Ford Capri review: More than just a name?

May 9, 2025 Matt Allan

We dig beyond the naming controversy to see if the new electric Ford Capri can rival the best in class on its own merits

BUt itS NoT A CapRi!!!!

So screams the internet and random members of the public whenever Ford’s latest EVs hoves into view.

So let’s deal with that first. Like it or not, it is a Capri. Not the long-bonneted two-door coupe ‘you always promised yourself’ back in the 1980s. But an all-new car to which Ford has applied that famous name.

People have fond memories of the old Capri. Many watched their televisual heroes drive them, plenty longed to own one, and many did. But the last ‘old’ Capri rolled off the production line in 1986. That’s 39 years ago! Maybe it’s time to move on.

After all, car people got angry when Ford stuck the Puma name on a B-SUV, but that’s now Ford’s best-selling model.

And, at the end of the day, it’s just a name. What is important is what it’s like as a car.

So what is it like?

Ford Capri design, interior and technology

Even ignoring comparisons to the ‘proper’ Capri, this new EV from Ford is a bit of an opinion-splitter.

Quite a few people commented on how much they liked the look of it during my time driving but I could never quite escape the impression of a Polestar 2 that’s hit the all-you-can-eat buffet too hard.

There are nods to the historic name – the segmented and sloped headlights, flattened bonnet and kinked line on the rear flanks – which create some character, and it has a sleeker silhouette than the related Explorer SUV. But this is still basically another SUV with a coupe/fastback-style rear end. And because it’s an SUV with a high seating position and tall sides, it always looks a bit awkward and heavy.

Ford Capri EV badge close-up image — The links to the original Capri name are tenuous

Inside the nods to its namesake are limited to a drilled plastic spoke on the steering wheel. Elsewhere, it looks and feels indistinguishable from the Explorer. That’s not a bad thing, in my book. Like the Explorer, Ford has put its own stamp on the car so you’d never guess it was based on a VW Group platform (unless you look at the window controls). The dash is dominated by a floating B&O soundbar and a 14.6-inch portrait screen running Ford’s user-friendly Sync system.

Cabin materials are a step above some of Ford’s recent offerings, blending dark seat and door finishes with a pale covering for the dash and centre console and a massive panoramic roof that floods the car with light. Clever storage elements like the 17-litre ‘Megaconsole’ and lockable hidden compartment behind the sliding touchscreen provide family friendly storage options and there’s generous passenger space all around too. Thanks to being longer than the Explorer, the Capri has a massive 572-litre boot which puts the Explorer all of the Capri’s rivals to shame.

Ford Capri right hand drive interior — Inside, the Capri is largely identical to the well-designed Explorer

Battery, motor and performance

The Ford Capri comes with three powertrain options. Entry-level models use a rear-mounted 168bhp motor and a 52kWh battery with a 243-mile range. Above that is a 282bhp rear-drive version with a 77kWh battery and 390-mile range.

However, the car I’ve been testing uses a two-motor all-wheel-drive setup for 335bhp and 501lb ft. It also gets a slightly larger 79Wh battery, although the extra weight and performance of the motor drops its range to 346 miles.

On the positive side, the bigger battery gets faster charging. Its 185kW max should deliver a 10-80% charge in 26 minutes, compared with the 135kW of the smaller pack.

Ford Capri review driving image — The Capri is composed but hardly thrilling to drive

Laying aside the name, Ford still claims the new Capri is a “sports car soul in an SUV body”. That’s rather like claiming I have an Olympic athlete’s soul in my Mr Blobby-esque body.

Yes, it’s pretty quick – 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds is enough to win most traffic light grands prix. But the Capri is still a 2.2-tonne SUV and lowering it 20mm compared with the Explorer has not transformed it into some B-road beast.

The basic platform is pretty well balanced, though, and the Capri turns more keenly and rolls less than some of its rivals. However, pushed hard it still feels like an SUV and, ultimately, it’s not a car that begs to be driven the long way home.

Pleasingly, the refinement and ride comfort that impressed on our first European drive is still evident, even on the UK’s less-than-stellar roads. Somehow the lower suspension seems to offer a more settled and comfortable ride that the sometimes jittery Explorer.

Ford Capri price and specification

The most basic version of the Capri starts at just over £42,000 but the Premium AWD model I tested kicked off at £56,175 before options.

That gets you 20-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights, a powered hands-free tailgate and the panoramic roof. It also brings heated, power-adjustable seats, two-zone climate control, reversing camera and 10-speaker B&O stereo. It’s a reasonable equipment level but nothing that rivals such as Kia or Polestar can’t match. And elements such as a head-up display and heat pump come at an extra cost, pushing the price beyond the Kia EV6 or Polestar 2.

In total, my test car cost £60,325 and the minute you tell someone it’s north of £60k, the response is “for a Ford?!”. That’s quite a hard prejudice to overcome, even if the Capri was a standout car, which it’s not.

Verdict

I suggested right at the start that we need to get over the name association and judge the Capri EV on its own merits.

Assessed on that basis it is, fundamentally, a decent but expensive car.

Like the Explorer on which it’s based, it offers plenty of space for a family, a pleasant driving experience and competitive range. But it doesn’t feel different enough from the Explorer, and
in the top specification it’s straying dangerously close to premium brands without offering a truly premium experience.