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The Capri is back but this time as an electric crossover. Can it live up to the legend?

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We are truly in the era of the reboot. There’s another Ghostbusters on the way, Gladiators (the TV show) and Gladiator (the film) are back, and now so is the Ford Capri

Unlike the former, which follow their recipes to the letter, Ford’s once sporty coupé is now a sleek saloon-shaped crossover – a decision that was met with quite a bit of a backlash from fans of the blue-collar icon. 

Sacrilege or not, it's ultimately just a badge on a tailgate. If Ford’s decision to bring the Capri name back was a genuine belief that the new car is true to the original’s lineage (its design team did an exercise in creating a range of mythical Capri models to show how they got to this new model) or a more cynical marketing ploy, it has got people’s attention and them talking. Perhaps both things are true at the same time. 

Yet reviving monikers isn’t a new thing for the Blue Oval, given the Capri spearheads an EV line-up made up of the Puma, Mustang and Explorer – the latter its near-identical boxier sibling.

So with the Fiesta gone and production of the Focus to end next year, the Capri represents the future of the storied brand: this is modern Ford.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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The Capri is very closely related to the Ford Explorer and both are based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture for EVs.

If the Explorer is the Volkswagen ID 4, then, the Capri is the Volkswagen ID 5, but with the windscreens pushed further back for different proportions. 

The rear windscreen glass has a special treatment to ensure water runs down it rather than sits on it, further reducing the need for a wiper.

Ulrich Koesters, director of electrification at Ford of Europe, goes as far as to say the Capri and Explorer are “twins”. Yet the Capri was actually the lead model in the development, despite the Explorer having launched first – all part of the desire to create what Koesters calls “a sports car for the family”. Sounds familiar.

This effectively gave the Capri a longer to-do list and greater bandwidth in mixing dynamics with practicality; the Explorer would then fall into line accordingly.

The wheelbase of the two electric Fords is common, yet the Capri is 20cm longer - all in the rear overhang - to give a faster profile to the Explorer. It also creates a larger boot (527 litres) by around 100 litres. This is also some 40 litres up on the Audi Q4 E-tron Sportback's boot and a similar size to the Skoda Enyaq Coupé's.

Much attention has been paid to the aerodynamics of the car to not only help efficiency (the drag coefficient comes in at 0.26 in the Capri, compared with 0.29 in the Explorer, which is why the Capri has more range from the same battery options) but also ensure its silhouette wasn’t interrupted by a rear windscreen wiper. 

The Capri also sits slightly lower than the Explorer, in a further boost to efficiency and also to reduce its centre of gravity. The MEB architecture allows for three different ride heights, and the rear-wheel-drive Capri has the lowest available. The four-wheel-drive Capri sits 10mm higher, which is the same as the rear-wheel-drive Explorer. The four-wheel-drive Explorer then sits 18mm higher again.

The front and rear light designs are also different for the Capri over the Explorer, even if the underlying technology is the same. 

The Capri's design, which incorporates sharp lines and swooping curves (Polestar 2, anyone?), nods subtly to the original coupé. Note the wraparound grille and curved rear window. There's even a metal spoke on the steering wheel.

Yet when parked next to each other, the Capri and the Explorer do look quite different – although to our eyes, the Explorer is the car that has more visual impact and greater individuality. It stands out more than the Capri in the aforementioned sea of electric mid-sized crossovers.

Two trim levels are offered on the Capri: Select and Premium. The standard-range model – arriving in early 2025 – in Select trim is priced from £42,075. The leap to Premium trim here is £4100. The extended-range model is an extra £6000 on top in both trim levels, while four-wheel drive adds an extra £4000, meaning the top-spec car comes in at £56,175.

The pricing looks expensive next to rivals, but Ford will point to more generous standard equipment levels. That said, as in the Explorer, the only part of the Premium trim that feels worth having is the better matrix LED headlights. If you can live without those, Select trim will suffice.

INTERIOR

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The Capri has a spacious and airy cabin, with plenty of leg and head room in the front as well as the back. This rear head room, however, drops when it is optionally equipped with the large panoramic roof.

Like the Explorer, there are also storage bins everywhere, showing the car’s family focus, including 17 litres under the armrest alone (aptly named the Mega Console), which is good for laptops, small bags or a secret stash of food.

The screen can slide to reveal extra storage and USB-C ports. This also locks when the car is locked so is good for hiding valuables.

The cockpit is centred around a 14.6in vertical touchscreen, on which all the major controls, from climate to audio, can be found.

Uniquely, you can slide it, something Ford says allows screen glare to be countered. In reality, it's a bit of a gimmick: once I'd found my preferred position for it, I never readjusted it.

Behind the screen sits extra storage and two USB-C ports – and that space is locked when the car is locked, so it can be used for storing valuables.

The software allows the main functions – such as audio, sat-nav or weather – to appear at the same time without overloading you with information. It’s also clear and responsive. The heater controls are also included on the screen, but the core functions of these are permanently sited at the bottom of it. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless as standard.

However, as with other vehicles that use VW's OS, I did find it tricky to navigate past the initial menu screen, and to do anything more than a simple command, you need to take our eyes off the road for a prod or two. Ford says it’s closely following initial reaction to its application in the Explorer and is open to updating and improving its functionality accordingly. 

