It’s a new model army! There’s no stopping Ford in 2024 with yet another exciting launch coming in fast just before Christmas. This time it’s the gorgeous new All-Electric Ford Capri and wouldn’t you just love to see this beauty above all wrapped up with a bow under the tree?

Unless you’re a complete car novice (or born this side of the Millennium) it’s a name you’ll already know, but everything else about the Capri has had a thoroughly modern makeover, from the curvaceous look and family-friendly interiors to the 21st century eco electric motor and stellar safety features.

Always keen to be the first behind the wheel of anything shiny and new, we headed to the John Grose Ford showroom in Ipswich to take the Ford Capri for a quick Christmas shopping trip and loved what we saw. Here are all the reasons we’d like to be driving her home for Christmas…

THE LOOK

While your Dad might not recognise this iteration of the Capri as having anything in common with the iconic late 60s model, modern drivers will be delighted by all the updates. For starters the new Capri is completely electric and so a lot more eco friendly (saving the planet wasn’t exactly high on the list in the Swinging Sixties). Then there’s all the up-to-date tech and safety features (more on that below).

The biggest difference has to be the shape however. The new All-Electric Ford Capri isn’t as ostentatious as its predecessor, and instead of a boxy bonnet you’ll find curves in all the right places and a much more compact design that works beautifully for today’s busy roads, on-the-go lifestyles and tricky car parking spaces.

The tapered coupé-style boot gives the car a sporty profile and makes a nice change from all the boxier SUVs on the market at the moment. It isn’t style over substance though because the boot space hasn’t been compromised at all by the shape. Safe to say, it’s pleasing on the eye but also a very sensible option if your lifestyle doesn’t exactly make a two-seater soft top possible – its practicality meets sporty style to perfection. If you really want to make heads turn you could always opt for the vivid yellow colour that you’ll see in all the ads.

THE CHARGE

I drove the All-Electric Ford Capri for about an hour in total and the charge only went down a couple of percentage points, so I didn’t have any range anxiety at all. The Capri comes with some impressive charge stats to give any new electric buyers peace of mind – the range for the 53kWh battery version is 242 miles, while the 77kWh version gives you 389 miles, proving to all those naysayers that long journeys are more than possible in a fully electric car.

Charging couldn’t be easier either. You can change it overnight like you would your phone using an EV Home Charger or top up on the road at one of over 800,000 Ford BlueOval^™ Charge Network points across Europe or using the Type 2 Mode 3 charging cable that comes with the car at any AC public charge points. The plug goes in in one neat movement and is a lot cleaner and nicer to do than messing around with dirty petrol or diesel nozzles.

THE DRIVE

The Ford Capri is the second All-Electric Ford I’ve reviewed (find out what I thought of the Ford Explorer here) and I have to say the brand has really converted me to the electric driving experience. Like the Explorer the car is practically silent to drive and is seriously responsive. A light touch on the accelerator and I was off, enjoying a drive that was smooth as silk. A few times I had to rein myself in as the speedometer crept up without me realising – living up to its sporty name, the Capri is a zippy little number.

If “zippy” isn’t quite technical enough for you, wrap your grey matter round these numbers instead: the electric Capri will take you from 0 – 62mph in 6.4 seconds.

When I first saw the car I was slightly worried I’d be a bit close to the road (I currently enjoy looking down at the road and all the hazards on it from the vantage point of my 4-wheel drive), but the driving position was actually pretty good. While Ford have kept elements of the coupé in the looks, the driving position is much more like a large SUV and you feel a good height above the road with clear visibility, except for the unavoidable windscreen pillars.

I also really enjoyed testing out the regenerative braking system (you can choose to drive in D or B). The B mode means the car does some of the braking for you, so you don’t get a numb foot on the brake pedal – a feature that’s particularly useful in high traffic areas.

