Ford Capri long-term test: report 1

The iconic Ford Capri has been reborn as a sleek electric SUV, but what’s it like to live with? Our used cars editor is finding out...

Published25 May 2025

The car Ford Capri 77kWh RWD Extended Range Premium Run by Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Why it’s here To see if this new electric coupé SUV can cut it in a highly competitive class

Needs to Dispatch work and family life without any range anxiety issues and while coping with a wide variety of everyday family duties

Mileage 904 List price £52,185 Target price £52,185 Price as tested £56,335 Test range 263 miles Official range 370 miles Options Blue My Mind paint (£800), 21in Alloy Wheels (£1000), Heat Pump (£1050), Driver Assistance Pack (£1300)

25 May - Just what I always promised myself

There’s been some hoo-ha surrounding the new Ford Capri, with many purists upset by the decision to give this electric SUV the same moniker as Ford’s old Cortina-based coupé. I'm old enough to remember that Capri when it was still a going concern, so you might expect me to be a member of said angry mob. But, if I’m honest, I never really liked the old car much anyway, meaning this reusing of a historic name (a current Ford speciality) doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

What I do like is electric SUVs, having run a couple of them as company cars before, so it seemed to me that this new Capri might be a good fit. The best of the breed combine a long range with low running costs, decent practicality and a comfortable, high-quality interior. And, on paper, the Capri does too, which is why an example now sits on my driveway.

True, the new Capri is actually a coupé SUV; its stylishly sloping rear end adds a sporting mien in exchange for a little rear head room. But this wasn't a concern, because instead of a couple of six-foot-plus blokes, I'll generally have my teenage daughters riding in the back. And besides, I know they're happy to slouch in the rear seats like naughty girls, if necessary, rather than sit up straight in them like good girls.

Ford offers several battery options: 52kWh and 77kWh in single-motor form or a 79kWh version with a dual-motor, four-wheel drive set-up. The new Capri comes in a couple of trims, too: Select and Premium. Even entry-level Select is well equipped, getting 19in alloy wheels, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry and start. Meanwhile, upgrading to Premium brings 20in wheels, fancy matrix LED headlights, an electric tailgate and a panoramic glass sunroof.

Being naturally sybaritic, I’ve gone for the highest Premium trim, and to go a respectable distance between charges, I’ve gone for the 77kWh single motor in its extended range version. That means my Capri pumps out 282bhp and, despite a kerb weight of close to 2.2 tonnes, can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 6.4sec on its way to a top speed of 111mph.

In this guise, the official range is 370 miles, although if I’d specified the Capri in 77kWh extended range form with the cheaper Select trim, that figure would have been upped to an even more impressive 390 miles. Again, I am not as fussed about this as some people might be, because I am lucky enough to have a driveway and a home charger, so aside from the odd holiday or business trip, I'm still seldom likely to have to use public chargers.

Options-wise, I couldn’t resist adding a few goodies. The Blue My Mind paint was a no-brainer, easily being the most attractive colour option (to my eyes) on the Capri’s palette. And the 21in alloy wheels, in place of the standard 20in affairs, were admittedly another vanity on my part, chosen because they fill the Capri’s arches with more verve.

More practically, a heat pump is an essential, I think, in a modern electric car, because it feeds waste heat from the battery to the interior to improve efficiency during cold weather. Then there was the Driver Assistance Pack, which adds a head-up display, a 360deg rear-view camera, lane keeping assist, park assist and a powered tailgate.

On the road, then, my Capri is a £56,000 car. That puts it up against some seriously good opposition, including the top-spec versions of both the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and the Cupra Tavascan. It’s not even far off the price of an entry-level Porsche Macan Electric.

So, well-known name or not, it’s going to have to be good. And first impressions are promising. The driver’s seat is supportive and offers plenty of adjustments. The steering wheel feels good in the hands, with a small but clear instrument pod behind it reminding me of the similar one I enjoyed in my old Volkswagen ID 5. Indeed, inside the car and under the skin there's a lot that's shared with that car. But I admired the ID 5, so I have high hopes for my time with the Capri.

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