The Ford Capri has been leaked ahead of its imminent reveal, and the latest iteration of the classic nameplate is an electric coupe SUV.
A single front three-quarter image has been published by Car Design World on Instagram of the Capri, which is expected to share its Volkswagen-sourced MEB electric vehicle (EV) underpinnings with the European Explorer.
It’s set to be officially revealed later today.
While the European Explorer has design cues inspired by Ford’s American SUVs, the Capri’s styling makes at least a token nod to the European Capri coupe that was sold for three generations from 1969 to 1986.
The LED daytime running lights evoke the twin round elements found in the Mk3 Capri coupe’s headlight assemblies, while the black trim joining the EV’s headlights bears a slight resemblance to the slim grilles of Capris of yore.
Otherwise, there’s not much of a resemblance to the classic coupe it shares its name with, with the C/D-pillar treatment and chunky shoulders instead evoking rival EVs like the Polestar 2.
As part of Ford’s partnership with Volkswagen, it’s rolling out the Explorer and Capri as Blue Oval equivalents to the ID.4 and ID.5 but with completely different styling.
Both vehicles are being built in Cologne, Germany, where the original Capri was built.
While specifications have yet to be revealed for the Capri, the Explorer is offered with a choice of single-motor rear-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations and 55kWh or 77kWh batteries.
In its most powerful permutation, it produces 250kW of power and 679Nm of torque, good for a 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds.
The Capri is the latest instance of Ford reusing a classic coupe nameplate on an SUV.
First came the Puma, which was a Fiesta-based coupe that was reborn as a Fiesta-based crossover. It was followed by the Mustang Mach-E, which shares nothing apart from some design cues with the brand’s long-lived pony car.
Ford isn’t the only company to reuse a coupe nameplate on an SUV, with Mitsubishi doing the same with its Eclipse Cross.
Opel had also confirmed a revival of the Manta nameplate – previously used on the brand’s Ford Capri coupe rival – on an electric SUV, but there’s been no further talk of this since 2021.
The original Capri was based on the humble Cortina but featured unique, sportier styling, making it similar in concept to the Falcon-based Mustang in the US.
Capri is one of Ford’s most reused names. In addition to the European coupe, it was also used on an Australian-built, Mazda 323-derived convertible from 1989 to 1994, as well as on a version of the Ford Mustang from 1979 to 1986.
It was first used by Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln on full-sized sedan, coupe and convertible models from 1952 to 1959, before being used on a coupe version of the European Ford Consul from 1961 to 1964.
It’s almost as versatile a nameplate as Maverick, which has been used on a car-based ute, multiple SUVs (including two rebadged Nissans), and on a coupe and sedan that replaced the Ford Falcon in North America in 1970.
Source Agencies
