► CAR magazine drives the reborn Ford Capri EV
► Does it live up to its grandfather’s namesake?
► Or is it just another characterless electric SUV?
I can’t remember the last time a new car caused so much controversy, but the electric Ford Capri seems to have whipped the nation into unified outrage.
I suspect that’s because almost everyone in Britain is linked to the classic Capri in some way. You’re never more than a couple of degrees of separation from one – and you can guarantee, when you arrive at that touchpoint, the owner you’re connected to will have very fond memories of their car.
I’ve got a mate who’s been painstakingly building a rowdy Capri project since I was 19 and, despite the fact it’s been fighting him for over a decade, he can’t bear to part with it. The rag-tag bunch of miscreants my dad knocked around with in the 80s also used to run from the police in a modified Capri – and it was that rebellious streak which almost motivated me to buy one as my first car.
The Capri’s heritage runs deep in the UK – and Ford had a responsibility to protect that heritage with this replacement. But I (along with most of the CAR magazine team) am not yet convinced it has. And that goes some way to explain the vitriol the company received when it unveiled the car in the summer.
We’re three months into the future now, and Ford invited me along to try the ‘reborn legend’ (as its marketing material touts) for myself ahead of its arrival in the UK in early 2025.
The question is, has my drive in the Capri changed my opinion of the car? Or am I still planning to storm the gates of Dagenham brandishing a pitchfork and a burning effigy of the false messiah? Scroll down to find out.
At a glance
Pros: enormous boot, intuitive technology, composed handling
Cons: it isn’t that sporty, average charge times, rivals offer better value
What’s new?
Compared to the old Capri? Everything. The only similarities between the two cars are their badges and the shape of their rear quarter windows. And maybe the rough shape of the rear end. If you squint really hard. But that’s your lot.
It’d be a more useful exercise to compare this new car to the Ford Explorer, as they share the same platform and interior. However, to set the two EVs apart, Ford made the Capri longer and lower, and gave it a bigger boot (thanks to that extended coupe rear end).
What are the specs?
They’ll be familiar to anyone who’s spent time researching Volkswagen Group EVs, as the Capri is based on the same MEB tech. A cheaper, short-range model is on the way but, from launch, there are just two models to choose from called Extended Range RWD and Extended Range AWD.
The first option features a 77kWh battery pack and a single electric motor on the rear axle. It produces 282bhp and 402ft lbs of torque, which is enough to punch the Capri from 0–62mph in 6.4 seconds. It also has a maximum electric range of 390 miles.
Extended Range AWD models come with a slightly larger 79kWh battery pack and an additional electric motor on the front axle to bump power up to 335bhp. Torque remains the same at 402ft lbs, but the added traction afforded by the extra motor trims the Capri’s 0–62mph time down to 5.3 seconds. Maximum range falls to 368 miles, however.
Standard equipment is quite generous – but then, it should be considering the cheapest Capri is currently priced from £48,075 (the equivalent Skoda Enyaq is £4,000 less). Basic kit includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a massive 14.6-inch infotainment system, a wireless smartphone charger, a massaging driver’s seat and a heated steering wheel.
The Capri Premium builds on that with 20-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free tailgate, an interior ambient lighting system and a bumpin’ Bang & Olufsen stereo. You need deep pockets for it, though, because it starts from £52,175.
It’s also worth mentioning that, if you want a heat pump (which we strongly suggest you do for the extra efficiency), you’ll need to give Ford another £1,050. That’s cheeky considering the price gulf between the Capri and its MEB-based siblings.
It seems to be efficient, though. My rear-wheel drive test car said it was averaging more than four miles per kWh, even after scaling the mountains around Marseille. That’s better than an Enyaq Coupe, which is mightily impressive. Still, I’ll wait until we’ve conducted a proper range test in the UK before I make my final call on its efficiency.
How does it drive?
Hit and miss, if I’m honest.
The steering is responsive off centre, but the feedback evaporates the second you wind in more than an eighth of a turn. I found that quite alarming on Marseille’s twisty mountain roads because I was constantly having to second guess the amount of lock required to round each corner safely. The new Capri certainly hasn’t managed to capture the playful essence of Ford’s dying petrol cars.
The brakes left a lot to be desired, too. There wasn’t much resistance in the pedal, which made it difficult to drive the Capri in the ‘sporty and enthusiastic’ manner the brand’s marketeers insisted it was capable of. There’s no bite in the pedal when the pads contact the discs. It was like treading on a dish sponge soaked in treacle.
In fact, I found the Capri’s brakes were best avoided altogether. In my opinion, the ideal way to drive this ‘sports car’ is slowly and methodically, spending all the time you can relying on its regenerative braking system. That’s nailed the brief, don’t you think?
To be fair to Ford, it has at least managed to improve the MEB platform’s suspension. I couldn’t get a straight answer out of any of the company’s engineers as to what they’ve changed to achieve this but, from what I gather, they haven’t swapped any components other than the tyres.
The rest of the changes have been made through tuning. That means fiddling with the damping settings, tweaking the spring rates and adjusting the way the traction control system manages the electric motors’ performance.
