Ford’s marriage to Volkswagen in Europe will give birth to a second child based on the MEB platform. The name will not please the most staunch defenders of the brand.
It was at the end of the 60s and Ford wanted to bring a coupe car to the market with which to respond to the increasingly high customer demand. With the Ford Cortina leading the sales of the family, it was necessary to bring a more daring point of view. To replicate the success of the Mustang in America, in 1968 Ford introduced the Capri. Throughout its almost two decades of life, almost two million units were sold. After his disappearance in 1986, we never heard from him again, until now. The Americans want to put it back on the market, although their approach will be radically different.
Until the second generation, the Capri did not take off in Europe. The third confirmed that success and is currently the most popular of all, with an RS version in high demand today. That time is behind us and now Ford knows that it has a very powerful name for the second exclusive electric car for Europe. Like the new Ford Explorer, the Capri will be 100% electric and will be supported by the MEB platform of the Volkswagen Group. We can already get an idea of what it will be like.
The report revealed by The Sun newspaper ensures the return, although it is not the first time that Ford flirts with this idea. A couple of years ago, the Americans dropped the possibility, something that caused a stir, and the followers of the model did not like it. Ford wants to take advantage of its heritage to move forward and plans to apply the same strategy to future launches, as will happen with the Fiesta or as happened a few years ago with the Ford Puma. Why look for new names when you have some of the most recognized names in the market on your payroll?
Now, what does Ford raise with its new Capri? Americans are limited by the MEB platform. The electrical architecture of the Volkswagen Group allows it to be adapted to numerous formats and sizes. The new Capri will no longer be the workers’ Porsche. It will not be presented in a coupe format with three doors. It will become a 100% electric crossover whose size, for now, cannot be anticipated. It should be positioned in an environment of 4.5 meters. A level is very similar to that offered by the new Explorer.
Amko Leenarts, Ford’s chief designer in Europe, has made it clear that the use of classic names should not portend nostalgic signals. “Retro designs are not moving us forward. It’s a whole new interpretation and that’s what makes them interesting.” As for technical specifications, everything indicates that its performance should be very similar to that of the Explorer. Similar battery formats with almost identical mechanics. Ford is finalizing the details and preparing the first models. If everything happens as planned, we should see it at the beginning of next year, although it will not be until the end of 2024 when it begins its commercial phase.
