Ford’s Ka Style Is An Affordable Way To Buy Into The Car That’s Still One Of The Most Chic Urban Scoots. Andy Enright Reports
If a car manufacturer described their product as being as popular as the Conservative Party, you may well think it’s somewhat less than sought after. Indeed, cornering 32% of the vote is something the Tories and the Ford Ka have in common. Where the citycar and political arenas diverge is that this sort of market share represents something of a landslide for Ford’s baby, the swingometer sending it rocketing not into Number 10 but the Number 1 spot. With variants like the Ka Style model, it looks set to continue its success for a while yet.
If history has taught us anything about modern Fords, it is that we take a while to be fully convinced of their merits. Some models, like the Cougar and the Scorpio never get past the initial stage of customer scepticism whilst others like the Puma and Focus we warmed to reasonably quickly, if only because there was either no predecessor or the forerunner had long since seen its best days. Remember how slow we were to adopt the Sierra? The Ka was the same, the ‘New Edge’ styling coming as something of a shock to the system back in 1996.
Indeed, Ford have been clever with the Ka’s product development. Just as the Sierra’s styling was made less extreme to meet more tolerant public perceptions halfway, the Ka has had some of its more exuberant styling touches throttled back a little. The Ka Style, which retails at £7,395, is prima facie evidence of this mellowing with age. One of the first things you notice about Ford’s first Ka models, apart from that inflated origami shape, were the hugely emphasised grey body mouldings above the wheels. Great expanses of rhino-toned tupperware may have appealed to those with a yen for smart industrial design, but the majority of citycar buyers yearned for something a little more, well, conservative.
"It’s only been since the introduction of the Toyota Yaris into the citycar sector that the Ka has had any meaningful rivalry in terms of sheer fun."
So it was that Ford introduced the Collection model with its body coloured mouldings. The Ka Style follows this theme, and matures the Ka’s styling significantly. The lines have worn well and this has resulted in an impressively durable A-list shelf life for the Blue Oval’s baby. Can you think of any other new car that retails for around £7,000 that can cut the mustard in the urban style stakes? Bringing that level of sophistication to such a small car has been Ford’s greatest achievement with the Ka, and the Style moniker is therefore no empty boast. Would we accept a Hyundai Amica Style? Case dismissed.
With the Ka Range now starting at just £7,095, the Ka Style’s £300 premium buys exactly what? Well, apart from those body coloured bumpers and a CD player, you also get electric windows, central locking and a remote tailgate release. Plus the option (in the ‘Climate’ version) of air conditioning. That will be enough for many, although there are some subtle differences in upholstery choices. In truth, air conditioning is nigh on compulsory for civilised progress in the urban hurly-burly, especially when the humidity level creeps upwards. Sweat-stained shirts aren’t anybody’s idea of this year’s look and you’ll need to delve into the options list for this.
This is all on top of the standard Ka specification which runs to power steering, ABS, a driver’s airbag, rear wash/wipe, tinted glass and a height adjustable driver’s seat. Meanwhile, to ensure nobody makes off with your pride and joy, there are high security door locks and a Safeguard immobiliser. If all this kit isn’t enough, you can also specify any of a selection of extras at an additional cost. These include alloy wheels, an electric sunroof and a passenger airbag.
Under the bonnet, the Endura-E 1.3-litre engine is the same as that you'd find in an entry-level Fiesta. Even though it was freshened up for use in the Ka, this old-fashioned 1.3-litre powerplant is hardly the last word in engine design. It runs out of puff very soon after you begin to rev it and takes 13.8 seconds to reach 60mph on the way to 96mph. One consolation is that you’d need to find a decent hill and a fair tailwind to rack up enough motorway velocity to lose your licence! Although this engine performs its job adequately, it is a far cry from Ford's potent and sweet-sounding little 1.25-litre Zetec powertrain. The only point in its favour is economy – this frugal unit can average up to 48mpg.
Despite its somewhat outmoded engine, the Ka Style redeems itself in terms of its driving characteristics. You’ll forgive its lack of outright go when you can corner the car with such relish, the compromise between ride and handling being spot on. One can only sigh and wonder what a 150bhp RS Ka would have been like, especially when the 95bhp 1.6-litre SportKa hints at the possibilities.
Packaging is another Ka Style strongpoint. You wouldn't believe the amount of oddment space and front legroom that the designers have crammed into the tiny cabin. The sheer size restrictions of a car 210mm shorter than the already compact Fiesta had to catch up with them somewhere however, and as you might imagine, the sacrifices have mainly been made around the two sculpted seats in the rear.
All in, the Style probably represents the pick of the Ka Range. Inexpensive enough to appeal to a broad swathe of the populace yet sufficiently sophisticated to attract the sort of person who used to be called ‘Mondeo Man’. The Ka Style makes downsizing seem a logical option and doesn’t need to kiss any babies in doing so. Can it count on your vote?
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Ford Ka Style
PRICES: £7,395 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 2
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 96mph/ 0-60mph 13.8s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 35.8mpg / (extra urban) 58.8mpg /(combined) 47.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's Airbag/ seatbelt 'grabbers'
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3620/1631/1368mm