I’m not going to lie to you and say these adjustments have completely transformed the architecture, but they have made a difference. For starters, the Capri’s damping is firmer than any Volkswagen-branded MEB car, which means it can take better advantage of the chassis stiffness afforded by the battery pack.
It’s a little more composed when you hurl it at a corner as a result. There’s less body roll and, if you carry a lot of speed into a bend (being confident in your ability to work with the numb steering rack), you can encourage the rear to step out of line. Sadly, the sensation is fleeting as the traction control will then drop on you with the weight of a thousand pianos and spoil your fun. Just like a sports car should.
I’m curious to learn whether the new damping settings have negatively affected the MEB platform’s ride quality, too. Remember, the Capri’s European launch event was on the outskirts of Marseille on some remarkably well-maintained roads. The car was smooth enough, but some of the larger pockmarks sent some unfamiliar judders through the cabin. I hope Britain’s washboard road network doesn’t amplify the issue.
What about the interior?
I don’t hate it. It doesn’t do a fantastic job of hiding its Volkswagen Group roots, though – the gear selector and touch slider volume control is identical to every other Volkswagen MEB car, and the steering wheel is just a reskinned version of the ID.5’s, which means it uses the same idiotic haptic buttons. But the rest of it is quite pleasant.
None of it screams ‘sports car,’ though. The front seats are wide and accommodating (rather than tight and well-bolstered), the view out of the front is clear (if you ignore the mile-wide A-pillars) and there’s loads of storage space. The central bin alone can hold 17 litres – and you even get a hidden storage area behind the infotainment system that’s large enough to hold your phone, wallet and house keys.
Space in the back isn’t terrible, either. Just like every other MEB car, the Capri has a completely flat floor so rear foot space is good. The roof also doesn’t start to slope towards the tailgate until it’s above the rear headrests, so even tall passengers won’t need to stoop down to fit in the back.
Plus, it gives the VW’s MEB cars a good run for their money on boot space. You get 572 litres of space up to the height of the rear seat backs, which is two litres more than the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and 23 litres more than the Volkswagen ID.5. Plus, the Capri gets a rather natty multi-position boot board that can either create two boxes to hold smaller items tightly or be removed entirely for some extra loading height.
Before you buy
As a family car, you can argue that the Capri is as compelling a prospect as the Skoda Enyaq Coupe or the Volkswagen ID.5 with which it shares its platform. It’s as practical as both, but it has a slightly more interesting interior and it’s a little better to drive. Yes, it’s also more expensive, but the small-battery model coming next year will help to solve that issue, even if it does mean sacrificing some range.
Ford can’t compete with the Kia EV6, though. For me, that car’s still very much king of the electric coupe-SUV hill as it has lightning-fast charge times, even more impressive performance and – get this – it’s a lot more fun to drive. The flagship GT model is also about to receive the same upgrades as my most favourite electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. And that’s game over for Ford as far as I’m concerned.
Oh yeah, and I should probably mention that the most basic version of the freshly updated Kia EV6 Air has an even bigger 84.0kWh battery pack and a cheaper starting price of £45,575. If you’re looking for this sort of car, set your badge snobbery aside and buy the Kia.
Verdict
This is a tricky one to call, mostly because Ford’s ambitions for the car haven’t aligned with reality. The evening before I drove the Capri, I spent four hours politely listening to the firm’s engineers and marketeers proudly explain how they’d ‘resurrected an icon’ and built a ‘sports car for the family.’ And you have no idea how difficult it was to keep my tongue in check.
Ford seems to have convinced its product team that the original Capri was a family car – and that it was doing the right thing by slapping that car’s badge on a five-door coupe-SUV. Ford couldn’t have been more wrong in my eyes.
The original Capri was an everyday sports car built on the same underpinnings as the Cortina saloon. Even though it used rather sensible underpinnings, it was aimed at upwardly mobile singletons who wanted a fun toy. Not settled families who needed something practical. The Cortina already served that purpose.
The original Capri was compromised. You couldn’t fit passengers in the back unless you sawed their legs and heads off. It only had two doors. It wasn’t particularly fuel efficient. It didn’t have an especially large boot. But it whiffed of rebellion and was fun to own.
This ‘reborn’ model has shook off its leather jacket and donned some sensible tweed trousers. And that’s a shame.
I really can’t understand why Ford picked the ‘Capri’ badge for this family car project. It has plenty of other iconic nameplates that would have suited this car’s form and function far better. Such as Sierra. Or Granada. Or Mondeo. Or even Cortina.
To be clear, I don’t really have a problem with this new car as an entity. It’s perfectly serviceable family transport. But I’m deeply irritated by Ford’s disingenuous marketing. If you’re thinking about buying one, please do your best to ignore the sales patter. You’ll only have your expectations dashed. This is not a sports car. This is not a ‘reborn legend.’ And the Kia EV6 does a far better job of balancing family and fun.
Using the badge is a good way for Ford to generate a lot of interest in an otherwise sterile electric car. But Bodie and Doyle wouldn’t be seen dead in one.