- Doors and Seats
3 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.3i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
43kW, 100Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2000 Ford Ka review: Quick drive
Take me for a ride in your Ka
FOR: Fun design elements, good ride and handling, inclusion of big-ticket equipment items in price.
AGAINST: Sluggish engine, small boot, no auto option, lack of adjustment to driving position.
HOW IT RATES: 3.5 stars (out of 5).
The hardest thing about spending some time with Fords new Ka is taking it seriously. For one thing theres that name, which takes plenty of explaining to those who ask because, although it's pronounced the same as car, inevitably the driver resorts to "kay-ay" just to avoid confusion.
Then theres the look of the thing, which draws nearly as much attention as if youd rolled up to the traffic lights in the latest model Ferrari.
The Ka was designed to make an impact and, compared with many other bland three-door hatches at the bottom end of the price scale, thats not a bad thing. The only problem is that bystanders seem to look at it expecting to see Noddy and Big Ears occupying the front seats.
And while Ford is heavily pushing the Kas fun and fashion factors (youve never seen the word funky used so many times before in one brochure) it is indeed a serious selling proposition.
Although the Ka is not expected to find homes in huge volumes, Ford Australia expects to shift about 2500 in its first year as it sells alongside the far more conventional Festiva.
And thats the catch: the Ka is a niche model for Ford, aimed at younger inner-urban singles and couples who are into style and obviously conscious about what theyre seen driving to the cafe on a Sunday morning.
So it is priced above the scrum of $13,990 drive-away models, coming in at what seems like a hefty $16,500 for what is, after all, a 1.3-litre, three-door hatchback.
The Ka buyer does get a number of big-ticket items of standard equipment included in that price. It comes with air-conditioning, dual airbags, a single-disc CD player and even a sunroof - a package none of its rivals can manage and one that lifts their price considerably if added as options.
You wont be able to get a Ka with an automatic transmission because it is not available. Theres no chance of ABS, either, and there are a few less sexy but useful things missing, such as central locking, a drivers footrest and even map lights.
Theres only one option, in fact, and thats $400 worth of "premium" paint for the front and rear bumpers, which does a lot towards lifting the already outrageous styling.
That body was one of the first expressions of Fords so-called edge design, which also found its way on to the Cougar and the Focus small car, which isnt yet brought into Australia. Big, angular headlights are cut sharply into the front guards and theres a distinctively sloping hatch at the rear.
The Ka is short, not much longer than a Mercedes A-class, but it has a very long wheelbase and short overhangs. This makes the interior deceptively roomy, a factor helped by the tall body and high seating position, which gives legs room to find space in a downward, instead of forward, direction.
The boot is small, however, and unlike the Toyota Echo, theres little flexibility in the seating arrangements: you can fold the Kas rear seat down, with a 50/50 split, but it doesnt leave a flat load space.
Rear seat passengers get a reasonable amount of leg room, but anyone approaching the 1.8-metre mark will find head room is limited.
Just two seatbelts are fitted in the back, making the Ka a four-seater.
Truth be told, the back bench is quite narrow anyway. Not that the Ka is likely to be bought by family types.
Those expecting a zippy, relatively quick hatchback will be disappointed by the engine, however. Its of a very old design, with pushrods and overhead valves instead of the more usual overhead camshafts and multi-valve breathing.
The power output of 43kW is low and, even though the Ka weighs less than 1000kg, acceleration from a standstill is far from brisk. Switching on the air-conditioning seems to halve the performance and an incline kills it completely.
Theres no tachometer, but the increase in noise from under the bonnet leaves the driver in no doubt that revs are reaching critical levels and a gearchange is due. In fact, seeing as maximum torque is delivered as low as 2500rpm theres little point in revving the engine hard because an early gearchange will achieve similar results.
Apart from the lacklustre engine, the driving experience is mainly positive. The gearchange is light and quite swift and the steering is excellent, loaded with feel and weighted just right.
The suspension does its job well, providing a remarkably fluid ride given the Kas tiny size and weight, and theres enough grip to make tackling a twisty road plenty of fun, apart from having to work the engine so hard.
In an urban environment its small enough to fit into the tiniest gaps in traffic, parallel parking is a breeze (and helped by excellent rearward vision) and you have to work hard to get fuel consumption much worse than 8.0 litres/100 kilometres.
The Kas overtly styled exterior is matched by a cockpit that goes a few steps above the obvious or mundane. The dashboard is deeply sculpted, with a protruding centre section, and the front seat passenger is faced by a shelf with a strange rotating tray that can hold little more than a pair of sunglasses. Theres no proper glovebox.
The stereo has big buttons, so it is very easy to use even if it does have only two speakers, but the big clock mounted up high continues the toy-town theme, as does the white backing for the speedometer.
The driving position is a let-down as there is height adjustment for neither the seat nor the steering column. In fact, pull the red lever under the steering wheel and you pop the bonnet.
Add a steering wheel offset to the left, pedals that are too small and close together and the lack of a footrest and its a far from perfect driving environment for varying body shapes and sizes.
Get over these problems and the Ka is obviously full of charm and more than a little ability. It fits a lot of space into a small package and apart from the weedy engine has almost a sports-car feeling to the handling and steering.
Its also good to see a mainstream manufacturer has the gumption to build plenty of character into what is, considering the high equipment levels, an eminently affordable car.
The Ka wont be for everyone because the uncompromised nature of the design is sure to polarise opinions, but there will be those looking for something out of the ordinary who will look past its shortcomings.
ENGINE: 1.3-litre, OHV, 8-valve four cylinder 43kW at 5000rpm and 100Nm at 2500rpm.
TRANSMISSION:Transmission Five-speed manual only. Front-wheel drive.
STEERING: Rack and pinion, 2.9 turns lock-to-lock. Turning circle 10.0m.
BRAKES: Discs front, drums rear. ABS not available.
SUSPENSION: Front: independent by MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar. Rear: torsion beam axle, with coil springs and stabiliser bar.
WHEELS/TYRES: 5.0 x 13-inch steel wheels, tyres 165/65R13.
DIMENSIONS: Length 3660mm, width 1640mm, height 1400mm, wheelbase 2450mm. Kerb weight 955kg.
ECONOMY: 8.1 L/100km. Fuel tank 50 litres.
RIVALS:
Toyota Echo 3-door, $14,990.
Mitsubishi Mirage, $14,990.
Hyundai Excel GX, $16,990.