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1280px-Ford Ka (2000)

The Ford Ka is a small city car originally launched by Ford in 1996 to compete with cars such as the Mini One, Seat Arosa, and Smart ForTwo (formerly City Coupe). The European version is produced in Spain, whereas the Latin American version is produced in Brazil. In 2008, the first generation Ka was replaced with a second generation which shares its platform with the Mazda 2.

First Generation 1996 - 2008[]

Ford-Ka-2003-1024-01
Ford Ka
Ford
aka N/A
Production 1996-present (Hatchback)
2003-2006 (Convertible)
Class City Car
Body Style 3-door, 5-seat, Front-Engined Hatchback
2-door, 2-seat, Front-Engined Convertible and Coupe-Cabriolet
Length 142.501 in (Hatchback)
Width 64.201 in (Hatchback)
Height 53.901 in (Hatchback)
Wheelbase 96.401 in (Hatchback)
Weight 861.8 kg (Hatchback)
Transmission 5-speed manual
Engine 1.3 L Endura E I4 (to 2002)

1.3 L Duratec I4 (from 2002)

Power 60 PS / 59 bhp / 44 kW @ 5000 rpm

105 Nm / 77 ft.lb / 10.7 kgm @ 2500 rpm

Similar Mini One
Seat Arosa
Smart ForTwo - (formerly Smart City Coupe)
Designer Claude Lobo (Ka)

Pininfarina (StreetKa)

The car was introduced on 11 September 1996 as a small and low-cost addition to the Ford range. It was based on the Mark IV Ford Fiesta platform, but with a completely different exterior design. The design borrowed a lot from Ghia's "Saetta" show car, a roadster designed by Filippo Sapino. The Ka evolved from concept vehicles to production with minor changes. The large, one piece, moulded bumpers and wheel arches made the vehicle more durable and easier to repair. The vehicle was manufactured on the existing Fiesta production line in Almussafes, Valencia, minimising new model investment costs. The Chief Program Engineer was Kevin O’Neill. The designer of the car was Chris Svensson of Sunderland, who had designed a similar-shaped car when at the Royal College of Art in 1992.

When the Ka was introduced to the public it provoked mixed reactions, due to its original and strikingNew Edge design, overseen by Jack Telnack and executed by Claude Lobo.

Besides the styling, the Ka, like its sister cars Fiesta and Puma, was lauded in the motoring press for its handling. Under Richard Parry-Jones' supervision, the suspension and steering settings allowed for hard cornering and high levels of grip, providing strong handling characteristics.

At launch, Ka was produced as a single model, with a number of production options including air conditioning, power steering, height-adjustable driver’s seat, adjustable position rear seat with head restraints, passenger airbag, central locking and power windows. An anti-lock braking system option was added in January 1997.

$ 86

Pre-facelift Ford Ka front

$ 86rear

Pre-facelift Ford Ka front

Aside from corrosion,the main drawback was the 1,300 cc OHV four-cylinder Endura-E engine, a design dating to the 1950s Kent engine used in the Ford Anglia. Although not very modern, it provided enough torque to allow relaxed if not spirited driving. In 2002, the Endura-E was replaced by the overhead cam Duratec engine, with claims of improved fuel efficiency and increased refinement, mostly caused by taller gearing on the non-air conditioned models.

For the first three years of production, all models had black plastic bumpers to minimise parking damage to paintwork in city conditions. These bumpers contained a stabiliser to prevent UV degradation which made them unsuitable for painting because the paint would not adhere properly. However, it became clear that many owners wanted body-coloured bumpers, so they were introduced in 1999 using

different bumper mouldings (without the stabiliser).

The Ka has proved highly profitable for Ford despite its low selling price, largely due to its low development costs. In 2006, Ford sold 17,000 examples of the Ka model in the United Kingdom. As with other Ford models, insufficient anti-corrosion treatment during manufacture and the use of non-galvanised steel results in premature surface and structural corrosion becoming established on cars used in more northern, damp climates.

In Australia, the Ka was introduced in October 1999 and was sold until 2002. It was unsuccessful - fewer than 2,000 were sold per year. This was partly due to the lack of an automatic transmission, which is favoured by a large proportion of Australian car buyers. The Ka was also sold in New Zealand between 1999 and 2004, and was replaced by the newer Fiesta.

Styles and Major Options[]

The first generation Ka's 12 year production span produced both hatchback and convertible models. From 1996 through to 2008, a hatchback and convertible were produced, along with a concept version billed the e-Ka which demonstrated the use of lithium-ion technology.

