Ford has launched a new electric SUV which will go on sale in the next few months, but with an old nameplate that the company used to use in the 1970s, Capri. Since being announced yesterday, it has ruffled some feathers amongst Ford fans because the company has reused a name from an old coupe that had a cult following. Ford has been reusing some old names for new electric SUVs lately, with the Explorer name coming back to UK for the first time in over 25 years, the Mustang Mach-E and now the Capri.
The Explorer and Capri are quite related, both sitting on the Volkswagen MEB platform. Where the Explorer is more in the same style as the ID.4, the Capri is like an ID.5 with a coupe shape to the rear end, sloping off. The partnership between Ford and VW has extended throughout both of the company's lineups, with the new Ford E-Transit Custom and upcoming Transporter being related, the Amarok and Ranger, Caddy and Connect and now some electric SUVs. The new Ford Capri will go into production in the next few weeks in Cologne, Germany.
The Capri will come in two battery sizes, 77kWh and 79kWh and two motor choices, either single motor or dual motor. The 77kWh car will have 390 miles of range and can charge at up to 135kW. The larger 79kWh battery actually has a different battery chemistry and has 367 miles of range with a charging speed of up to 185kW. The single motor version has 282bhp and can crack 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds. The dual motor has 335bhp and can do 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds. There will also be a 52kWh battery coming version in 2025 and that uses a e li-ion NMC battery.
The Capri shares the same batteries and motors with the Explorer, but thanks to the more slippery shape, the Capri manages to get more range out of the same hardware. The 77kWh pack in the Explorer gives you 374 miles and the 79kWh 329 miles.
Inside, it looks very similar to the Explorer with a 14.6-inch infotainment screen which can slide backwards to reveal a secure storage space. Sadly, Ford has borrowed a bit too much stuff from VW in the Capri and Explorer, with only two window switches with an extra button press to roll down the rear windows, haptic buttons on the steering wheel and sliding controls for the volume and climate control.
Ford says the new Capri will cost from £47,995 for the base Select trim with the 77kWh battery and rear wheel drive.
