Ford Capri review

OK, OK. Oldsters will remember most versions of the original Capri weren't that great to drive. So let's look at it in the context of modern electric SUVs. Where it fares pretty well.

Ford engineers used to talk about the '50 metre test' and the Capri passes. Meaning, in the first 50 metres you drive it, everything feels fine. The accelerator moves you off smoothly, the brakes don't grab at low speed, the steering is intuitively geared. Lengthen that test to 500 metres or 500 miles of normal driving and the result is the same. Whether in town, motorway or A-road driving, it just feels natural.

That doesn't mean fun, though. It's a silent 2.2-tonne crossover and not the thing you'd expect to be launching down a twisty B-road or through a clear roundabout. Still, the Capri doesn't do a bad job. It's grippy and rolls little. You can even get the beginnings of engagement and it doesn't object to being balanced a little with the power.

This AWD version has a much stronger rear motor than front, so that's how it feels. Also, the ESP system is programmed to lightly pull the nose towards the apex.

That said, keep perspective when you read this. Don't imagine that you're going to get fun like you'd get in a sportier, lighter hatch or estate. Petrol or electric.

The Capri sits a few millimetres lower to the ground than the Explorer, meaning the Explorer's taut ride is even more so, but honestly the difference is very slight. It generally rounds off the sharpness from bumps, and it's well damped even when you give it a bit of hurry-up. It doesn't have adaptive dampers by the way, and we didn't miss them.

Is 340bhp enough?

Relatively soft-edged pedal calibration means the performance is easy to modulate. Still 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds is lively and you'll never miss an overtaking opportunity. In fact the front motor isn't very powerful, only adding 54bhp to the total, which is why it feels so rear-driven in corners.

The actual rear-drive Extended-Range Capri shares its motor with that in the rear of the AWD version. The rear-driver is also nearly 200kg lighter, so manages 0-62mph in a still sprightly 6.4 seconds.

The brakes are progressive too, though the pedal feels soft and remote from the action. And on our UK test we noticed it fidgeting constantly, as though it hadn't been calibrated properly. You can switch on an adaptive regeneration system that normally freewheels but slows the car when the one in front slows, or when you're approaching a lower speed limit or give way junction.

Does the range hold up?

No, but then show us an electric car where it does. The AWD Extended Range car's indicated 250 miles on a full battery looks like a massive let-down against the promise of 346, but we got 3.2mi/kWh over a couple of weeks with the Capri and in the depths of winter that's a pretty healthy return.

In the warmer months that figure will creep up and if max range is what you need, the 77kWh RWD Capri (390 miles WLTP) ought to be more efficient than the dual motor.

Driver assist?

Of course. Stuff that's mostly mandated by law – lane departure warning, front collision warning, warning of speed limit exceeded – is fitted and seems to work OK. But there will inevitably be times where it doesn't work, like when you're kissing the white line on a right-hand bend, or it's missed the end of a temporary speed limit. Then it's pretty easy to turn off. You also get smooth-running adaptive cruise control, rear camera, and front and rear park sensors.

But you need to pay for a pack containing lane centring (handy on motorways), active park assist and 360-degree parking camera. Again, works well enough.