Both 1.2 petrol and 1.3 diesel engines are also available, along with 'Individual' styling packs featuring unique vinyl and colour combinations.

European Hatchback[]

The European version of the Ford Ka was launched for the 2008 model year, and is manufactured in Tchcy, Poland. The design closely follows Ford's current kinetic design philosophy, and a host of features previously reserved for the Focus and Mondeo such as ESP and reverse parking sensors have been brought forward to the new model.

Rsz ka 04

Ford Novo Ka

Latin American Hatchback[]

The Latin American version of the Ford Ka is built in Brazil and features styling adapted from the European car, albeit easily distinguishable. The car is based on the Mk5 [Ford F

iesta|Fiesta] and, along with the 3 door variant, a 5 door variant may soon be offered.[1]

StreetKa[]

Ford StreetKa (2003–2005) front MJ

Discontinued in 2006, the StreetKa was the convertible model in the range, and came only with the 1.6 taken from the Fiesta. Sales figures were pinned as the main reason for the halting of production. Various special edition models including the StreetKa Red and the Winter Edition were released to try and boost sales.

Second generation (2008)[]

In 2008,the European Ka was replaced with a model developed and produced for Ford by Fiat S.p.A in conjunction with Fiat's own 500 vehicle. The car is built in Fiat's Tychy, Poland, factory alongside the Fiat 500Fiat Panda and Lancia Ypsilon.

Ford-Ka-2009-1024-01
Ford Ka
Ford
aka N/A
Production Production 2008–2016 (Hatchback)
Class City Car
Body Style 3-door hatchback
Length 3,620 mm (142.5 in)
Width 1,658 mm (65.3 in)
Height 1,505 mm (59.3 in)
Wheelbase 2,301 mm (90.6 in)
Weight 861.8 kg (Hatchback)
Transmission 5-speed manual
Engine 1.2 L Duratec (FIRE) I4

1.3 L Duratorq (MultiJet) I4

Power 69 PS / 68 bhp / 51 kW @ 5500 rpm

102 Nm / 75 ft.lb / 10.4 kgm @ 3000 rpm

Similar Mini One
Seat Arosa
Smart ForTwo - (formerly Smart City Coupe)
Designer N/A

Despite the wholly different architecture underneath, the new Ka maintains the curved styling features of the original, while bringing the look in line with Ford's Kinetic Design philosophy. It retains the wheel-at-each-corner stance of the previous model. Ford promises a cabin featuring 'expressive colours'. This mostly refers to the multichoice interior styling that is provided for the second time in Ford, right after the success of the Fiesta's interior design. In addition, the interior can be equipped with accessories such as a Bluetooth phone connection, wireless voice control, a USB port, a CD Radio, MP3, an AUX connector, steering wheel audio controls and a speaker system consisting of six speakers, a subwoofer and an amplifier.

Now in it's second generation, the Ka is available in 5 trim levels:

  • Studio
  • Style
  • Style +
  • Zetec
  • Zetec TDCi

Recent Changes[]

  • Though not set to officially debut until the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Ford, as early as the first of August 2008, has released images of its forthcoming second generation Ka. Interestingly, despite the lack of released info as of this writing, it is confirmed that the new Ka will share the same underpinnings as the Fiat Nuova 500 and will be built in the same plant in Poland.


Third generation (2014)[]

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Ford Ka
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Developed by Ford Brazil, the Ford Ka Concept was unveiled in Brazil in November 2013. The production version of this new Ford Ka appeared in July 2014, in hatchback and sedan body styles, with the first units arriving in Brazil in September and October 2014 respectively. The next market where it was launched was India, where the sedan made its debut as the new Ford Figo Aspire in August 2015, with the hatchback arriving (as the new Ford Figo) a month later. It was launched in Europe (as the Ka+) in June 2016, with deliveries starting later that year. The '+' in the name shows the fact how Ford sees this as a budget B-segment car, rather than an A-segment car.

The new model was based on Ford's global B platform, sharing its underpinnings with the Fiesta supermini, and embodies Ford's Kinetic 2.0 design theme. The hatchback is a five-door only model and it is now 266 mm (10.5 in) longer than the previous model, with the wheelbase increased by 190 mm (7.5 in). The four-door sedan has the same wheelbase as the hatchback, but two length variants: a longer one in Brazil (dubbed Ka+), measuring 4,254 mm (167.5 in), and a shorter one exclusively in India (dubbed Aspire), measuring 3,995 mm (157.3 in).

