New Ford Capri preview: famous name returns on 390-mile electric coupe-SUV

Ford introduced the Capri over half a century ago, to a European market aching for the kind of affordable glitz and glamour offered up by American muscle cars of the time. It was an overnight hit, and five decades later the automotive giant thinks the hallowed Ford Capri nameplate can be revived as an electric coupe-SUV to find sales success once again. The new Ford Capri made its UK debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. 

Like the original Ford Capri, which was itself something of a parts-bin paragon (much of its running gear was shared with the Mk2 Cortina), the new electric Ford Capri borrows bits from elsewhere. The new model uses the same MEB electric underpinnings as the boxier Ford Explorer, as well as several Volkswagen Group models such as the Volkswagen ID.5, Skoda Enyaq Coupe and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, this due to an ongoing collaboration between the automotive giants.

What powertrain options and performance can we expect?

Unlike the old Capri that was powered by Ford’s iconic Essex V6, the new electric Ford Capri is available in either single-motor Extended Range RWD (282bhp) form, or twin-motor Extended Range AWD (335bhp) guise. Despite the Capri’s racing heritage, its on-paper performance looks brisk, if not blistering. The RWD models hit 62mph in 6.3 seconds, with AWD cars slashing 0.9 seconds from that time. These are identical numbers to the Ford Explorer, which shares this same setup.

The Capri’s sibling, the Ford Explorer, is one of the more enjoyable electric SUVs to drive and we expect the Capri to feel, for the most part, similar to its boxier stablemate from behind the wheel. That said, Ford tells us the Capri actually sits 10mm lower than the Explorer and has slightly stiffer suspension, so it should provide a marginally sportier drive.

What do we know about the range and charging?

The new Ford Capri also gets the Explorer’s choice of 77kWh and 79kWh battery packs – both badged Extended Range. The former, available exclusively with the RWD powertrain, will return up to 390 miles on a single charge – an increase of 16 miles over the Explorer is representative of the Capri’s slipperier shape. Despite getting a slightly larger battery, the heavier AWD cars are only capable of 348 miles before needing to be plugged in. 

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Owners can charge the Capri’s 79kWh battery at speeds of up to 185kW, allowing for a 10-80 per cent top up in 26 minutes. Despite having a lower peak charging speed (135kW), 77kWh cars only take roughly two minutes longer to complete the same charge.

Coming early next year is an entry-level Ford Capri model, designated ‘Standard Range’. This will get a more compact 52kWh battery, a less-powerful 168bhp electric motor and while specs are yet to be announced, we expect it will offer a range of around 250 miles on a single charge.

What is the exterior and interior design like?

Ford says the ‘C’ in Capri stands for ‘cool’ – yes, we rolled our eyes, too. The Vivid Yellow colour you see here is exclusive to the Capri as a no-cost option; it’s available alongside the punnily-named ‘Blue My Mind’ that made its debut on the Ford Explorer, as well as a handful of other arguably less vibrant shades. 

The Ford Capri takes many of its styling cues from the Explorer, and Ford admits that several body panels, such as the doors, front fenders and bonnet are shared between the two cars. Although, there are some distinctions; there’s the sloping roofline for starters, as well as the aforementioned lower suspension, which helps give the Capri a slightly more purposeful stance.

Ford tells us that it refrained from adopting a retro design brief to avoid the car ageing too quickly. However, there are a handful of throwbacks to the original Capri; the ‘dogbone’ front and rear lights, for example, are connected by gloss black trim pieces and are intended to replicate the old Mk3’s quad headlamps. Base models get cloth seats with a vintage stripe, while the steering wheel’s metal-effect six-o’clock marker is a subtle nod to the aforementioned Cortina on which the old Capri was based.

Elsewhere inside, the new Capri has once again largely copied the more sensible Explorer’s homework, with a standard-fit 14.6-inch central touchscreen that slides forwards and backwards to adjust the viewing angle, revealing a wireless phone charger hidden behind it. This display comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with Ford saying it’s working closely with Apple to integrate the upcoming next generation of its smartphone mirroring software into its cars.

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We’re fans of the soundbar-like speaker mounted on the top of the dashboard, but less so of the fiddly (and fingerprint-attracting) touch-sensitive volume controls. Thankfully, the seats, like those in the Explorer, are one-piece affairs which hug you in place nicely and offer plenty of support.

What do we know about the infotainment system? 

