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 now, 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 a low-slung, two-door coupé, 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 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 Ford Capri deserve its nostalgia-tinged name, and is it a better buy than rivals ranging from the Cupra Tavascan, 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: the Extended Range. This has a 77kWh battery and 282bhp, giving it enough power to get up to motorway speeds with ease. Indeed, we managed 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds, edging ahead of an equivalent Cupra Tavascan V1 (6.1 seconds) and beating a Kia EV6 GT-Line by more than a second when we tested them the same day.

If that’s still not fast enough for you, you'll want the all-wheel-drive Capri, which has a 79kWh battery and 335bhp. It cuts the 0-62mph sprint time to 5.3 seconds, beating the VW ID 5 GTX but falling short of the Tesla Model Y Performance with its 3.5-seconds time.

Still, 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 official range figure is pretty impressive, beating the Model Y Long Range RWD – although bear in mind that we achieved a real-world range of 293 miles on a cold winter’s day. However, that still beat an EV6 GT-Line (272 miles) and Tavascan V1 (270 miles) on the same day and we’d expect it to achieve a little more in warmer weather conditions.

Underneath, the Capri is very similar to the larger Ford Explorer but with its suspension dropped by 20mm (they also share components with the ID 5). Ford says that allows the Capri to keep the Explorer’s comfort but with some added sportiness.

When it comes to comfort, that’s not entirely the case. In the Extended Range, the firm suspension transmits the road surface enough to result in a frequent amount of head toss, with occupants repeatedly brushing the back of their head on the head rest.

The heavier AWD model strikes a better balance of cushioning bumps and staying composed. True, either version remains more comfortable than the Model Y by a clear margin, but the EV6 is far more polished at striking that balance overall. 

Where the Capri does a better job than the ID 5 is in the handling department. The ID 5 is fine in the corners, but Ford has injected the Capri with an added dose of enthusiasm. There’s a huge amount of grip, yet it feels more playful, with the 77kWh AWD model being the most entertaining version of the bunch.

That said, we’d stop short of calling it outright fun or rewarding to drive. Body lean is well contained but the light steering never builds up any weight and doesn’t provide a great sense of connection with the front wheels. As a result the Capri doesn’t generate that initial level of confidence you’d want when turning in to corners. An EV6 remains more balanced.

Another point against the Capri is the brake pedal, because it’s trickier than in some rivals to stop smoothly. It’s not as bad as the Tavascan’s overly soft pedal but very little happens until you’ve pressed the pedal quite far down. While the Capri’s regenerative braking system can help shed some speed, you can’t adjust the strength of the braking effect like you can in the Tavascan and EV6.

Otherwise the Capri is quite refined, with even less wind noise than in a Tavscan and road noise remaining low as you drive along the motorway. 

"To drive, I’d pick the Capri over the more docile VW ID 5, but a Cupra Tavascan has sharper steering and a Kia EV6 delivers a better ride and handling balance." –  Oliver Young, Car Reviewer

While the new Capri is lower than the Ford Explorer it still sits 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. The seats could, though, do with a bit more side bolstering to hold you in place better when cornering.

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 chunky front windscreen pillars sit right in the way when you’re trying to see out at junctions. The view over your shoulder is blocked by wide rear windscreen pillars and your view out is restricted due to a narrow screen, although you’d find this on a Cupra Tavascan or Kia EV6 too.

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. As 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 or bring the screen closer to you, while also opening up a storage area behind the screen.

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

However, due to the portrait format, some of the icons towards the bottom of the screen are harder to aim for while you’re driving. That applies to ventilation controls always displayed at the bottom of the screen.

The Capri doesn't have any physical controls like you get in the Audi Q4 e-tron or the control bar in the Kia EV6. You get touch sensitive controls on the centre console (for the stereo volume, for example) but they're fiddly to use and the console's highly reflective finish means they’re difficult to read.

Music fans 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 Bang & Olufsen system.

Like the Tavascan, the Capri comes with a 5.3in digital driver's display. The screen itself also doesn’t offer much configurability either and feels like a budget offering compared with those in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 – although at least it has one, unlike the Tesla Model Y.

Inside, the Capri is brighter inside than the EV6 and VW ID 5 and the build quality feels more robust than in the Model Y. It’s just a shame the materials used feel low-rent with quite a lot of hard and scratchy surfaces.

“The Capri's driver's display is almost completely obscured by the steering wheel when positioned in its lowest setting, and that's made worse by the flat-topped steering wheel." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The Ford 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. The only area that disappoints is a narrow glovebox.

We’ve yet to try the Capri in Premium trim with the standard-fit panoramic roof, but without it, the Capri isn’t particularly generous when it comes to head room for 6ft tall occupants in the rear. That’s due to the sloping rear roof, which means they will have the back of their head pressed up against it, which isn’t an issue in the Cupra Tavascan.

Leg room in the back of the Capri is good, although there's not quite as much space to stretch out as in a Kia EV6 or VW ID 5. Middle-seat passengers will appreciate that there’s no central tunnel stealing their foot space.

More positively, the Capri's boot space is generous, with a capacity of 572 litres. That's more than the Ford Explorer as well as the EV6, Tavascan and ID 5 but much less than a Tesla Model Y (which also has a front boot). Either way, it’s a huge load area and managed to swallow nine carry-on suitcases – matching the Tavascan, but with a small amount of space going spare for coats or a rucksack.

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 Model Y have a more versatile 40/20/40 split. 

"Unlike in the entry-level version of the Cupra Tavascan, all Capris come with a ski hatch and height-adjustable boot floor to improve versatility." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

If you buy a new entry-level Ford Capri 53kWh Select with cash, it 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 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 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, an EV heat pump costs extra as an option on all trim levels.

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 and 28 minutes respectively. That just about matches the VW ID 5 but the Kia EV6 is quicker to charge up.

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

Ford’s three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is pretty par for the course, matching what you’ll get from VW but behind Cupra’s five year (or 90,000 mile) cover and nowhere near as good as Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

The experts at Euro NCAP have given the new Capri five stars out of five for safety – the same as most 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 Ford 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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