Ford Capri Review

The Ford Capri is back, but it is nothing like the svelte fastback coupe to last wear the badge. In a move that annoyed some enthusiasts and probably puzzled plenty of younger buyers, Ford has brought another name back from its past and attached it to an SUV-shaped EV.

This time it is an all-electric coupe-SUV that borrows heavily from the Ford Explorer, itself closely related to Volkswagen Group EVs such as the ID.4 and ID.5. The Capri is lower and sleeker than the Explorer, with a more tapered roofline and a stronger emphasis on style, yet it still manages to be hugely practical. In fact, in one important area it is more practical than the Explorer: boot space.

That is a big part of the Capri’s appeal. It offers a sense of style without unduly impacting usefulness. There is a lot of room inside, a very generous load bay and enough range in the right version to make it feel entirely credible as a family’s only car.

The driving experience is similar to that of the Explorer and, indeed, the VW models underneath. It is a touch sportier than those Volkswagen relatives, at least, if not quite as satisfying to drive as Ford’s own Mustang Mach-E.

It is also more expensive than the Explorer, which is the main complication in the verdict. The Capri is a solid option in this part of the EV market, but it is entering a crowded class and it does not dramatically outshine the alternatives on price, pace or technology.

Still, there is plenty to recommend it. The long-range rear-wheel-drive version can go a useful distance on a charge, the refinement is excellent and the standard equipment count is strong. If you like the look of it and can live with some annoying touchscreen and switchgear decisions, the Capri has genuine appeal.

Of the two batteries available, we would recommend going for the bigger battery and combining it with the rear-wheel-drive powertrain.

That gives you the most range in the line-up, plus brisk straight-line performance without the extra cost and range penalty of the all-wheel-drive version. Unless there is a specific reason you want four-wheel drive, the AWD does not make the strongest case.

On trim, the sweet spot depends on how much equipment matters to you. The entry-level Style makes a stronger value argument than you might expect, but Select is a good fit with the Extended Range battery and feels like the most sensible all-round Capri. Premium adds plenty, but it also pushes the car into more expensive territory where the Capri starts to look harder to justify.

In simple terms, the best mainstream Capri is the Extended Range rear-wheel-drive car in Select trim. It gives you the longest range, strong pace and a healthy standard spec without the extra outlay of the range-topping versions.

The Ford Capri range starts at £36,985 for the Style RWD Standard Range. The current walk-up then moves to £41,115 for the Premium RWD Standard Range, £43,285 for the Select RWD Extended Range, and £48,105 for either the Collection RWD Extended Range or the Premium RWD Extended Range. The most expensive regular Capri is the Premium AWD Extended Range at £52,055.

That means the Capri is not cheap, especially once you climb beyond the entry-level car. It also means the closely related Explorer remains the better value buy on paper.

The Capri counters with a stronger sense of style and, crucially, with more boot space than the Explorer. That helps it justify itself more convincingly than a quick platform-sharing glance might suggest.

The most similar alternative is the Ford Explorer, with which the Capri shares not just a platform but much of its engineering and cabin architecture. It is a little cheaper and makes more straightforward sense, but it does not have the same sleeker silhouette or the Capri’s larger boot.

The Skoda Enyaq Coupe is another very relevant rival because it offers a similar blend of coupe-SUV styling and family-car usability. It also benefits from the same Volkswagen Group EV architecture under the skin, though it feels a little more conventional in character.

The Polestar 2 is a more design-led alternative. It is similarly sized and can be very appealing if you want a more premium-feeling cabin and a more distinctive image, though its practicality is not the Capri’s strongest threat.

The Kia EV6 also deserves serious consideration. It remains one of the most complete electric family cars in this price area, with strong charging performance and a sharper overall dynamic edge.

If you are staying inside Ford showrooms, the Mustang Mach-E is another obvious point of comparison. In some forms it overlaps with the Capri on price, but it feels more bespoke and a little more special to drive.

As a more stylish sibling to the Explorer, you might think the Capri takes a hit in terms of practicality, but that is not the case. In fact, this is one of the clearest ways the Capri makes its case.

The Capri has a huge boot by class standards. There is 572 litres to play with in most versions, dropping only slightly to 567 litres in Premium trim because of the upgraded sound system. That is a substantial amount of space for something with a sloping roofline, and it is one of the best reasons to consider the Capri over some of its closest alternatives.

It also gives the Capri a clear advantage over several key rivals. It offers notably more luggage room than the Ford Explorer, which has 450 litres, and far more than the similarly sized Mustang Mach-E, which is much less useful in the boot. It also compares very strongly with other coupe-styled electric family cars, making the Capri feel genuinely practical rather than merely stylish.

Fold the rear seats and you get up to 1,510 litres of load space, while the hatchback-style opening makes access easy. There is also a clever adjustable boot floor, so you can prioritise maximum capacity or a flatter loading area depending on what you need.

Passenger space is strong, too. The front seats are supportive and there is plenty of room to get comfortable, while rear passengers are not badly affected by the Capri’s styling. It is still a useful five-door family car, not just a design exercise.

Storage elsewhere is impressive. The large MegaConsole between the front seats is genuinely useful, and there are plenty of other oddment spaces around the cabin. There is no front boot, though, which some EV buyers may miss.

The Ford Capri measures 4,634mm long, 1,872mm wide and 1,626mm high.

That makes it usefully larger than the Explorer and helps explain why the Capri is so impressive for luggage space. It is big enough to operate as a proper family car, but not so large that it feels unwieldy on the road.