In Brazil, it was offered with a choice of two petrol engines - a 1.0-litre three-cylinder, developing 59 kW (80 PS) and 100 N⋅m (74 lb⋅ft) or a 1.5-litre four-cylinder, developing 77 kW (105 PS) and 143 N⋅m (105 lb⋅ft). In India, the range consists of either a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol, developing 65 kW (88 PS) and 112 N⋅m (83 lb⋅ft), a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel, developing 74 kW (100 PS) and 215 N⋅m (159 lb⋅ft), or a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, developing 82 kW (112 PS) and 136 N⋅m (100 lb⋅ft). The latter is paired with Ford's six-speed automatic PowerShift transmission, while for the rest a five-speed manual option is available. In Europe, the Ka+ came with only one engine, a 1.2-litre unit, that came with either 51 kW (70 PS), in the Studio or the Zetec trim levels, or 63 kW (85 PS), exclusively in the Zetec model.

It features equipment such as the Ford's MyKey, MyDock, and SYNC systems, steering-mounted controls, automatic climate control, power-fold mirrors, keyless entry, electronic stability control, cruise control (in Europe), up to six airbags and high-strength steel body structure.

In November 2015, a Ka+ model with two standard front airbags and standard anti-ock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution was tested by Latin NCAP and was awarded four stars out of five. In a frontal impact,the driver's head and chest were considered to receive adequate protection, the passenger's head and chest received good protection, while the driver's and passenger's knee areas received marginal protection. The bodyshell was rated as stable and was capable of withstanding further loading.

In March 2017, Euro NCAP released the results of the tests performed on the Ka+ and it scored three out of five stars. For the adult occupants, it received a 73% rating, for the child occupant, a 61% rating, for the pedestrian, a 57% rating, and the safety assist category, a 29% rating. The car's performance in the tests was rated as "mediocre", being criticized for lacking rear seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, poor chest protection in the full-width frontal crash test, and the lack of autonomous braking technology.

The new Ka was produced at Ford's factories in Camaçari, Brazil, (from where it is exported to Argentina) until January 13, 2021, and in Sanand, Gujarat, India, (from where it was exported to Mexico, South Africa and Europe).

[2]

.[]

Gas Mileage[]

Add more fields as necessary.

As seen on the Ford.co.uk website, the combined cycle MPG averages are as follows:

Trim
1.2i Duratec petrol 1.3 TDCi Duratorq diesel
MPG
55.4 67.3

Engine and Transmission[]

The new Ka comes with a choice of two engines, a 1.2 litre petrol with 69 PS (51 kW) of power and 102 N·m (75 lbf·ft) of torque and a 1.3 litre TDCi diesel engine with 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) of power and 145 N·m (107 lb·ft) of torque. Both engines come with sub-120 g/km CO2 emissions (119 for the petrol and 112 for the diesel). Both engines are supplied from Fiat.

Safety[]

The second generation Ka has received 4 stars for adult occupant protection, 3 stars for child occupant protection and 2 stars for pedestrian protection from the Euro NCAP. [3]

Photos[]

Colors[]

The colours for the Ford Ka are:

  • Blush (purple)
  • Crystal (white)
  • Dive (blue)
  • Midnight (black)
  • Moonlight (grey)
  • Piste (light silver)
  • Scuba (light blue)
  • Strobe (dark grey)
  • Sunrise (red)

Resale Values[]

As of March 2009

Ford Ka Mk1 1.3i 1996-2008
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Resale Value
£829 £1124 £1845 £2584 £3669

Controversy[]

In 2006, two commercials advertising the Ford SportKa proved controversial when it received complaints for its content. The first commercial included a pigeon flying away, and being whacked and killed by the bonnet of the car. The second advertisement saw the SportKa opening its sunroof, to let a cats head in. The sunroof then closes and beheads the cat. After many complaints, these advertisements were taken off air and they were not shown again.

Worldwide[]

In Australia, the Ford Ka was sold to take the spot left behind by the Festiva. But with limited amount of features, an unrefined engine, cramped interior and only a 5 speed Manual, it's been discontinued and replaced by a Ford Fiesta. There are no plans on bringing the Ka back mainly because there's no automatic transmission available.

Design quirks and oddities[]

  • The second generation Ford Ka will star as main Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko's ride of choice in the 22nd James Bond flick Quantum of Solace.[4]
  • In the What Women Want survey conducted by the RACV in 2003, the Ka is the most popular choice among women buying Fords.


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