Ford Capri reborn as electric SUV

FORD has revived the once-loved Capri nameplate, but it won’t adorn a fastback coupe, like it once did, or an Aussie-made convertible. Instead, it will worn by an electric SUV with four doors and Volkswagen underpinnings.

The new model (with an old name) was unveiled in Europe, where it will go on sale later this year, but it is unlikely to make its way to Australia given we won’t be receiving its electric Explorer twin.

The original Capri enjoyed a successful run, across three model generations, between 1969 and 1986, with almost two million produced. It also saw significant motorsport success, adding to the model’s street cred.

There was also the 1989-1994 Ford Capri sold in Australia, but that isn’t the model Ford is referencing in its marketing material for the new model. That model was more of a convertible Ford Laser, and it wasn’t a hit.

So why then, some 37 years after its departure, is the Capri making a return – albeit as an electric crossover? Perhaps for a similar reason to the Mustang Mach-E, which shares nothing with any Mustang that came before it (other than the Blue Oval badge). Because the name stirs emotion, that’s why.

Unlike its namesake, the new Capri forms an acronym in the marketing brochures that reads; Cool, Athletic, Past meets future, Rebellious to its core, Intelligent technologies. While some of these claims may ring true, referring to your own car, an SUV no less, as ‘rebellious’ or ‘cool’ feels a little forced…

It appears Ford is aiming to intertwine the original Capri’s reputation with the new model, which shares a vaguely similar side profile silhouette. Where the old Capri was genuinely cool, with edgy styling, injected 2.8-litre power, and considerable motorsport success, the new model is cool because Ford says so.

“Bringing back a legend as revered as the Ford Capri is a big deal,” said Ford Blue and Model E Europe general manager Jon Williams.

“We’re excited that the new all-electric Capri is ready to bring some swagger to the world of EVs and introduce a whole new generation of drivers to the spirit of a cult classic,” he said.

Perhaps the one ‘cool’ thing Ford did was partner with French football legend Eric Cantona for a series of quirky ads. In one of them, he says, quite appropriately, “Some say legends are born. Others say legends are made. Only legends really know”.

The Capri, which uses the Volkswagen MEB EV platform, will be offered in standard rear-wheel drive and Premium all-wheel drive configurations, with 210kW single-motor or 250kW dual-motor powertrain options.

The more powerful all-wheel drive Capri Premium will dispatch the 100km/h sprint in 5.3 seconds, which is nowhere near the 3.7 seconds its Mach-E GT stablemate is capable of but is still swift.

Range is quoted at 627km in the single-motor model, or 592km in the dual-motor model, and with as much as 572 litres of boot space it’ll certainly be road-trip capable.

While Australia is unlikely to receive the new Capri, we suspect Ford Australia would do a better job of the marketing material. Because, saying you’re cool doesn’t make you cool.