It is now over ten years since Ford launched its first Ka range and in that time the vehicles have gone on to achieve a kind of cult status in the small car part of the market. The latest versions of the Ford Ka have taken real inspiration from one of Ford’s rivals – Fiat – by adopting any of the features of their 500 range, including the chassis and platform. Ford have resisted the temptation to make the new versions significantly bigger, although they are bigger than the previous versions, as other cars within Ford’s range do seem to be getting bigger. The Ford Ka remains a small car designed for negotiating the city, able to move easily through congested areas.
In terms of engine, the 1.2-litre petrol model is more powerful than the 1.3-litre one that the earlier versions were fitted with, but it is never going to see the Ford Ka winning many performance power contests. The model in the Ka range that draws the most from the Fiat 500 is the Zetec – the most luxurious of the three levels available in the new range. This car could even be described as being basically the same as the Fiat, given that it has the same engine as well as the same chassis – and the same factory was responsible for building both cars. The Fiat 500 is probably the more aesthetically appealing, at least from the outside, but the Ka Zetec drives better. Overall the Ford Ka Zetec is probably the superior car, despite internal design issues that create and awkward position for driving and leave the transmission tunnel positioned against the driver’s leg, because- despite the claimed top speed of 99mph that the Ford Ka Zetec is supposed to be able to reach – it is actually able to comfortably exceed this. In addition, the safety features added by Ford to this version make it one of the safest small cars to drive.
Even if you are wanting to buy a cheap ford ka you will be able to pick this car up at a good price.