Ford Ka+: Small family car with surprisingly big heart

Don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t leave the new Ford Ka+ off your shopping list if you’re looking for a nimble supermini. The new smallest Ford has many strengths although it is far from perfect. However, many of its shortcomings are not so severe, while the upsides are substantial.

Ford has gone down a different route with the Vignale range, trying to price itself against established German premium brands. The fact its new Edge SUV is within the price bracket of an Audi Q5 or BMW X5 is symbolic of this folly. So it’s great to see Ford back doing what it does best: solid, no-nonsense affordable cars that are great to drive.

Ford Ka is now in its third generation and to make a difference with the forerunners, the "Plus" has been added to its name. The first Ka looked like an egg, but it was fun to look at and to drive. It became a success with sales reaching the 200,000 mark in Europe. The design was so effective that the first generation stayed in the market for a breathtaking 12 years.

In the middle of 2000s Ford was in crisis and wanted to save money. That must have been why they started co-operation with Fiat to create the second Ka. Fiat succeeded with the 500, but Ford's counterpart was lacking personality. Ford even tried to do its best to change the driving characteristics from the original, though they didn't succeed.

There is not a lot to remember about the old Ka models. The new Ka+ doesn’t really have anything to do with that history, though the Ford model it resembles most is the Fiesta.

‘Global models’

More and more new car models are “global” and the Ka+ fits in with that trend. The new model is a Ford Figo which is produced in Brazil and sold all over South America. The Ka+ comes to Europe from Ford’s factory in

India

, so there is already another continent involved.

Ford believes that growth in the car market comes from the big luxury cars and from the smallest ones. For the premium market they have established Vignale and for the other end we have this small Ka+.

It is actually not even that small: it shares the floorpan with the Fiesta and its body is only slightly shorter. Compared with previous Kas, the new one is as much as 30cm longer. Together with a wheelbase stretched almost 20cm , that means a lot of space.

Many cars one class above the Ka+ would be happy to offer as much room, especially in the rear seat. The bootspace is not huge, but it is bigger than in many competitors. The difference between it and the Fiesta is not worth mentioning.

Time capsule

From the looks and interior, one would assume that the Ka+ was designed 10 years ago. The materials in the cockpit seem old-fashioned and cheap. However, leaving that aside, everything is positioned ergonomically correctly and functions properly. It is easy to adjust the driver’s seat and find a good driving position, even if you are 2m tall. That said, the seat is quite small and the variety of adjustments is limited.

There is nothing modern or innovative about the engines. Ford says the reason for this is cost. So one can choose between a 1.2l naturally aspirated petrol engine with 70bhp or 85bhp – no stop-and-go or any gimmicks – or just a plain normal engine with a five-speed transmission.

We drove the Ka+ with the more powerful one and it felt surprisingly lively. You have the feeling that if you press the pedal slightly, the car will start to accelerate.

That illusion vanishes if you floor the pedal. Nothing happens. Or, perhaps we should say that nothing happens unless you change one or two gears down. When you rev the engine all the way to the redline, scenery starts to move faster. The stronger engine takes you from 0km/h to 100km/h in little less than 14 seconds, which is not very fast. With the other one, the same performance takes 16 seconds, which is relatively slow.

The thing about the Ka+ that will bring a smile to your face is the driving. If you compare the Ka+ with the brand new Citroën C3 and Nissan Micra, which were introduced at the Paris Motor Show, the Ford car is most fun to drive.

The steering is very exact and it gives a lot of information about what is happening between road and tyres. The suspension is not the most comfortable but it’s not harsh either. Bumps can be felt in the car, but there are no extra noises and the Ka+ feels stable in all circumstances.

Challenger

Irish car-buyers prefer bigger hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, with the focus now turning to the popular crossovers. However, there has always been a belief that the supermini segment was ripe for growth, particularly for urban motorists.

Compared to buying a Fiesta, buying a Ka+ Zetec could mean a saving of €3,000 and you get a more powerful engine. We recommend the Zetec (€14,650) instead of the Studio, which is €1,600 cheaper, as you get a lot more value – and car – for that extra money.

Probably, the worst thing about the Ford Ka+ is its name. The much more appropriate name for this commuter would be Fiesta- with a very short minus.