The beloved Ford Capri is back – or is it? Why every new electric car is an SUV, and why it shouldn’t be

This isn’t the first time Ford has taken one of its beloved brands and turned it into an electric SUV. The Mustang Mach-E also arrived with great controversy. But Ford isn’t the only company focusing on SUVs for its electrification strategy. This is a common theme for most car manufacturers.

There are several reasons why so many electric vehicles are SUVs. Developing a car with a new drivetrain, such as an all-electric vehicle, costs a lot, and SUVs tend to command a premium, allowing for some return on investment. It’s also much easier to hide the weight gain from the huge battery pack required to provide decent range in the SUV format than in a compact hatchback. Then there is the popularity factor. Automakers want to change cars, obviously, so they’ll go for formats that sell well. According to JATO Dynamics, SUVs had 51.1% of the European market in April 2024. The US market is even better, with SUVs gaining 53.5% of US car sales in 2022. From this perspective, car manufacturers automobiles simply give people what they want.

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Is bigger better?

However, it is worth pointing out where the popularity of SUVs came from. In the 1970s, the first US automobile pollution regulations were developed. At the time, the only people who drove heavy vehicles like trucks were for commercial purposes, so the fuel efficiency rules for them were more lenient. Automakers noticed this gap, created a consumer vehicle that was also a truck, and the gas-guzzling SUV was born. Consumers have grown to love these large, spacious vehicles despite their lack of fuel economy. This is also despite the fact that vehicles with a hood height greater than 40 inches are 45 percent more likely to cause pedestrian fatalities and are more likely to roll over in a crash than the cause of the high center of gravity while causing more serious injuries because of their weight.

This inclination has been carried forward to electrification, which brings us back to the Ford Capri. If you were born long enough ago to remember the original car in its heyday, the new electric SUV version doesn’t have much to do with it. It’s not a two-door 2+2 fastback. It’s not even meant to be that sporty.

“It clearly doesn’t look like the last Capri that rolled off the production line in the 80s,” says Pete Zillig, director of marketing, Ford. “We’re really aware that this is primarily aimed at young urban families. We’re talking about the car you always promised yourself. Some of these people won’t even know Capri’s license plate because they’re too young to remember.”

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“The world moves on,” adds Amko Leenarts, director of design, Ford. “This car would never have been as good as it is now if we didn’t have the Capri as our main inspiration.” However, Zillig argues: “We didn’t just electrify the last Capri that rolled off the production line in the 80s. We brought the spirit of the Capri with us into 2024. Of course we’ll have the haters, you always get the naysayers.” i hate But the acceptance research we’ve done for this vehicle has been incredibly positive.”

Backlash online doesn’t necessarily mean Capri will fail. This will be more a factor of how good the car is despite the Capri branding. Press releases have yet to be provided, but the Capri has the same Volkswagen Group-derived electric powertrain as the Ford Explorer, which is reasonably quick, good to drive and has a decent range. But the Capri isn’t just a different body on top of the same base car.

have you seen him The legend is back. The new Ford Capri fully electric. https://t.co/Mm2EJ1TfSs #LegendIsBack #JeSuisCapri #FordCapri pic.twitter.com/SB9F6l9gaX

— Ford UK (@forduk) July 10, 2024

“The Capri is slightly longer and sits 10 millimeters lower on the wheels,” Leenarts says. “There is a bit of tuning to the steering, braking and suspension. Given how well the Explorer EV was perceived as yet another Ford, I expect the same for this one.” From first impressions, it looks like a well-thought-out car, with plenty of interior space for passengers and luggage, despite the fastback ‘coupe’ design. “It will have a slightly longer range than the Explorer – 630 km (393 miles) – because although it is a little heavier, the aerodynamics are better.”

“With the Explorer, once people got behind the wheel and drove it, they were completely convinced that it’s an amazing vehicle and drives like a Ford,” says Zellig. “The Capri is more of a sports coupe, with different aerodynamics, a different look and feel. We want to make electricity iconic and bring the love back to the brand.”

More than just a Capri name?

However, the new car didn’t necessarily have to be called ‘Capri’ to have these design features, although Zellig believes it still has the spirit of the original car, claiming: “The Capri was ahead of its time, but even then we talked about it . being a sports vehicle that had great utility. We didn’t even have the term SUV back then.” Leenarts adds: “We still combine the practicality with the positivity that the old Capri was famous for. But we’re not going to do two doors – that doesn’t make sense.”

With the arrival of the Capri, Ford now has three electric SUVs in its lineup, which could no doubt cannibalize each other’s sales. Leenarts doesn’t think that will happen, though. “I don’t think we’re going to compete with ourselves,” he says. “Traditionally, 10 centimeters more physical length defines a segment.” This was one area that Ford emphasized when it launched the Explorer – that it is shorter than vehicles that use the same platform, such as the Volkswagen ID.4 or the Skoda Enyaq iV. The Mustang Mach-E is 474 cm long, the Explorer EV 446 cm and the Capri 463 cm, so they are different lengths.

“It’s about size and capacity,” Leenarts says. “If people want a car that they can park more easily in the city, an Explorer is probably the best fit. It’s the Capri if people are looking for something more premium. More performance means Mach-E GT.”

However, Ford’s next EV will still be an SUV – an all-electric version of the Puma, which will supposedly be cheaper than the current Explorer, Mustang Mach-E or Capri, but still more expensive than the Puma, based on combustion. This highlights the fundamental issue with the focus on electric SUVs – how much do they cost.

Is the electric vehicle market softening?

A lot of mainstream media attention has been paid to softening the EV market, although some of it seems to be inspired more by the wishes of some manufacturers than by fact. The European electric vehicle market grew further by 2% in the first half of 2024, while the latest July figures for the UK from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders gave electric vehicles a 16.8% share by present, up 10.5% from last year. . However, EVs accounted for just 8% of the US market in Q2 2024, down slightly from 8.1% in Q4 2023.

Be that as it may, it’s not true that “no one wants EVs” as some haters say (usually due to a vested interest in combustion-based cars). But there is a softening of the market in some regions, and sales have not accelerated as quickly as some predicted. Much of this is due to the focus on premium SUVs. For greater mass appeal, cheaper electric cars are needed.

In Europe, Dacia Spring is a step in the right direction. It’s easy to put together, but the range is usable, it can seat five abreast with some bags in the back and it’s just about okay to drive. However, despite being from a Romanian car brand owned by French group Renault, the Spring is made in China. And therein lies the rub. European manufacturers (and American ones like Ford) can’t produce cheap electric vehicles like the Chinese can.

America protected itself from this with a 100% tariff on imported Chinese cars. The EU added 17.4% to 37.6% on top of the existing 10% tax. But these are clearly more of an acknowledgment of the local inability to compete, and part of that is the focus on premium SUVs. “The world was looking for more practicality,” Leenarts says. “People want to travel comfortably.” However, once the early adopters have made their purchase, the world also wants electric vehicles that don’t cost a fortune. Perhaps building electric cars that aren’t SUVs would make this easier to achieve.

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