While Ford may have copied and pasted the Explorer’s infotainment system for the Capri, this isn’t as bad as you might expect. From our time sitting in the car we found the screen to be largely responsive to our inputs and although it seems the cries from motoring journalists and consumers for the climate controls to get separate knobs have fallen on deaf ears, Ford has at least placed them on a fixed position at the bottom of the display screen.

The biggest thing that sets the Capri’s touchscreen apart from the set-ups found in rivals is the way it can be manually slid backwards and forwards to adjust the viewing angle. In practice, we think this is mostly be a bit of a gimmick and one that’s not nearly as impressive as the electrically rotating touchscreen on the BYD Atto 3. Still, at least pushing the display back does reveal an additional storage cubby with a built-in wireless phone charger.

How practical is the new Ford Capri and how big is its boot?

Despite the Capri’s more streamlined appearance, Ford has done well to limit the impact on rear passenger comfort. There’s plenty of headroom for those under six feet, although leaning back on the headrest does mean your head may occasionally brush a hump in the rooflining. Those with long legs should be well catered for, though, with the Capri a perfect example of how the long wheelbases (the distance between the front and rear wheels) or EVs can have a positive impact on interior ergonomics.

Even more surprising than the Ford Capri’s ample headroom is the fact that, despite its sloping roofline, it actually boasts more boot space (30 litres, to be exact) than the Ford Explorer. With 572 litres to play with, the Capri should be more than practical enough for most families, with 60:40 split-folding rear seats, space below the boot floor that’s sufficient for storing charging cables, and a power-operated bootlid on top-spec Premium models.

How much is the new Ford Capri?

The new Ford Capri is on sale now with prices starting from £48,075 for the rear-driven model, and £56,175 for the all-wheel drive range topper – £2,200 more than the equivalent Explorer. Due on sale later this year, the 250-mile Standard Range model will start from £42,075.

Two trim levels will be offered at launch: the eponymous Capri and the higher-end Capri Premium, with the AWD model only being available in the latter specification. Standard-spec cars get heated, massaging front seats, sat-nav, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and a reversing camera as standard. 

Premium adds, for an extra £4,100, larger 20-inch wheels (21-inch rims are available as an option), matrix-LED lights, a panoramic roof, a B&O stereo, leather upholstery, ambient lighting and a powered bootlid. Ford still makes customers fork out extra for a heat pump – regardless of which model they pick.

Q&A with Murat Gueler – Chief Designer, Ford of Europe

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Q: Many will be angry that the Capri nameplate has been used on something like an electric SUV. How do you intend to keep the spirit of the original car alive?

A: For us it's more of an exercise in personality. One of the first things that really stands out on the Capri is at the front end with the dog bone [headlights]. There is the challenge of the proportion in general because this is an SUV, while the old Capri was a low coupe. 

We looked at the ads of the time to see what the car originally stood for. One of the things the original Capri had was a more horizontal roofline, so the new car’s silhouette is inspired by that. Also, something that we took from the original car is the prominent rounded shape [on the C pillar]. That again, makes it unique and stand out.

Q: Is a unique exterior design and iconic nameplate enough to set the Capri apart from the rest of the MEB line-up?

A: This was for us an opportunity to do something unique, and something that only Ford could do. We can put a bit more personality and swagger into the designs [which makes] brands look a bit common.

How do you get a buyer’s attention? You can get it through adding LEDs and go nuts on the design, or you can go with this: an iconic name that has the coolness factor and then something relatively simple design-wise. That’s why we’re very confident [the Capri] will stand out from the masses.

Q: The Capri is cheaper than the Mustang Mach-E and shares the same philosophy of reimagining an iconic nameplate in the form of a sleek-looking electric SUV. Won’t the Capri just cannibalise that car’s sales?

A: Yes, the Capri is a bit cheaper, but the Mustang has a totally different exterior design and improved performance compared to this car here. Maybe there is a bit [of cannibalism], but we are confident that we have a customer base for both as each has a unique identity [and] soul.

Q: As a designer, do you enjoy the restraints placed upon you by working on a car that’s confined not only by its platform but also by its nameplate?

A: I really do, as for me it’s a challenge. Designing a mid-engined sports car is easy, right? The packaging constraints are very big on EVs, and then you have front-end crash protection constraints. But if you manage to [incorporate] all these things and still make a attractive car that will sell well, that's the goal.

What do you think of the new Ford Capri? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section...