Ford Ka 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive part 2

John on the Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi – part 2

The original Ford KA was a motoring icon. It defined the City Car and lasted for 12 successful years, managing to look as funky and contemporary when it ceased production as it had through its life. So Ford were on a hiding to nothing trying to replace it and that, coupled with some financial restraints, probably explains why the KA lasted about three times longer as a model than you would expect from a mainstream volume producer like Ford.

Of course, replacing an icon is practically impossible. Ask Liza Minnelli. She’s a star in her own right, but she’s no Judy Garland. And Julian Lennon got away with it for a while, but he’ll never be the legend that was John Lennon.

So Ford were between a rock and a hard place with the KA. They’d hung on as long as they could with the ancient old KA, and its even more ancient Fiesta underpinnings, and they either had to ‘can’ the model or replace it. But how to replace an icon? They could have gone the route they did with the brilliant new Ford Fiesta, and created an all new Ford KA that was a cheaper, smaller Fiesta. But that would cost a shed-load of money, which Ford really doesn’t have. So they’ve taken the pragmatic approach and re-badged the Fiat 500.

In fairness they’ve done a little more than Rover did with Honda cars in the eighties, and the new KA has a proper Ford body and a Ford revised suspension. But it’s more than just the core DNA that comes through from the Fiat 500.

Constrained as Ford were by the underpinnings of the Fiat, they’ve done a commendable job to make the KA look like a Ford. The back end is a very competent interpretation of the original – just more contemporary – and  the nose looks good and flows with Ford’s Kinetic design mantra. But it all went a bit ‘Pete-Tong’ on the flanks. It looks a bit like they took a Fiesta and jammed it in a car crusher which pushed in the sides and shoved up the roof. It’s all a bit flat. The wheel arches somehow look incongrous and the doors look like they’re from a different car (I’m convinced they’re just a straight bolt-on from the Fiat).

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Go directly to section:

1. Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive
2. Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive – part 2
3. Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive – part 3
4. Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive – part 4
5. Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive – part 5 – Claire’s drive
6. Ford KA 1.3 Zetec TDCi: On the Drive – part 6 – conclusion and quick tech specs

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