Ford brings back Capri name for new electric SUV

In 1968, Ford launched a sleek 2-door fastback coupe it said was ‘The Car You Always Promised Yourself’ – the Capri. Its name indicated its origins from Ford of Europe, which wanted to offer something along the lines of the Mustang which had been an overnight success in America when it appeared four years earlier.

The Capri was offered as an affordable sporty car and went through three generations before the model line ended in 1986. It gained a following, especially in the UK where it was among the most stolen cars in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Only connection is the name
56 years after the last Capri was produced, Ford is launching a new Capri. Other than the nostalgic name, it doesn’t really have any relationship to the original. It is even a different breed, being described as a ‘SUV coupe’ but more significantly, it doesn’t run on liquid fuel.

Volkswagen-developed platform
The 21st century Capri has a fully electric powertrain and if the introduction of the car seems a bit muted, it could be that the Capri is not an original 100% Ford development but one that uses the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform which the German automaker uses for its EV models.

Ford doesn’t mention that part but it’s not unusual too today where automakers collaborate because it is very expensive developing a new model, more so for an EV. Ford and Volkswagen got together some years back to share platforms and has provided the latest  Ranger for adaptation as a VW Amarok.

Key styling elements from original
Recognising that the original Capri became a cult classic, the designers have taken some of its key design features for its electric descendant.

For example, the bonnet, in front of which a flat grill extends almost across the entire width of the vehicle between the horizontal headlights, recalls the original model, as does the sloping crease on the rear wheel house at the level of the door handles.

The most striking design element is probably the C-shaped windscreen that tapers off towards the rear. This was a strong feature in the profile of the classic Capri, giving it a sporty look that no other car had at the time.

“We are paying homage to our tradition and reinventing our future – with a vehicle that only Ford can build in this form. The legend is back,” said Ford Europe Design Director, Amko Leenarts.

A bigger, taller car
The new Capri is larger, its 4634 length being 354 mm longer than the original and 1872 mm width being 226 mm wider.

Being a SUV, it also has a higher roofline at 1676 mm which is 388 mm higher than its great grandfather.

Platforms have evolved greatly since the 1960s and with the electric powertrain, the new Capri’s wheelbase is stretched to 2767 mm whereas the rear-wheel drive predecessor’s was 2560 mm.

The original Capri was born in The Swinging Sixties (in the UK) and to evoke memories of that era which had ‘pop colours’, Ford’s designers have chosen a Vivid Yellow finish as the hero colour for the model’s launch (even the press materials are in yellow!).

Alternative colour choices are Agate Black Metallic, Frozen White, Magnetic Grey Metallic, Blue My Mind Metallic and Lucid Red Metallic.

Maximally digital interior
As would be expected, the new Capri’s interior reflects the digital age with a minimalist theme.

“The interior is exactly how a driver of the classic Ford Capri would have imagined the future,” said Leenarts.

An important control element in this concept is the Ford SYNC Move with a 14.6-inch screen diagonal, located in the middle of the dashboard. As it can be swiveled, it also serves as a cover for the storage compartment known as ‘My Private Locker’.

A 17-litre MegaConsole, located in the centre console, also offers plenty of storage space.

Smartphones, besides being wirelessly connected with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, can also be recharged without cables if they are Qi-compatible to receive power inductively.

The large powered tailgate can be opened using a sensor-controlled foot movement under the rear bumper, a convenience which Ford has offered for over 10 years.

The cargo area over a metre wide and 630 mm high, with a minimum volume of 570 litres that can be expanded to 1,510 litres by folding down the backrests of the rear seats.

Electric drive up to 627 kms
At launch time, Ford is equipping the rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions with an extended-range lithium-ion NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery. The option of pre-conditioning the battery has been integrated into the navigation system and as a manual function.

In the rear-wheel drive variant, the battery has a net capacity of 77 kWh which supplies energy to the 210 kW (286 bhp) motor that generates maximum torque of 545 Nm.

The original Capri with a 1.3-litre engine could do 0 to 100 km/h in around 20 seconds but the powerful versions did it in around 8 seconds. The electric successor does it in 6.4 seconds but top speed is limited to 180 km/h.

The all-wheel drive version, with a second motor at the front, can do the same sprint in 5.3 seconds but is also limited to 180 km/h.

Although this more powerful version gets a battery with a greater 79 kWh capacity, its range is 592 kms, less than the rear-wheel drive version’s 627 kms.

The quickest charging time for the rear-wheel drive version is 28 minutes (10% to 80%) with a DC fast-charger with 135 kW supply. The all-wheel drive Capri can accept DC supply up to 185 kW which allows for a slightly shorter time of 26 minutes.

Made in Germany
The new Capri is built at Ford’s 94-year old factory in Cologne, Germany, which was transformed into hi-tech Electric Vehicle Centre with an investment of US$2 billion.

Opened in June 2023, the facility will be a production hub for a new generation of electric passenger vehicles for European markets.

With an annual production capacity of 250,000 EVs, the new EV Centre supports the company’s global plans to reach a run rate of 2 million EVs annually by the end of 2026. It is Ford’s first carbon-neutral assembly plant to open globally and supports the company’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality across its entire European footprint of facilities, logistics and direct suppliers by 2035.

Tolman Engineering brings a Ford Escort XR3 back to life