New Ford Capri review

If Netflix still sent DVDs through the post, it’s safe to say it wouldn’t be the astonishing success story it is today. Likewise, as popular as the first Ford Capri was, it’s hard to imagine it being a hit today, given how few people buy traditional coupés.

That explains why the new Ford Capri we're reviewing here is so very different to the original. Instead of another low-slung car, Ford has created a coupé-styled electric SUV that provides the sort of elevated driving position so many car buyers love.

It's not just the shape of the 2024 Capri that sets it apart from the Seventies and Eighties version. Instead of petrol engines, it's all-electric, with a choice of three battery sizes.

So does the 2024 Ford Capri deserve its nostalgia-tinged name, and is it a better buy than rivals ranging from the Kia EV6 and Polestar 2 to the VW ID 5 (or the similar but boxier Ford Explorer)? Read on to find out how we rate it against the best electric SUVs...

You can have the Ford Capri either with one motor and rear-wheel drive or – if you go for the quickest version – two motors and four-wheel drive.

We've yet to drive the entry-level model, which has a 52kWh (usable capacity) battery, but with 168bhp and an official 0-62mph sprint time of 8.7 seconds, we suspect it’ll have enough power for most family SUV buyers.

We have tried the other single-motor model, which has a 77kWh battery and 282bhp, giving it enough power to get up to motorway speeds with ease. Indeed, with 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, it’s more than a second faster than the Kia EV6 Air and a little quicker than the VW ID 5 Match.

If that’s still not fast enough for you, you'll want the all-wheel-drive Capri, which has 79kWh battery and 335bhp. It cuts the 0-62mph sprint time to 5.3 seconds, beating the VW ID 5 GTX.

Performance is one thing, but for electric SUV buyers, range is key too. The Capri's official WLTP figures go from 242 miles with the 53kWh battery to 389 miles for the 77kWh version (the 79kWh version sits between the two because its extra motor outweighs the benefit of having a bigger battery).

The 77kWh Capri's range figure is pretty impressive, beating the Kia EV6 Air, the Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD and the VW ID 5 – although bear in mind that the actual range it achieves will be less.

Underneath, the Capri is very similar to the larger Ford Explorer but with its suspension dropped by 20mm. Ford says that allows the Capri to keep the Explorer’s comfort but with some added sportiness.

When it comes to comfort, it seems to be on to something. You see, the Capri is a comfortable thing to drive around in, especially in town, soaking up lumps and bumps with ease and only thudding through the largest of imperfections. It’s much better in that respect than a Tesla Model Y and about on par with a Kia EV6.

Handling wise, the Capri has pretty good body control, keeping it upright through corners, but it's not very engaging to drive, largely because the light steering lacks feel off centre and you don't really know what the front wheels are up to. That’s not a problem in town but steals some of your confidence when you're pushing on.

Likewise, the brake pedal is really spongy, with very little happening until you’ve pressed the pedal quite hard. Luckily, the Capri’s well-judged regenerative braking system means you won’t have to use the pedal as much when driving normally. Brake pedal aside, everything else about the Capri is quite refined, with little wind and road noise as you drive along the motorway. 

"If you’re expecting the new Capri to be as sporty as the original, I think you’ll be disappointed. That said, if you think of it as a new Ford EV that happens to have the name, it's comfortable and decent to drive." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

While the new Capri is lower than the Ford Explorer, it still sits you quite high above the road – something that will appeal to many buyers.

It’s also quite easy to get comfortable behind the wheel, thanks to a standard-fit 12-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, which includes adjustable lumbar support, a handy memory function and a massage function.

Despite the raised driving position, visibility out of the Capri isn’t all that great. You see, while your view out of the front is fine, the highly raked front windscreen pillars sit right in the way when you’re trying to see out at junctions. What’s more, the view over your shoulder is blocked by wide rear windscreen pillars. 

Luckily, the Capri should still be quite easy to park, thanks to every version getting front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera as standard. You can also have a 360-degree camera, but you’ll have to add that as part of the optional Driver Assistance pack.

The first thing you notice when you step inside is the Capri’s 14.6in portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen dominating the centre console. Like in the Ford Explorer, the screen features Ford’s new Sync Move feature, which allows you to adjust the screen vertically in a 30-degree arc. That allows you to reduce glare and also gives you a storage space behind the screen. 

