Ford Ka

• Rating:
• For : Cute styling, better to drive than Fiat 500, quite practical
• Against : Expensive, poorly equipped, less fun to drive than other Fords

Styling

With miniature Fiesta looks, the Ka is a neat little car that hides its Fiat 500 underpinnings well. A decent degree of personalisation options exist too, with Grand Prix, Digital and Metal editions featuring different paint colours and graphics, over the standard range of Edge, Zetec and Titanium. The downside is they are pricey.

Interior

With a simple and stylish design, the cabin is good looking and practical. Some Fiat 500 switchgear and the same radio controls aren’t hidden – and that’s a shame. The driving position isn’t great – you sit too high and can’t adjust the steering for reach. Zetec and Edge models get air-con but basic Studio cars don’t even have electric windows or central locking. The interior is better than the Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 though.

Driving and Performance

Neither the 68bhp 1.2 petrol or 74bhp 1.3 diesel are particularly rapid, but they offer nippy round-town performance and can hold their own on the motorway. The diesel has more shove but the petrol is more fun as it likes to rev. Thanks to tweaks to the suspension and steering, the Ka is nimbler and more fun than the Fiat 500, but compared to the old Ka, it’s a damp squib and isn’t a patch on its bigger brother, the Fiesta. A Toyota Aygo is more fun to drive too.

MPG and running costs

The Ford Ka should be cheap to run. Both engines are frugal – the diesel returns almost 70mpg while the petrol does 58mpg – and both are cheap to tax, even if there currently isn’t a sub-100g/km tax-free model. The trouble is the high price tags, and while you can probably expect a big discount at a Ford dealer, the sheer number of Kas on the road means that residual values will be lower than the more desirable Fiat 500.

Practicality

Despite the high driving position, there’s plenty of space up front for driver and passenger, and a good view out. In the back, there’s an okay amount of space for small adults and the boot is alright too – even though the high lip makes loading a little trickier than it should be. All models except the basic Studio model get split rear seats, which also fold too.

Safety and reliability

The new Ford Ka makes big leaps over its predecessor here with a four-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating. But while the quality of materials is much better, there are still only two airbags available as standard, even on flagship Titanium models, while stability control and extra airbags are options.

Model Variants and Specifications

• Ford Ka Zetec 1.2 69PS £10295
• Ford Ka Tattoo 1.2 69PS £10795
• Ford Ka Titanium 1.2 69PS £10795
• Ford Ka Digital 1.2 69PS £11045
• Ford Ka Grand Prix 1.2 69PS £11045
• Ford Ka Zetec 1.3TDCi 75PS £11295
• Ford Ka Titanium 1.3TDCi 75PS £11795
• Ford Ka Studio 1.2 69PS £8545
• Ford Ka Edge 1.2 69PS £9545