It also sits in an interesting middle ground. The footprint is substantial, but the coupe-SUV roofline helps it look a little less bulky than some rivals.

Ford has made a bit of a habit of fitting huge portrait-oriented screens to its recent EVs, and the Capri follows that pattern. The central touchscreen measures 14.6 inches and can be tilted through 30 degrees, which is a neat feature.

As should be expected, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with wireless phone charging and multiple USB-C ports. The Premium also gets the upgraded 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

The problem is not the size of the screen or the speed of the graphics. It is the way too many functions have been bundled into it. As in the Explorer, some icons are oddly small given the amount of display real estate, and the system is not as easy to use on the move as it should be.

There are other frustrating interface quirks as well. The touch-sensitive steering-wheel pads are not especially intuitive, and the lack of dedicated rear-window switches remains an irritating VW-derived idea that should never have made it this far.

The Capri does a better job of feeling solid and reasonably premium than some of the Volkswagen Group cars it is related to. There are some cheaper-feeling bits, and the gloss-black trim will not age gracefully if you are precious about scratches, but most of what sits at eye level feels smart enough.

Soft-touch material across much of the dashboard and upper door panels helps, and the overall finish is decent. It does not quite have the richness of the best cabins from brands such as Volvo or Audi, but it is convincing enough for the price point.

Trim levels alter the atmosphere rather than the basic architecture. Premium is the richer-feeling one, while the Collection stands out visually with its own colour and trim details.

You get a choice of two battery sizes and three core powertrain combinations.

The standard-range Capri uses a 58kWh usable battery and a rear-mounted motor producing 190PS. It covers 0-62mph in 8.0 seconds and officially manages up to 271 miles in Premium trim or 286 miles in Style trim.

The extended-range rear-wheel-drive Capri uses a 79kWh usable battery and a 286PS motor. This is the one to have for most buyers, because it combines strong pace with the best range in the line-up. It reaches 62mph in 6.4 seconds and officially manages up to 389 miles in Select trim, 374 miles in Collection trim and 369 miles in Premium trim.

The all-wheel-drive extended-range car uses a 77kWh usable battery and twin motors for 340PS. It is the quickest Capri at 5.3 seconds to 62mph, but range drops to 338 miles.

On paper, those are strong figures, especially for the rear-wheel-drive extended-range car. In reality, the standard-range version is the one that looks most compromised, because once weather and motorway use are factored in it is likely to feel notably less versatile.

The driving experience of the Capri is a bit of a mixed bag. Ford has at least made sure the car feels a little different from the VW Group models it is related to. Firmer suspension and a 10mm lower ride height than the Explorer give it a slightly sportier edge, with less body roll and a bit more keenness to change direction.

That said, it is still not as satisfying to drive as the Mustang Mach-E. The steering is quick, but it is also rather light and short on feedback, which stops the Capri feeling genuinely engaging.

The flip side of the firmer setup is a slight loss of comfort. Most of the time it is not a problem, but the ride can feel a little abrupt over speed bumps and on some broken surfaces. This is not a harsh car overall, but it is not especially plush either.

The good news is that refinement is excellent. Road and wind noise are very well suppressed, and the Capri is a relaxing long-distance companion. In this respect it feels more mature than many sporty-looking EV rivals.

The heavier extended-range cars hide their weight reasonably well, but if you start pressing on the mass does eventually make itself known. Grip is strong, though, and the all-wheel-drive version in particular has no shortage of traction.

The Ford Capri was awarded the full five stars when tested by Euro NCAP in 2024, with strong scores across all categories. These were 89% for adult occupants, 86% for child occupants, 80% for vulnerable road users and 72% for its safety assist systems. 

There's no shortage of standard-fit safety equipment, including lane-keeping assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and cross-traffic alert. 

The standard-range Capri can charge at up to 125kW DC, the extended-range rear-wheel-drive version at up to 135kW and the extended-range AWD at up to 185kW. In practice, Ford quotes 10-80% charging times of around 28 minutes for the standard-range car and 26 minutes for the extended-range AWD.

At home, a 7.4kW wallbox is the obvious solution. Ford says the Capri has a two-year unlimited-mileage service interval, which underlines its appeal as a low-fuss family EV, but home charging is still what really makes the running-cost case work. Roughly speaking, a full home charge should cost around £10 to £15 for the smaller battery and around £14 to £20 for the larger packs, depending on tariff. Public rapid charging will usually be much more expensive.

Ford’s base vehicle warranty covers the Capri for three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. The high-voltage battery and EV system are covered separately for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Servicing is pleasantly straightforward. Ford quotes a two-year, unlimited-mileage service interval for the Capri, which means routine workshop visits should be relatively infrequent compared with a combustion-engined alternative. Ford also offers extended warranty cover up to 4 years/36,000 miles, 4 years/80,000 miles or 5 years/100,000 miles, along with service plans.

Insurance groups start at 26 for the standard-range Style and rise to 29 for the longer-range rear-wheel-drive cars, with the most expensive versions pushing a little higher depending on specification.

That is not excessive for an EV of this price and performance, but it does underline that the Capri is not a bargain-basement family car to insure.

After year one, the Ford Capri pays the standard annual VED rate for electric cars, which is currently £200.

The Expensive Car Supplement applies to electric cars priced above £50,000 and adds £440 a year in years two to six. That means most Capri versions avoid it, but the Premium AWD Extended Range at £52,055 is clearly caught, and heavily optioned cars lower down the range could cross the threshold too.