Reinvented Ford Capri is now a coupé-SUV based on Volkswagen underpinnings with up to 390-mile range
Bodie will need to jump a lot higher
Not content with using its famous coupé names such as Puma, Cougar (as Kuga) and even Mustang on its SUVs, Ford has now — after much speculation — confirmed it is reviving the Capri name… and fans of the original may want to look away.
While the Capri is back after a break of nearly 40 years, the new model is about as far removed from the brawny 2+2 as it’s possible to get, because it’s now a pure-electric SUV.
Ford calls the new Capri a “coupé SUV” but it’s only a few millimetres lower than the new Explorer EV (another car that uses a name from Ford’s back catalogue). In fact, look closely, and you’ll see that the Capri and Explorer use the same doors. That’s because they’re largely identical aside from their exterior design.
The new Capri is based on the same Volkswagen-sourced electric car underpinnings that are used by the Explorer, although Ford is keen to stress that it has thoroughly overhauled the running gear so that it delivers the kind of driving fun for which Ford is known.
At launch, the Capri will come in RWD and AWD Extended Range guises, with 77kWh and 79kWh batteries respectively, just like the Explorer. The RWD model features a 282bhp electric motor that’s good for a 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds, while the AWD has a second electric motor working on the front wheels for a combined maximum output of 353bhp. That’s enough to give it a 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds. All these figures are identical to the Explorer’s.
Up to 390 miles of range
How far it can go between charges is similar too, with a maximum range of 390 miles quoted for the RWD model under the standardised test conditions, and 368 miles possible in the AWD version. Expect less in the real world, especially in colder weather, but over 300 miles under most circumstances seems likely.
Both cars can be recharged from 10-80 per cent capacity in less than half an hour from a powerful enough source, with a maximum DC charging rate of 135kW available for the RWD car and 185kW on offer for the AWD model.
The new Capri’s cabin is the same as the Explorer’s, with a large portrait touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard running Ford’s latest “Sync” infotainment technology. This display features hidden storage behind it — accessible by tilting the screen — while the Explorer’s “MegaConsole” beneath the armrest between the front seats is also carried over.
Since the new Capri is a similar height to the Explorer, passenger space will be similarly roomy, while the longer body — extended by 166mm over the Explorer — means there’s more boot space on offer. There’s a very handy 672 litres available in five-seat mode (more than the Kuga), which increases to 1,510 litres with the back seats flat. In comparison, the Explorer accommodates of 530 and 1,460 litres respectively.
Original Capri styling cues
Probably the most controversial aspect of the new Capri — aside from the use of the name on an electric SUV — is the way it looks. Ford hasn’t simply grafted a sleeker body onto the Explorer, as other brands like Audi and Mercedes tend to do when create a coupe version of its SUVs; it has taken a crack at incorporating some of the classic Capri’s styling cues into the car’s design to give the model a very different look.
The daytime running lights are stylised to look like the quad-headlamp look of the Capri Mk3, for example, while the bonnet incorporates raised leading edges above the lights, just like the original. Further back, there are C-shaped side windows that also echo the original Capri’s, while the line of the hatchback rear end has similarities, too.
Of course, all these features have been blended into an electric SUV body, so the Capri doesn’t sit as low to the ground as the original model, but Ford has still managed to make the car stand out with Vivid Yellow being an exclusive colour available for the newcomer.
Expect a price premium
Prices have yet to be announced for the new Capri. The Explorer in this guise starts from £50,000, with the AWD model costing £4,000 extra — prices that reflect the amount of miles possible per charge. Expect the Capri to be priced similarly, if not a little higher, when it hits showrooms either later this year or early in 2025.
Related articles
- If you found news on the new Ford Capri interesting, you might want to read Will Dron’s interview of Ford CEO Jim Farley
- Watch Ford’s ‘Race to the Clouds’ Pikes Peak record run in 1,973bhp electric Supervan 4.2
- Or read our review of the Alan Mann Racing Mustang ePower
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