Ford Ka (2008 – 2016) Review

October 2008

Ford Ka revealed

Based on Fiat 500 and built alongside it with front drive and same petrol and diesel engines including 1.25 Multijet diesel. Later to come with a new 900cc two cylinder turbocharged engine developing 90bhp to 110bhp and 120Nm torque and using stop-start technology.

Said to be capable of 60mpg. 900cc base model to sell from around £6,000. Also talk of a super clean Eco 80g/km CO2 Ka with 2 cylinder turbodiesel and dual-clutch low-friction 6-speed manual transmission like VAG's DSG.

Ford chassis engineers inserted a torsion bar into the twist-beam rear axle, softened the rear springs and fitted progressive rear dampers. This transformed the handling into much more sporty than the 500 and was later adopted by Fiat for ther 500 Abarth, the 500C and eventually the 500 hatchback itself, from 2010MY.

The bodyshell is combined with an Intelligent Protection System (IPS), which integrates airbags, restraint systems and seating technologies to provide a highly effective occupant safety system. The new Ford Ka was available in four series -Studio, Style, Style + and Zetec - each offering a combination of value and equipment. Option packs are available to provide customers with maximum choice when specifying their vehicle.

Specify the Bluetooth-enabled Connectivity Kit, and the Ka comes equipped with Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, a USB port to play music files through the sound system and steering wheel controls. Unique among vehicles in the small-car segment, the all-new Ka also offers heated windscreen and heated seats, invaluable for safe and comfortable driving in cold winter conditions.

Three factory-fitted packs have been specially developed for the new Ka, offering a combination of exciting interior and exterior designs based on very different themes:

Ka Digital - Vibrant 'street fashion' style, using a fresh, high-contrast green as the base colour. The exterior pack features patterned body stripes and solid green grille surround and door mirror cappings. The interior pack includes seats with patterned inserts and green headrests, green door panels, and a solid green finish to the centre console bezel, door pulls, instrument cluster shroud, steering wheel and the rings around the air vents. Finishing touches include a gear knob and handbrake handle combining green leather with an aluminium finish, and velour floor mats with green stitching.

Ka Grand Prix - An exciting motorsports theme with a chequered flag motif based on either a red or white exterior colour scheme. The exterior pack comprises patterned body stripes with solid colour grille surround and door mirror cappings, and can be combined with a rear spoiler and white alloy wheels. The interior pack features red seats with an embossed white pattern and white headrests, red door panels and red leather trim on the steering wheel. A gear knob and handbrake
combining red leather with an aluminium finish, and velour floor mats with red stitching complete the package.

Ka Tattoo - A fashionable and fun tattoo design with a heart at its centre, created in bold metallic colours. The exterior pack includes a large decal of the tattoo logo on the roof and a smaller decal on the fender. The interior pack features seats with silver-grey fabric inserts and the tattoo logo embossed on the backrest, silver-grey headrests and door panels, and anthracite leather trim on the steering wheel. Velour floor mats with silver stitching and embroidered tattoo emblem round things off, along with a gear knob and handbrake combining anthracite leather with an aluminium finish. There is also a unique leather seat option which has a special metallic finish on the insert panels and an embossed tattoo emblem.

Original List Prices:

1.2 petrol Studio: £7,995
1.2 petrol Style: £8,495
1.2 petrol Style +: £8,995
1.2 petrol Zetec: £9,495
1.3 TDCI Zetec: £10,195

Available January 2009.

January 2009

CAP set new Ka residual values (RVs) over three years / 60,000 miles. All petrol models are valued at 39 per cent after three years / 60,000 miles with the diesel Zetec valued at 41 per cent.

January 2010

Revised model line-up, including new 'Individual' variants. Continues with the existing engines - 1.2-litre petrol (69PS) and 1.3-litre diesel (75PS) - and realigned models: Studio, Edge, Zetec and the all-new Titanium.

The Ford Ka Studio adds rear head restraints to the standard specification. The Ka Edge replaces Style and includes air conditioning as standard. The Ka Zetec gains a flexible accessory holder and leather steering wheel as standard. The top-of-the range Ka Titanium includes the following features over Zetec: 16in alloys, advanced music pack, chrome handles, tailgate handle and tailpipe and Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC). The advanced music pack includes uprated speakers, amplifier and 100w subwoofer.

Four new 'Individual' variants replace the previous option packs, based on the Zetec specification. The Ka Grand Prix includes 16in seven-spoke alloys, rear spoiler, chrome exhaust pipe and a bespoke Grand Prix interior/exterior. The Ka Digital also includes 16in seven-spoke alloys and a chrome exhaust pipe with a unique Digital interior/exterior. The Ka Tattoo includes the same Digital features with added door and tailgate handles, scuff plates and Tattoo interior (cloth) and exterior. The Ka Tattoo Premium combines the standard Tattoo features with a leather interior.

March 2011

Ford's new 'Metal' Ka goes on sale in March. The Metal Ka replaces the Tattoo version and sits alongside the Grand Prix and Digital models which add an extra layer of style and fun to Ka for customers who want to make a bolder statement.

With its dark styling the new Metal Ka is a stark contrast to the highly colourful Ka Grand Prix and Digital models. Using the Zetec model as a base, Metal Ka combines dark, glossy and metallic elements to give customers an expressive and contemporary package that includes exterior and interior treatments.

Exterior styling features on Metal Ka

• Chrome door and tailgate handles
• Large chrome finish 'Ka' badge on the rear
• Chrome finish tailgate handle
• Small chrome 'Ka' badge on the B pillars
• Standard silver 16" alloy wheels
• Optional black 16" alloy wheels
• High gloss black painted grille surround
• Optional metallic paint in midnight, Strobe or Moonlight.

Interior styling features on Metal Ka

• Leather steering wheel with gloss black spoke shell, top-stitched with silver thread
• Leather, high gloss black and chrome gear shifter
• Handbrake lever in leather and chrome effect
• Silver top-stitched floor mats with metallised Ka emblem
• Chrome effect air vent surrounds
• Chrome effect Ka badge on centre console
• Chrome effect rings on seat squab and cushion

Metal Ka is available with the 1.3-litre diesel and 1.2 litre petrol engines (1,248ccc and 1,242cc). As part of Ford's commitment to deliver enhanced fuel consumption and low CO2across the range, all Ka models are already fitted with Auto-Start-Stop technology as standard.

December 2014

Haynes manual for 2009-2014 Ford Ka released. Covers 1,242cc petrol engine, not diesel. Price £20.00 online from haynes.co.uk