Ford fan favourite could make shock return as an EV

Thursday, 23 March 2023

The original Capri gained a reputation as an affordable alternative to the likes of the Porsche 924.

In its pursuit for widespread electrification of its line-up, it’s been reported this week that Ford could dip into its bag of famous past nameplates and pull out a model it hasn’t released since the early 1990s.

On Wednesday, UK newspaper The Sun reported that Ford is set to reprise the Capri –formerly a two-door sports coupe and convertible – as a fully electric sports car. It added that the model is set to go on sale as soon as next year.

Ford has showed off the first examples of the Puma and Escape SUVs, as well as the plug-in hybrid Transit Custom van.

The twist? Well, apart from being fully electric, the Capri would also be a five-door SUV and not a svelte coupe. The model is said to be a sister product to the Explorer unveiled yesterday, with both sharing the same Volkswagen MEB platform.

The report is thin on confirmed details from Ford (that is, there are none), although it does state that the Capri EV will travel approximately 500km to a charge, pack 223kW of power, be capable of hitting 100kph in around 6.5 seconds, and be priced from £40,000, or roughly $78,765.

This means the Capri’s capabilities are closely aligned to the Explorer EV, should they come to fruition.

If reports are to be believed, the Capri will be a close sibling to the Ford Explorer unveiled earlier this week.

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The often maligned Australian-built Capri was the last of the breed, built between 1989 and 1994.

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Ford’s statement to The Sun is an unsurprisingly brief one. “We don’t speculate on future product but Ford is on a mission to make electric iconic,” it said.

The Capri existed as a model in Ford’s line-up between 1968 and 1994. The European two-door coupes of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s come to mind first thanks to the cult following they have today.

Ford Europe stopped making the Capri coupe in 1986, but that wasn’t the end of the nameplate. The Capri reappeared in Australia of all places in 1989, attached to a locally built convertible and sold in both Australia and the US (where they were badged as a Mercury Capri).

The Aussie-built Capris were much maligned, thanks in large part to the lack of sporting credentials attached to the model’s front-wheel drive Ford Laser underpinnings. In 1994 the model was dumped.

This isn’t the first time that the Capri name has been linked to a fully electric rebirth. A report published by Autocar UK four years ago detailed how Ford Europe designer Amko Leenarts wanted to revive the famous badge.

“Who would not want to bring back the Capri as a design? We’d love it. But it’s got to be in the zeitgeist and has to fit, and work as a plural, not just exist as something for a designer to bring back an old car,” he told the outlet at the time.

“I’m amazed by the amount of names we own that spur emotions, positive and negative.”

Ford has brought back a number of models from its past in recent years. These include the Bronco, Puma, and Mach 1.

Whilst the Bronco and Mach 1 are both largely faithful to their four-wheeled source material, the new Puma crossover SUV sits in an entirely different segment relative to its diminutive coupe predecessor.