Ford Ka (From York Press)

Ford Ka

10:44am Friday 26th June 2009 in

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ALONG with more than a million other customers – half of them in the UK – my family owned a Ford Ka.

It was almost like a household pet. Great fun, cheeky and cute, it almost begged to be taken out for a spin.

For us, the Ka was a brilliant drive, cheap and cheerful, with an engaging personality. For Ford, it was something of a milestone, breathing new life into the company’s small car range and teaching it that stylish, fun-to-drive vehicles can attract customers to the brand.

It achieved the greatest customer loyalty of any Ford car, but after a decade of fab sales to go with those fab curvy looks, it was time for a change.

The trouble was, the Ka was so good at its job that Ford was reluctant to introduce something new that would genuinely move the game forward.

However, with an increasing number of small cars finding favour with cash and space-conscious buyers, getting ahead of the game once again was the priority.

When deciding how to build affordable new low-volume or niche models, it often makes business sense for a manufacturer to work with a partner, and in this case Ford chose Fiat, with its strong heritage in small vehicles.

But rather than taking the retro route, Ford’s designers created what looks from the outside like a junior version of the new Fiesta.

A large amount of the Ka is based on the ultra-cool Fiat 500, and the cars share a production line at a same factory at Tychy, Poland, but Ford has carried out some fine tuning to give the Ka a more responsive feel.

The end result is that the Ford Ka outdrives the Fiat 500, but loses out on desirability.

With the new Ford family “look” firmly established with the latest Mondeo, Focus and Fiesta, it was entirely predictable that Ford’s smallest offering would share the same edgy, racy and contemporary design.

The same is true inside the Ka, with the overall ambience one that’s a million miles away from the initially cheap and cheerful interior of the original. Second time around, it’s a lot more contemporary – better quality upholstery has been combined with high-grade plastics to create a cabin that’s more closely aligned with the Mondeo and Focus than some bargain basement runabout.

It’s fair to say that it all works well. The interior contains sensibly placed switchgear and clear instruments, and the claim that you can get two adults in the back – this Ka remains a three-door hatch – is largely a genuine one.

What’s more, the car’s sloping roof doesn’t impact on headroom and you get a decent-sized boot for a car of this size, while rear seating either folds as a bench or splits and folds depending on the model selected.

Even in the base model, MP3 connection and a six-speaker stereo are fitted as standard, while further up the chain comes Bluetooth connectivity and even two-tone leather.

The revisions continue under the Ka’s bonnet, with a new petrol-diesel pairing making an appearance in 1.2 and 1.3-litre guise respectively. Both come with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with the shift lever conveniently mounted high up on the fascia.

Historically, city cars have been associated with small-capacity petrol units, and the 1.2-litre petrol version of the Ka is expected to be the biggest seller, but the 1.3-litre diesel, with its added slug of torque, makes cruising more enjoyable and the diesel boasts low fuel consumption and emissions numbers.

Over a week-long period, making mostly city journeys, I achieved 57mpg, against official figures of 54.6mpg for urban driving, 67.6mpg on the combined cycle and 76.7 for extra-urban.

The driving experience is an enjoyable one, greatly assisted by the responsive steering, with Ford demonstrating that despite the car’s grown-up and more refined character it’s still great fun behind the wheel.

The previous model might have been a surprise hit with keen drivers, but it’s hoped that this model will be equally popular with fashion-conscious buyers. No longer a modestly trimmed conveyance,, this Ka can be had in a number of eye-catching exterior colours with cabin trim and fabrics to match.

Furthermore, both the interior and exterior can be selected in a trio of style packs over and above the conventional Studio, Style, Style Plus and Zetec trim levels.

From a sinister black theme to a bright and breezy package and eye-popping Day-Glo contrasting ensemble, there’s something for every daring would-be owner.

Predictably there will be favourable comparisons with BMW’s Mini and Fiat’s 500 on the customisation front, and it’s fair to say that Ford’s decision to offer such things is a welcome one.

With so many cars offering a similar ownership experience, the ability to add value in a personal way is often a good way of differentiating your product from the next.

Just like with the original Ka, this chunky second generation model has been styled to attract attention and provoke discussion. Ford’s daring new design language balances an edgy character with the need to be practical.

Call it a fresh Ka for the 21st century, if you like. And it is still a gem to drive.

AT A GLANCE

Model: Ford Ka

Price: From £7,995 to £10, 595

Engine: 1.3- litre Duratorq TDCi

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Power: 74bhp @4000 rpm

Economy: 67.6 mpg combined

CO2 emissions: 112 g/km (35 road tax)