Ford Capri 250kW Premium 79kWh AWD 5dr Auto

Ten Second Review

This modern-era Ford Capri has virtually nothing other than its name in common with the brand's iconic last century combustion coupe. It's a mid-sized EV with Volkswagen underpinnings - essentially a sportier Ford Explorer. But it adds a bit of youthful spice to its segment.

Background

We're now pretty used to car brands dusting off classic nameplates and re-inventing them as something else - but Ford does it more than most. Having redefined the Puma, the Mustang and the Explorer, the Blue Oval has now revived arguably its most iconic model name of all, Capri, a car not seen since 1986. In its old form, as your dad will tell you, the Capri was a blue-collar sports coupe, a genre now long-abandoned but popular when this Ford was first launched in 1969, with subsequent second and third generation versions in 1974 and 1978. In the years after, Ford often dabbled with the idea of bringing this nameplate back (with the Visos Frankfurt Motor Show concept of 2003 and a Focus-based hatchback design prototype in 2009); but it took the EV revolution to push the company into actually doing it. Modern electric Fords are redesigned Volkswagens and, like its showroom stablemate the Explorer, the Capri is a five-door crossover based on underpinnings borrowed from Wolfsburg's ID.4. But clothes them in a sporty silhouette replicating the approach of the Volkswagen ID.5. With the Capri though, there's a touch of nostalgia to go with Teutonic engineering that'll only ever be electric. Ford says this car 'continues the story of an iconic cult classic'. But how? Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Since the original Capri was cobbled together from bits borrowed from other less sporty cars (mainly the MK2 Cortina), it's appropriate that this modern electric Capri borrows most of its engineering bits from elsewhere. Pretty much everything is shared with its similarly-sized Explorer showroom stablemate, including the Volkswagen group MEB chassis. The battery and motor options are also VW-sourced, so much the same as you'd find in competing Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and CUPRA mid-sized electric models. It's notable that Wolfsburg hasn't allowed Ford to use its most recent EV engineering here. Most customers are expected to choose the 'Extended Range' rear-driven version, which mates a 286PS motor on the back axle with a 77kWh battery which is supposed to offer a 390 mile range. A fractionally larger 79kWh version of that 'Extended Range' battery is used in the top twin motor performance flagship AWD variant, which puts out 340PS, though that only trims the 0-62mph sprint time by 0.9s to 5.4s. Range is 348 miles. You can also ask your dealer about an entry-level rear-driven 'Standard Range' model which uses a smaller 52kWh battery paired with a feebler 170PS electric motor and offering a range of around 250 miles. As for drive dynamics, well preface your nostalgia here at the outset with a bit of a reality check; the old Capri was a model produced in the era just before Fords became good to drive. You might be tempted to think that this area has now passed, given that like most EVs, this modern Capri is weighed down like a proverbial brick, the vast battery contributing to a kerb weight of up to 2,115kg. Which might make you think twice about the lower-powered motor in the 'Standard Range' model. Ford says the 10mm reduction in suspension height should at least make all versions of this car feel a little sportier through the turns than its Explorer showroom stablemate.

Design and Build

Ford says that this new generation Capri brings 'a sense of swagger' to the world of EVs and will 'introduce a whole new generation of drivers to the spirit of a cult classic'. That might be your perspective. Or, conversely, you might just be disappointed that Ford has reinvented its seminal sports coupe as something that looks a bit like a Polestar 2. To us, the only thing that really harks back to the original Capri is the rear quarter window, which shares the same curved profile that on the MK1 model. Ford has also tried to reference that original car with the 'dog bone'-style front and rear lights. At least it doesn't look much like the Explorer EV it's based on, though the two cars do share the same doors, front fenders and bonnet. But the sloping roof and lower suspension aim to set the Capri apart. It shares plenty with the Explorer inside too - notably the one-piece seats and the 14.6-inch central touchscreen. You can slide this forwards or backwards to adjust your viewing angle (and doing so reveals an extra storage cubby with a built-in wireless 'phone charger). The squared-off steering wheel takes a bit of getting used to, but you like the 17-litre 'MegaConsole' storage area between the front seats and the soundbar-like speaker mounted on the top of the dashboard. Rear seat space is better than the streamlined silhouette might lead you to expect; there's headroom for a couple of six-footers and, thanks to the wheelbase length advantages of the MEB platform, more space to stretch out than a combustion model of this size would previously have offered. Surprisingly, there's a little more boot space than you get in more practical-looking Explorer (about 30-litres more at 572-litres). Plus there's space beneath the cargo floor for the charging leads: the VW platform doesn't allow for under-bonnet 'frunk' space.

