Depending on your age, you’ll either recognise precisely what the headline is all about…or you won’t have a clue.

The Professionals was a TV programme from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Its main characters, Bodie and Doyle, were agents who worked for a fictitious government agency called CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), which combatted organised crime and terrorism. Their preferred mode of transport was a 138bhp, 3.0-litre V6 Ford Capri with a 4-speed manual gearbox, boasting a top speed of 120mph, able to accelerate from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds, and could manage an estimated 25mpg. The purchase price in 1980 was around £6,000.

How does it compare to this latest version?

One thing is certain, they wouldn’t recognise the latest Capri, although Ford has tried to be faithful to the swoopy lines of the original model and given this new Capri a bit of a coupé profile. I think it looks rather smart.

I’ll not go any further with the comparisons because, other than it has four wheels, this latest Ford Capri comes from a different world, a world of battery-powered electric cars. It’s also a world that is currently dominated by SUVs, although this one at least has a bit of coupé flair.

Price, Range & Speed

Here are the important figures. Spending £37,485 (Nov 25) gets you into the entry-level Capri Style. It has a predicted range of 243 miles, with a 10-80 per cent charge taking 25 minutes. For your 168bhp, you’ll be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds.

Fancy something that goes further and faster? Head for the Capri Premium. You get all-wheel drive thanks to motors front and rear, and an extended range battery. You can save some cash and have the extended range battery, but stick with rear-wheel drive. Range in the AWD model climbs to 346 miles, while the 0-60mph time drops to 5.3 seconds. The power is a very healthy 335bhp, however, the price also climbs to £52,185. Ditch the AWD transmission, and 23 miles will be added to your range.

These are impressive figures for a car which weighs over two tonnes.

How is it to drive?

The one I had was the AWD long range model and it was a remarkably smooth car to drive. Some electric cars have rather grabby brakes and struggle when it comes to juggling the brake pedal with the regenerative braking, which helps charge the battery slightly. Taking off from a standstill is assured thanks to the rear based all-wheel drive system. The ride is just edging towards the firm side, but on dual carriageways, once you build a bit of speed, it rides nicely. On the plus side, the suspension allows for some fun on the back lanes.

I suspect the entry level RWD Capri will be just as good fun to drive, but if your funds can stretch to it, I’d recommend the extended range battery (giving 389 miles) at the very least; however, if you enjoy driving, the AWD Premium model is the one to go for.

Interior

Inside is very smart and, despite the swoopy roofline, there’s plenty of headroom. It’s a comfortable 5-seater and has a decent boot space too, with a 572 litre capacity.

Every Ford Capri comes with sat nav, DAB radio, rear view camera, LED headlights 14.6-inch touchscreen, 5.3-inch driver’s screen, rear privacy glass, dual zone climate, keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a host of safety equipment. You also get a steering wheel that’s slightly flattened top and bottom. It’s supposed to make reading the driver screen easier.

A quick word of praise for the touchscreen system, which works extremely well, and the sat nav in particular is excellent. It’s set in a portrait rather than landscape position, which comes in handy when you have something like sat nav mapping at the top of the screen and then radio and phone on a split screen lower down. You can also adjust its angle by 30 degrees. Neat.

Extras on offer

Premium trim adds 20-inch alloys instead of 19-inch, panoramic roof, Bang & Olufsen audio system, matrix headlights, powered tailgate, wireless phone charger, powered driver’s seat, heated front seats and heated steering wheel. Mid-spec Select trim is roughly the same, but the extended range battery comes as standard.

The case for buying a Capri

Large parts of the Ford Carpi are sourced from Volkswagen. The Capri is basically a case of Ford reworking the VW ID 5, but key bits, like the sat nav, for example, are all Ford’s tech. Ford has also tinkered with the suspension, and it’s a much better car to drive than the ID 5.

Ford is entering a busy section of the car market with this coupé SUV, but we think it’s one of the best around. It’s roomy, well equipped, has an excellent range if you go for the larger battery, good performance, drives nicely and looks smart. The high driving position gives you a great view of the road.

In other words, the Capri name is back, and although it is totally different from the original version, it’s a very welcome return to the Ford stable. The Professionals would approve.

MORE FROM THE FORD CAPRI

READ: The Ford Capri is back….but not as you’d expect

READ: The Ford Capri - A Memory Maker

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Ford

Ford Capri - The Professionals Would Approve