SAFETY

Move over Volvo because Ford are muscling in on the safety features market and the new models are packed with so many different driving aids that it’s a wonder the car doesn’t just drive itself! In fact, when I used the brilliant adaptive cruise control, the car felt like it was in charge, and I barely had to do a thing. There are also features such as pre-collision assist, autonomous emergency braking and lane assist to stop you drifting if you’re tired. This clever Capri can also recognise traffic signs.

When it comes to parking, there’s everything from front and rear parking sensors to rear-view cameras as standard on all versions, as well as the chance to add a 360-degree camera if parking really isn’t your forte. You might find the car a bit bossy to start with but within minutes you’ll be thanking it for making you a much better driver.

EXCITING EXTRAS

You get all the jingle bells and whistles on the new models of Ford and the Capri has a lot of lovely extras that will win over lovers of gadgets, gizmos and luxurious touches. My favourite feature has to be the huge panoramic sunroof, that’s possible in this car because of its sporty, coupé-style roof.

I took the car for a spin on a glorious late November autumn day and it was heavenly having the sun shine through, the autumn leaves glowing overhead and a really lovely feel of light in the car. If you suffer from claustrophobia you’ll really appreciate the expansive feel that the sunroof gives the car.

Like the new Ford Explorer, the central console of the Capri is mostly taken up with an eye-catching 14.6″ moveable touchscreen that can be adjusted to suit your height, preference and where the sun is shining. It takes seconds to sync my mobile to the screen using Ford’s SYNCMove software and off I drove with full-screen mapping and my music blaring through the very cool Bang & Olufsen 7 speaker sound system that looks striking on the dashboard.

The only real nod to the original Capri comes from the steering wheel. The car comes with Ford’s signature squircle steering wheel (half circle, half square) that is lovely and comfy to hold. Unlike other Ford models this steering wheel has a silver prong with the retro three circle design on it.

If you’ve been carrying heavy Christmas shopping, lifting small children or been hunched over your desk all day, it will be music to your ears (or lower back!) to learn that the 12-way adjustable sporty look seats in the Ford Capri have lumbar support and a massage function. Yep you read that right… you can save on trips to the masseuse if you choose this as your next car! Plus, there’s no fiddling around with the seat position every time you get in if your other half is twice as tall or short as you because the car remembers your driving position when it connects to your keys.

Other details in the Ford Capri that made my heart sing were the pretty alloys (anyone else getting floral vibes here?!), the LED ambient lighting that you can manually change to reflect your mood, the many cool compartments for my handbag and general life detritus and the cordless charging pad for my phone.

THE BOOT

Carting lots of stuff around for the kids or your own hobbies? The Ford Capri is a brilliant choice as a family car because not only is it roomy for passengers but it has a huge boot with a 572 litre boot capacity. When it comes to boots though capacity isn’t everything and I always find it’s the shape that matters. Thankfully the Ford Capri is an excellent shape with a wide opening and lovely flat base allowing you to easily lift heavy objects like buggies, golf clubs, dogs… (or Christmas shopping and a huge wreath in my case) into it with ease.

The boot (and the doors) all operate hands-free too, an absolute godsend for any parents who a regularly carrying three rucksacks, a sports kit, the food shopping and their own handbag in one go and need instant and easy access to the car. Plus there’s 17 litres of space in the central armrest to collar for your own clobber or handbag.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Busy families who need plenty of space for the many bags they cart around each week or drivers looking for an electric car with a sportier vibe than some of the boxier SUVs, but for a more affordable price than a Tesla for example.

Not for: Original Capri owners who are looking to take a drive down memory lane won’t find much that resembles the 1969 version, so they’re probably best sticking to the classic car showrooms.

The damage: There are two different models to choose from starting at £42,075 on the road for the most basic Capri Select 52 kWh going up to £57,475 for the Premium 79kWh Extended Range model.

Book a test drive today at John Grose Ipswich,The Ford Centre, Ransomes Industrial Estate, Ipswich, IP3 9BE. Tel: 01473 270707.

Capri fun! Muddy puts the brand new All-Electric Ford Capri through its paces

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