I’ve taken the plunge. A couple of weeks ago I plucked up the courage to e-mail my local paper and suggest they needed someone to write bespoke motoring editorial for them. Much to my surprise the editor wrote back after viewing my blog and asked me to give it a go!

Obviously, it couldn’t be a full scale petrol head test, being for the general public in my local area, so I couldn’t wax lyrical about the handling balance or the mid range torque of the engine. In fact I had to be very careful about what I wrote full stop, especially as this was supposed to be a positive view of the car supporting our local dealership. Fortunately enough the KA was a good start with very little to not recommend it. Still, it’s a start.

For this blog, I thought I’d write an alternative report, doing the article I would have liked to have done had I not been limited to six hundred words. Apologies for the shameless plugging of the dealer, but that was part of the deal! If you want to read the original, it is shown in the blog below.

KAracking little motor

The KA has grown up. After twelve years of production, Ford has decided to replace its familiar super mini with a new car and Rates Ford in Grays are one of the first dealers in the country to take delivery.

The original KA was based on the previous generation Fiesta, with simple but effective engine, cheeky looks and excellent chassis. However, time moves on and despite its continuing sales success, it was getting a bit long in the tooth so Ford decided to team up with Fiat to design and develop a new model.

The new car is based on the Fiat 500 / Panda brothers, with a thorough makeover and revised engineering from Ford. Using their new “Kinetic” design language the body takes design cues from the original and updates them to give a chunky but cute looking car. It also gives the KA a clear family resemblance, viewed from the front, resembling a miniature new Fiesta. From the side and the back however, they have been less successful with a design far too close to Vauxhall’s three door Corsa.

When you first step in to the new KA, if you have driven a modern small Fiat recently, the layout will certainly be familiar. The dashboard is clearly related to both the Panda and 500, with its jutting centre console, high mounted gear lever, switch positioning and instrumentation. There are various trim levels available from the entry level (but not poverty spec) Studio through to the sport orientated Zetec. In general the plastics quality was reasonable and certainly fitting to a car at this end of the market, however the darker coloured cabin gave a better sense of quality than the frankly cheap and tatty looking beige interior available on certain models. To add a touch of flair, in an iPod style, there are coloured plastic trims surrounding the air vents, centre console switch gear and door handles. On some models this effect is also carried across to the steering wheel which gives a strangely tactile but satisfying feel.

As always there is a good complement of safety equipment including air bags and pretension seat belts, allowing the car to gain a 5 star NCAP rating. The seats are standard across the range, with only the fabrics changing from model to model, although they are firm and supportive with plenty of lateral grip for hard cornering duties. Access to the spacious rear seats is made easy courtesy of the fact the seats slide as well as fold. Even though it is a small car larger drivers and passenger, both in height and width, are well accommodated. The KA can easily take three adults and a child or four smaller adults should the need arise. The width of the driver’s leg / foot well could be construed as the only downside as the prominent centre console cut in to the space usually occupied by the knees. Also the positioning and shape of the door shut handle personally caused me problems as it dug in to my leg on longer journeys. On a practical note the boot is well shaped and surprisingly big considering the tiny dimensions of the car. It would certainly be ideal for a weeks shopping, or for those of you that have younger children, it is capable of taking some of the smaller buggies.

On the road, the KA has matured too. There are two engines offered from launch, a 1.2 petrol and the model I tried, the 1.3 diesel. Around town it is acceptably quiet and refined with a reasonable amount of pull, although there was a large chunk of turbo lag off the line. I would suggest that if this car were predominantly used around town with stop start driving the 1.2 petrol would be a better bet. Stirring the gear box was also very reminiscent of driving a Fiat with a clean if not slightly rubbery feel. On the motorway, where it will cruise happily at 70mph, things aren’t so good with relatively high noise intrusion in to the cabin. The diesel is no hot hatch but with the turbo spinning, it is sprightly and you rarely feel short changed. Being modern engines, in comparison to the old KA’s 1.3 petrol lump, fuel consumption and emission outputs for both units are excellent for a car of its size, the diesel returning in the region of 70mpg on an extra urban cycle.

One of the areas where the old KA excelled was ride and handling and Ford have made sure this is no different with the new model. The day that I drove the car it was icy and cold but the KA showed good balance and grip even in these conditions. It was clear from the first roundabout where the suspension has been modified over the Fiat 500. The back end of the car feels so much more controlled both in roll and damping. Couple this with keen steering with a reasonable amount of feel, this is a car the enthusiast can get on board with. Lifting off mid corner doesn’t cause any histrionics, instead tucking the nose in without oversteer. Get it on to a B road, keep up the momentum and this car can cover some serious ground without ever making the driver break in to a sweat. The brakes no doubt help here as well, feeling well modulated and fade free, even after some hard driving. No it’s not the most entertaining car around and it does lack the sparkle of the old car but it’s not without fun and a lot more satisfying that its Fiat cousins. The ride too also adds to the composed nature of its gate, often feeling like a car from the next class up. It rides speed humps and pock marked roads without ever feeling bouncy or crashy like some of its competitors.

Inevitably it is going to be compared with the Fiat’s with which it shares so much DNA (80% according to Ford). Certainly, if you are not worried about how many doors you have, it feels a far more convincing package than the Panda. Against the Cinquecento however, it is a different story. Dynamically the KA runs rings around the Fiat but the 500 has cuteness up its sleeve, both internally and externally, which you cannot underestimate as a selling point. Factor in the closeness of their respective prices, it’s going to be a close call and for most people. Personally, as pretty as the 500 is I would choose the KA for its deeper dynamic talents and superior dealer network in the UK. It just would have been interesting to see what the Ford engineers could have done had they been given accountant free rein.

Technical Information

Prices: £7995 to £10195

1.3 Diesel Engine
Acceleration 0-60mph: 13.1 sec
Max Speed: 100mph
Fuel Consumption: 67.3mpg (combined town and motorway driving)
CO2 Emissions: 112 g/km
Max Power: 74bhp
Max Torque: 107lb/ft
Insurance Group: 2E