The power levels and especially the autonomy are excellent, specifically for the Ford Capri RWD Extended Range - and the fastback version of the new Explorer EV also looks surprisingly good. Just don't try to connect it to the original Ford Capri.
The latter was a mid-size fastback coupe produced by Ford of Europe and designed by Philip T. Clark, one of the designers involved with the groundbreaking Ford Mustang. It was intended as the Old Continent's counterpart of the latter and used the underpinnings of the Mk2 Ford Cortina with great success – equipped with inline-four, V4, and V6 engines, it sold almost 1.9 million units across a single generation.
It was never officially replaced after it concluded its official run from 1968 to 1986, but its spiritual successor arrived in the form of the 1994 Ford Probe and is now the reinvented, modern Ford Capri Coupe-SUV. It's not uncommon for Ford to morph into a passenger car. However, they did the same in America with the Maverick, originally a compact hatchback and now a unibody compact pickup truck.
Obviously, Ford hopes it will emulate the latter's success, which dominates the segment where it resides. The new Ford Capri has some interesting traits – C is for coolness, A is for athletics, P is for past meets future, R is for rebellious, and I is for intelligent technologies. So, the Blue Oval company believes the 'legend is back' with the intention to "inject some soul into the world of EVs" – the fastback version of the new Explorer EV is obviously the counterpart of the Volkswagen ID. 5, just like the former is akin to the VW ID. 4. Obviously, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and it remains to be seen which one is prettier.
The company also promises "sports car acceleration" capabilities with more than 620 km of range on a single charge – the RWD version has up to 627 km or almost 390 miles of range, and it beats the Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD which has an autonomy (WLTP) of 600 km or 373 miles. It also comes with 286 hp and a fast charge capability for the 77-kWh battery pack in 28 minutes from 10 to 80%. The AWD dual-motor version has 340 hp and a sprint to 100 kph (62 mph) that only lasts 5.3 seconds – while the maximum DC charging capability is 185 kW.
Inside, there are 572 liters of trunk space, a MegaConsole with another 17 liters in the front armrest, as well as a private space for secure and secretive storage called Private Locker. The Ford Capri now has the SYNC Move interface for the 14.6-inch central screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, heated front seats, and steering wheel, plus a couple of daring exterior colors - Vivid Yellow and Blue My Mind.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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