher position on the dash to both reveal a hidden storage compartment and make it easier to view the content on the screen.
This snazzy infotainment tech is juxtaposed with some rather hard and scratchy plastics. However, given the Capri was (rather bravely) designed to be a family runabout, this isn’t such a bad thing. It means the dashboard and door cards should be relatively easy to maintain.
We rather liked the Capri’s seats, too. The car we viewed was finished in quilted leather upholstery, which helped to counteract the naff-feeling trims. Headroom is also great everywhere, despite the car’s sharply sloping roofline.
But – as much as it pains us to say this about what used to be an uncompromising sports car – it’s luggage capacity where the Capri really gets into its stride. You get 627 litres of space with the rear seats in place and a whopping 1,510 litres if you fold the bench flat.
Granted, those figures are the maximum capacities of the car if you load it up to the roof, but they mean this new Ford should be comparably practical to the Enyaq Coupe – and that’s easily our favourite model in the current crop of electric coupe SUVs.
What trims are available?
Just two for the time being, called Select and Premium – but even the most basic option is well-equipped. Standard kit includes heated front seats with a massage function for the driver, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charger, Ford’s James Bond-esque sliding infotainment screen and a 5.0-inch digital gauge cluster.
The Premium model builds on this spec with a customisable ambient lighting system, a 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen stereo with a subwoofer and a handsfree tailgate. There are a few optional extras to choose from, too, such as a heat pump, a panoramic glass roof and AGR-approved front seats, like the ones available in the Vauxhall Astra.
What does the Parkers team make of the Ford Capri?
We don’t normally pass judgement on the way cars look, but the Capri holds a special place in lots of our staffers’ hearts – and the fact that Ford has turned its iconic sports car into a bloated, jacked-up coupe-SUV elicited some very raw emotions. We’ve rounded up some thoughts from our most vocal team members below.
Keith Adams, Editor
I don’t actually mind what Ford calls its new electric coupe-SUV, so long as it’s good. It’s quite easy to distinguish the Mustang Mach-E and Ford Puma from their classic ancestors as they’re so different in character – and I suspect the same will be true of this new Capri.
So, bash on. Call this new EV a Capri. I doubt it’ll generate any additional sales or goodwill in what’s already a highly competitive market sector. Plus, the folk that are gnashing their teeth over the decision probably aren’t the buyers Ford is hoping to attract with the car.
What I will say is that Ford’s decision has created an intense buzz for a car that may have otherwise been lost in a sea of indifferent electric crossovers. And, let’s face it, this is a damn sight sexier than the new Vauxhall Frontera…
Luke Wilkinson, Deputy Editor
Unlike Keith, I was deeply offended by Ford’s decision to call this car a Capri. In my corner of the northwest, the original Capri was a working-class hero loved by weekend warriors and local miscreants alike for its slightly rebellious character.
Even when I was learning to drive in the late 2010s, my mates were still coveting the old Capri – and they were still finding weird and wonderful things to do to them to make them go faster. I’m talking bigger carburettors, fatter exhausts, trick suspension and even the odd engine swap. It was the ideal blank canvas on which to paint your perfect weapon of mass annoyance. And I loved it for that reason.
When I learned that Ford was planning to revive the Capri, I desperately hoped it would be able to capture even a shred of the original car’s roguish attitude. But, looking at these pictures, and listening to the comments from the public at events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed, I fear it’ll fall victim to the same dowdy branding as the Mach-E.
It’s sad. Ford really should have called it the Mondeo instead.
Alan Taylor-Jones, New Cars Editor
I don’t understand why Luke has his knickers in such as twist about the new Capri. Yes, it’s a name that means a lot to plenty of people, but I feel like I should bring his attention to two things. The first is that cars must move with the times or die. Second, the original Capri wasn’t that great.
I’ll tackle the bombshell I’ve just dropped first. Admittedly, I’ve only driven one old Capri for about 10 minutes on a damp day – but that was enough to draw a few conclusions. I thought its traction was terrible, its engine was wheezy, and it simply couldn’t cope with mid-corner bumps without flopping around like a poorly set trifle.
And besides, if Ford launched a rear-wheel drive two-seat coupe now, nobody would buy it. What people do buy are SUVs, including those that sacrifice some practicality for a jauntier roofline. Like this car here. Add a fondly remembered name and a few styling nods to its grandfather and you’ve got the recipe for a big seller, just like the Puma.
Seth Walton, Staff Writer
Was the new Capri ever going to be a slow-slung European muscle car to emulate its forebear? I too fell under the misty-eyed illusion that it could’ve been. Of course, that was all shattered when a great bulbous yellow coupe SUV rolled through the doorway, but if I’m honest, the disappointment quickly subsided.
As far as sporty family wagons go, the new Capri looks like it could have a lot going for it. The spec sheets talk of hefty poke, the seats are comfortable and the boot is enormous. Its body may have as much delicate nuance as a half-used bar of soap, but really the stir has been caused by its name.
If Ford had just unveiled the Sardinia, no one would give a monkeys. It’s just a name, and I actually quite like Capri – it beats the usual Argos warehouse codes we’ve become accustomed to on most new cars, anyway. Need to drive it…
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