The infotainment system itself is pretty good, with sharp graphics, simple menus and a quick response to all of your prods. It gets plenty of standard features, including DAB radio, Bluetooth, built-in sat-nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.

Audiophiles will be happy to know that every Capri gets a decent sound system. Select trim includes seven speakers and a sound bar in front of the driver while Premium trim cars have a 10-speaker B&O system.

One thing the Capri doesn't have is any physical controls, so you make changes to the air conditioning and other features through the touchscreen. The air-con controls are always displayed at the bottom of the screen, but it’s still far more fiddly to use on the move than the physical controls in the Audi Q4 e-tron or the control bar in the Kia EV6. 

Inside, the Capri has more visual appeal than a Tesla Model Y or VW ID 5, and the build quality feels pretty good too. There are quite a few hard and scratchy surfaces though, so it doesn’t feel as premium as the EV6.

"The Capri's interior has plenty of showroom appeal and its scratchy surfaces are largely hidden – except for the top of the dashboard, which is hard plastic. I think that's a shame." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The new Capri – which is slightly longer than a Ford Explorer – has plenty of room inside, with more than enough space for two broad six-footers in the front.

There’s loads of space in the front for all of your clobber as well, including decent door bins, two cupholders, a slot for your mobile phone, a storage space below the centre console and 17 litres of space in the deep centre armrest. There’s also the space behind the tilting infotainment screen.

We’ve yet to try the Capri in Premium trim with the standard-fit panoramic roof, but without it even your tall friends will have head room to spare. Leg room is pretty good too, but the Capri doesn’t give you quite as much space to stretch out as a Kia EV6 or VW ID 5. Middle-seat passengers will appreciate that there’s no central tunnel stealing their foot space.

Every new Capri comes with 60/40 split-folding rear seats to give you extra boot space plus there's a ski hatch in the middle seat back. The EV6 and the Tesla Model Y have a more versatile 40/20/40 split.

The Capri's boot gives you 572 litres of storage. That's more than the Ford Explorer as well as the EV6 and ID 5 but much less than a Tesla Model Y (which has a front boot). Either way, it’s a huge space and more than big enough to swallow lots of shopping or your family’s holiday luggage.

"You can’t argue with the amount of space inside the Capri, and while we haven’t tried one with the panoramic roof, we doubt it’ll change much. You really could fit your whole family and their luggage with absolute ease." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

If you decide to buy a new Ford Capri with cash, the entry-level 53kWh Select will cost you a little less than a Kia EV6 Air, a Tesla Model Y or a VW ID 5. The thing is, all those rivals have bigger electric batteries than the Capri. Indeed, if you go for the Capri 77kWh Select, the price quickly rises and it’ll cost you more than all of those rival electric SUVs.

At least every version of the Capri comes with plenty of standard equipment to make up for the price. Even entry-level Select comes with 19in alloy wheels, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and lots of other kit.

Upgrading to Premium trim adds 20in wheels, matrix LED headlights, an electric tailgate and a panoramic sunroof. It also gives you access to the largest 79kWh battery and the most powerful motors. The Premium costs a lot, though. Disappointingly, it doesn't get an EV heat pump as standard – you have to add one as an option.

The all-wheel drive versions have a maximum charging speed of up to 185kW, while the rear-wheel drive versions reduce that to 135kW. Either way, you can expect the Capri to charge from 10-80% in 26 min and 28 min respectively. That just about matches the VW ID 5 but the Kia EV6 is quicker.

The Capri was too new to feature in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Ford as a brand put in a middling performance, placing 14th out of 31 car makers ranked. That's below Renault and Kia but above Tesla, Volkswagen and Audi. 

If anything does go wrong, Ford’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty is pretty par for the course, matching what you’ll get from VW but nowhere near as good as the seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.

The experts at Euro NCAP have yet to test the new Capri for safety so we can't tell you how it compares with other electric SUVs. We can tell you that it has plenty of standard safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning and traffic-sign recognition.

"If you don’t need the range of the 77kWh, the entry-level Capri Select is very appealing. That’s especially true when you look at the equipment list – I haven't driven many entry-level cars with massage seats." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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