In this latest Motoring Column, Ken Fletcher reviews two icons from the Ford brand – the Capri and the Focus ST. Which one will win out?
Back in the day, to be seen as credible in the YF scene you either had to have a Ford Capri or a Ford Escort Mexico or even a RS.
This gave you bragging rights down the pub or was used in a peacock-style parade for the object of your desire at the twice weekly Young Farmer dances of the day. So, it was with some trepidation that I spent some time with the renewed incarnation of the Capri and a Focus ST which is the natural progression of the performance Escorts.
Let’s start with the Capri … can it even stack up to be the bearer of that name? The answer is ‘not really’ as the ‘old’ Capri had a distinctive look about it, had a certain sexiness and was, to be fair, iconic.
Don’t get me wrong. The new Capri is a perfectly good car but it’s NOT a Capri as we know it Jim. Ford would have gotten away with it m’lud had it used another name in mitigation, like a Mondeo or Scierra. In my generation’s eyes, that would have passed scrutiny.
For a start, the power source is not a trusty 1.6-litre, two litre or even the go-faster 2.8i and three-litre versions. This new Capri is all electric and it’s a pretty powerful one at that and with 335hp available, it would see away the oldies in any of its factory-produced guises.
But that’s not the point. It’s looks are fairly anodyne and are far too close to being a twin to the latest Ford Explorer and many other of the latest all-electric SUVs, to make it really stand out. That’s a bit of a shame as the niggling comparisons being made to the ‘originals’ would be nullified if it was called something else, as it is a really nice car.
The stats are impressive. As well as the startling performance from all those leccie horses, it has a pretty massive 679 Nm of torque and uses it to do the timed 0-62mph in just 5.3 seconds. But you can fine tune that by opting for its trio of driving style choices – Range, Normal and Sport modes.
On the model on test, the range anxiety factor was much reduced by it being fitted with the extended version 77kWh battery suite which gives it a nominal range of between 346 and 385 miles (depending on whether you opt for the two-wheel-drive or the dual motor four-wheel-drive spec’). It can handle high powered charging points which make it possible to go from 10% to 80% in just 26 minutes.
The standard battery pack is 52kWh on the starter model, which kicks off the price ratings at £42,000 with the added battery power adding about £6k to the final bill. The model tested, though, was the Premium AWD which had a price tag of £56,000 as basic, but came with extras which boosted this up to £60,325.
One of the extras was £800 for the vivid yellow colour – probably something you could do without – but the driver assistance pack at £1300 gives you a head-up display, driver alerts, lane centering and a 360-degree parking camera, allied to a park assist mode. There was also a £1050 bill for a heat pump set-up that can be used to heat up the cabin more efficiently than the internal cabin heater and helps extend range, so that’s a useful one for Scotland. Another debit that you might not need to bother with was £1000 for an upgrade from the standard 20-inch to 21-inch alloys wheels.
The cabin proved to be well laid out and there is an impressive and relatively easy to use 14.6-inch SYNC move touchscreen for most of the controls in the centre of the dash. Big icons make for safer driving!
Driving comfort was well-catered for, with a 12-way power control for the driver (six-way for the passenger), plus a heated seat for both for those frosty mornings. There’re all sorts of bells and whistles in the driving alert packages, but I just wish that Ford would make the ‘speed alerts’ and lane changing beeps easy to switch off.
On the road, it handles the fact that it weighs in at 2.2 tonnes quite well, but with the proviso that any lumpiness on the corners is down to the weigh issue. All in all, the new Capri is a decent motor and probably the name won’t affect how it is seen by the Millennials – but it will rankle with those of a ‘certain generation.’
More fun
Altogether more fun was the Focus ST Edition which managed to restore some sense of model ‘pride’, even in an oldster like me. But you will have to hurry, as Ford’s relentless splurge towards electric vehicles points to the end of the Focus name at the end of this year.
Dressed up in that really special Azure Blue colour, this hot-hatch was more like the partner-pulling iconography you expect from Ford’s go-faster stable. It has a rip-roaring 276hp from the 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine which can do the 0-62 dash in 5.7 seconds, but with the ability to give you about 35 miles for every gallon.
Tested as a manual, this version features rev-matching and launch control abilities for a smooth, fast take-off and, of course, the ST version has tonnes of Ford’s handling experience shoe-horned into the chassis.
It looks much different to the standard fare from the range, too, with sporty side skirts and some classy 19-inch alloys mated to low-profile tyres and there’s even a natty rear spoiler. Through the wheels you can also get sight of the distinctive red Brembo brake system.
Inside the cabin, the bum-hugging Ford performance seats even manage to feel good to this large posterior and comes with electric adjustment and heating. All the trim has unique blue stitching, including the seats, steering wheel and gear gaiter. No need to worry about sopping up electric power either, as there is also a heated steering wheel with that life-saving Ford invention, the Quickclear heated windscreen. There’s also a top-notch Bang and Olufson sound system.
The 13.2-inch control touchscreen was pretty straightforward and includes an embedded voice control set-up for changing things while on the move safely. Safety is also assured via a heap of automatic features like lane-keeping assist, pre-collision assist and auto emergency braking when it detects a pedestrian/cyclist
I’m now a committed auto gearbox fan, but the six-speed manual on the ST is a perfect match and you can also select the driving mode for how you feel that day – the four modes include a ‘Race Track’ designation, which allows you to make the most of the limited slip differential!
The standard manual version is priced at a shade under £43,000, but extras like a head-up display, blind spot info system and trailer coverage and the useful parking pack, brought this up to £44,000. It’s cheaper than the Capri and much more fun too!
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