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The first generation Ka had an excellent chassis but it also had love it or hate it styling. The latest version is closely related to the Fiat 500 which is an uber chic city car but isn’t the sharpest model to drive in the class, so has Ford worked its magic one more time???The Fiat 500 has perfectly-judged styling, but the Ka looks slightly awkward and when viewed next to the Fiat certainly comes off second best. Ford has taken the decision to offer the Ka at a lower price but it lacks the feel-good factor and the specification of the Fiat for only a modest saving.
On the road the Ka rides well, is reasonably refined and feels solidly built, but crucially it lacks the sharpness that we have come to expect from Ford. If the Ka came from any other manufacturer it would be less of a black mark, but Ford has raised the bar over the years and the Ka falls short.
The key to the Ka’s fuel economy is a Fiat-derived 1.3 litre turbodiesel but the Ford’s unit produces less power, with 74 bhp and 107 lb.ft of torque on offer. This dents performance but you don’t get any fuel consumption benefit, so it’s another point deduction for the baby Ford.
The Ka would fare better if it wasn’t for the Fiat 500 which offers more style, more performance, better specification and fuel economy for only a small increase in price. The Ford is slightly sharper but doesn’t do enough to overshadow the Fiat. Unless budget is top of your list, check out the Fiat before you buy.
