An icon was born in 1966, and his name was Eric Cantona. The Manchester United legend and French international is one the most decorated footballers in the 1990s, winning multiple trophies and accolades while also dabbling in film and music (look up ‘The Friends We Lost’).
Three years after Cantona’s birth year, a second icon was born: the Ford Capri. Introduced in 1969 at the Brussels Motor Show, the Capri was inspired by the success Ford had with the Mustang in North America, albeit designed for the European market.
In its first two years, 400,000 units of the first-generation Capri were sold, and across three generations between 1969 and 1986, over 1.8 million units were produced. Nearly four decades after the Capri went away, Ford is bringing the cult classic back and for some reason, has hired Cantona as its ambassador.
Much like the reborn Puma, the modern Capri gets a body style switch that could upset purists. Now a four-door SUV instead of a fastback coupe, the Capri sits on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform which is also used for the fully electric Explorer.
Powertrain options start with the Extended Range RWD, which features a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery with a usable energy capacity of 77 kWh to provide up to 627 km of range following the WLTP standard. The battery powers a rear-mounted electric motor rated at 286 PS (282 hp or 210 kW) and 545 Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 6.4 seconds.
Next comes the Extended Range AWD with the same battery chemistry but a slightly higher energy capacity of 79 kWh, but the range is lower at 592 km due to the dual-motor setup. Total system output for this powertrain is 340 PS (335 hp or 250 kW) and 545 Nm, resulting in a quicker century sprint time of 5.3 seconds.
Both options have the same top speed of 180 km/h and can handle the same maximum AC input of 11 kW. However, DC fast charging is at a higher capacity for the AWD at 185 kW compared to 135 kW for the RWD, which sees a 10-80% state of charge be reached in 26 minutes instead of 28 minutes.
At first glance from the side, it might seem you’re looking at a Polestar 2 given the familiar liftback profile, but the Capri appears to have a shorter rear overhang. The Ford also has conventional door handles and a more rounded window line near the rearmost pillars.
In terms of size, the Capri measures 4,634 mm long, 1,946 mm wide with the mirrors folded (2,063 mm unfolded), 1,626 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,767 mm. These figures are within range of the Polestar 2, while other close rivals are the Volkswagen ID.5, Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq.
We should also point out the Capri weighs between 2,098 and 2,174 kg depending on the powertrain. Also, the luggage space is 627 litres when fully loaded to the roof (from the load floor), or 1,510 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
As for other design cues, the front of the all-new Capri features headlamps that are connected by a black graphic, while each cluster sports four signature LED headlamps – this is a reference to the Mk3 model from the 1980s (so to is the window line). Meanwhile, the rear taillights mimic the headlamps with a similar lighting signature. Typical of an SUV is black body cladding along the entire bottom portion of the car.
Moving inside the five-seater, you’ll find a wraparound co*ckpit a sports seats with integrated headrests, the former with a 17-litre MegaConsole centre storage area that leads up to a 14.6-inch SYNC Move touchscreen infotainment system. A second display is the 5-inch digital instrument cluster that is placed in line with the full-width air vents.
With the basic equipment package, the Capri comes standard with a massage function for the driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, dual-zone climate control, LED headlamps with automatic high beam, cabin and battery pre-conditioning, keyless entry and start, a wireless charging pad and a seven-speaker sound system (including a soundbar on the dashboard).
Step up to the Premium and you get matrix LED headlamps, a 10-speaker B&O sound system, adjustable ambient lighting and a hands-free tailgate. Both variants can be optioned with 21-inch wheels in place of the default 19-inch (basic) and 20-inch (Premium) units.
On the safety and driver assistance front, features like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and a reverse camera. An optional Driver Assist Pack adds on a head-up display, Active Park Assist, lane centring assist, assisted lane change and a 360-degree camera.
Like the Explorer EV, the Capri will be built at Ford’s plant in Cologne, Germany. So, what do you think of the reborn Capri? A welcomed redesign of a cult classic for the modern era or a desecration of a cherished nameplate? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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