Cropley meets Capri: First ride in Ford’s new headline-busting EV

Onward we sped, and it was a breeze. The car was quiet and quick. It stayed in line (which didn’t please my driver, who’s used to oversteer he can provoke with a big lever to a powerful hydraulic handbrake). We also avoided two wheels, another Paul Swift speciality.

In fact, the car felt planted, docile and quick. On the last section of the climb, and on the way back, I remembered to clock the ride quality, which some will know is an obsession of mine in EVs.

Using only a few roadside ruts and surface ridges for judgement, this Capri seemed to have the makings. It seemed supple, quiet over bumps and (as far as I could tell from being a passenger for the grand total of 1.16miles frenetic miles) very promising. But I decided there and then I’ll want to do plenty of driving in this car for pleasure, especially since they’re promising a range of around 350 miles on a charge.

Naturally, on the Paul Swift ride, the already rampant that’s-never-a-Capri controversy raised its head. People kept poking their heads into our windows to tell us so.

My view: of course it’s a Capri. Ford can call it what they like. And they’d never have raised so much consciousness of a simply styled, nicely proportioned car any other way.