Market and Model

From launch, Capri pricing started at around £42,000, which gets you the base 52kWh 'Standard Range' model with base 'Select' trim; the plusher 'Premium' version costs around £4,000 more. Ideally, you'll probably want the larger 'Extended Range' battery. With 'Select' trim, rear-wheel drive and the 77kWh battery, you would need around £48,000 for this Capri; again, it would be around £4,000 more for 'Premium trim'. You have to have 'Premium' spec for the top 79kWh twin motor AWD model, which commands another £4,000 premium, taking the asking price to just over £56,000. Across the range, there's a premium of around £1,000-£2,000 over the comparable Explorer model. What about standard equipment? Well with base 'Select' spec, you get 19-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lamps, rear privacy glass, a rear parking camera, keyless entry, all-round parking sensors, power-folding mirrors with puddle lamps, a Thatcham alarm, selectable drive modes and Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go. Inside, there's a 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster screen, a 7-speaker Soundbar sound system, upholstery partly trimmed in 'Sensico' faux leather, heat for both the front chairs, a 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat and a massage seat function. Media connectivity is taken care of by a 14.6-inch 'SYNC Move' touchscreen with navigation. 'Premium' trim adds bigger 20-inch wheels, Matrix LED headlamps, a panoramic roof, a hands-free power operated tailgate and front door scuff plates. Inside, 'Premium' trim gains you a 10-speaker B&O Sound system, LED ambient lighting and full-'Sensico' leather upholstery. Safety kit fitted on both models includes a 'Lane Keeping Aid with Lane Departure Warning' and 'Traffic Sign Recognition' with 'Wrong Way Alert'. There's also a Blind Spot Information system and 'Clear Exit Warning' (to warn occupants about to open their doors in the face of oncoming traffic). Also included are 'Cross-Traffic Alert with Active Braking', a 'Driver Alert' system, 'Evasive Steering Assist' and 'Reverse Brake Assist' (which warns you of oncoming vehicles when you're reversing out of a space). Options include a head-up display, a 360-degree camera, an 'Active Park Assist' set-up (which steers you into spaces) and, to provide some degree of autonomous driving tech, 'Lane Centring' and 'Assisted Lane Change' systems.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the driving range figures in our 'Driving Experience' section: 250 miles for the rear-driven 55kW 'Standard Range' model, 390 miles for the rear-driven 'Extended Range' 82kWh model and 348 miles for the dual motor 'Extended Range' 84kWh AWD derivative. To show you just how much difference this Capri's more streamlined shape makes, we'll tell you that the equivalent figures for rear-driven and AWD versions of the almost identically-engineered 'Extended Range' 82kWh Explorer are 335 miles and 305 miles. This Ford can charge from a 7KW AC home wallbox and is available in three capacities for DC ultra-rapid charging. You'll need to bear in mind that the 55kWh and 82kWh battery variants' fastest DC charging speed is restricted to 135kW, but the 84kWh pack of the AWD version can charge at up to 185kW. Filling any of the batteries in the range takes much the same time using a DC ultra-rapid charger, going from 10 to 80% in around 26-28 minutes. If you live in an outlying area that gets very cold in the winter months, we'd suggest you consider the (unfortunately optional) heat pump, which draws heat from the ambient air rather than using the climate system (and therefore the battery). Whatever your choice of variant, the car's connected navigation system will identify up-to-date public charging locations during trips and prompt owners to charge at the most convenient points on each drive - all to help ensure they don't have to be anxious about how much range they have. The brand also gives customers access to the FordPass Charging Network, Europe's largest network of more than 125,000 public charging stations in 21 countries. A Capri owner will be able to access any of these and pay for their power from a single account.

Summary

With this car, Ford talks about 'revelling in the tension between something that got the equity of an older name and the new interpretation'. But tension there is, primarily because a modern family five-door EV based on a VW and looking like a Polestar could hardly be any further from this model line's low-slung two-door 1970s namesake. But of course we'll all get used to it, as we did with the Mustang Mach-E. And those who won't aren't target market for this car anyway. If there's a problem here, it's not that Ford has bought back and re-invented a familiar name; that's now an established Blue Oval policy. It's more that, unlike with the Mustang Mach-E, the company has marketed the re-birth of the Capri as 'the return of an icon'. But this isn't that; it's something quite different. Perhaps that's good. Ultimately, there's only one perspective that matters; yours.