The one-piece sports seats are fully adjustable (electronically for the driver) and are well cushioned, but a lack of under-thigh support makes them a tad uncomfortable on longer journeys.

Elsewhere, those used to VW cars will be familiar with many of the controls, from the 5.3in digital driving screen to the window switches and haptic touch 'buttons' on the steering wheel – the latter still rather terrible to use.

Trims levels are also a bit dull no matter the spec you chose. Entry-level Select trim clads the cabin in grey and black padded plastic, which looks nice but feels slightly cheap compared with what you get from Audi – a trait that Ford has still yet to shake even as it moves into the £50,000 territory.  

That rather ergonomic feel is a byproduct of the VW Group underpinnings: MEB cars all share a common feeling of being rather glum on the inside, with material richness and interest that’s a long way behind rivals like the Peugeot e-3008. The Polestar 2 has a similarly sparse interior yet it still feels cool, modern and not as austere as the Capri's.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Currently, the Capri is offered in either rear-wheel-drive form with a 77kWh (usable capacity) battery and 282bhp, 402lb ft motor (£48,075) or as a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive version with a 79kWh battery and 335bhp (£56,175).

Like the Explorer, a smaller (52kWh) battery variant with a single 168bhp motor will be offered from early next year, dropping the starting price to £42,075.

The Capri is smooth from step-off, but the acceleration can be a little stabby when extra power is called for on the move.

All the motor and battery technology is the very latest available on the MEB architecture, which is also used for VW, Audi, Skoda and Cupra models.

In the most potent Capri, the 0-62mph time can be dispatched in 5.3sec; top speed is limited to 111mph.

Like other MEB-based cars, there are four driving profiles: Range, Normal, Sport and Individual. In Normal, the regenerative braking is clever, coming into play more in town (where it is useful) but on allowing more coasting on motorways. In Sport and Range, however, the regen is harsher, slightley imitating a one-pedal driving mode.

What's most frustrating is you can’t play around with different levels of regen: it's either what's offered by the driving profiles or a increased to a quite crude level when B mode is selected from a stalk beyond the steering wheel.

RIDE & HANDLING

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While the Capri is primarily a family hauler, the way in which it stands out from the competition – and where it surprises most – is away from main roads, at least in RWD form. While the Q4 E-tron Sportback, ID 5 and Enyaq Coupé offer rather dull drives, this particular Capri doesn’t.

It’s not outright sporty, but on B-roads the 282bhp powertrain is enjoyable to blast (with a 6.4sec 0-62mph time), the steering is well weighted and has a satisfying directness and the suspension – with a subtle tuning difference to the Explorer – is just about firm enough to keep the Capri relatively level through sweeping corners while also soft enough to mute most of the potholes underfoot. In a word, it’s fun.

In many ways, the Capri feels like a heavier, taller Mondeo, yet certainly not a certain sub-tonne coupé from the 1980s.

It’s a hard car to corrupt and break its composed feel, and it’s all backed up with good refinement levels.

What’s more, the squared-off steering wheel is thin and gives you decent road feel.

This follows Ford's push to make the Capri as “Ford fun to drive as possible”, in Koesters’ words, while ensuring it was comfortable too. Balancing these things successfully has been a long-term talent of Ford’s.

Yet while performance is strong for a vehicle in this class, there are no hidden depths to the Capri. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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The electric range on our Extended Range model (with the biggest 77kWh battery) test car suggested at being around 390 miles of WLTP range, which points to good efficiency. 

However, during our time with it driving in towns, on B-roads and on motorways, we achieved closer to 290 miles. Given this test was conducted during the colder December months, this wasn't bad – especially given official tests include having the climate controls turned off.

Despite the relatively high price, a heat pump isn't standard-fit: it's a £1050 option on both Select and Premium models.

For the dual-motor car, range is officially 330 miles and the standard-range model that will follow in 2025 is expected to have a range of around 250 miles.

To get the fastest charging speed of 185kW, you need to have a four-wheel-drive model. The maximum charging speed in rear-wheel-drive models is 135kW, which lags behind the likes of the Polestar 2 and Kia EV6, which can accept in excess of 200kW.

VERDICT

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The Capri was never going to be anything like the car that last wore this most iconic of badges. Whether or not it delivers on its brief of being a sports car for the family is the real question.

While it's well suited to families with plenty of space and storage inside, it isn't a sporty car, let alone a sports car. It's instead a car with fluent road manners, one that has nice steering and good body control. Performance is plentiful and the ride is soft enough to mute most potholes without being bouncy. 

We wish it would have more character, especially in its interior, which is rather sombre. 

It will join the ranks of the booming electric crossover class with some bits better than rivals, some bits worse, yet its trump card remains that name: it ensures the car will stand out, and that will count for something in the increasingly homogenised class in which it competes.

It will therefore suit those looking for a practical car with lots of space and a decent range but also the possibility of driving fun. Mind you, those people should also consider the Explorer, which is £2500 cheaper.

Will Rimell

Will Rimell Autocar
Title: News editor

Will is Autocar's news editor.​ His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.

As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.