Ford Ka 1.2 Style+ review

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Ford Ka 1.2 Style+ Road Test

Test date 25 February 2009 Price as tested £10,260

For Handling, safety credentials, better than Fiat 500

Against Engine noise, ride, price

The first-generation Ford Ka achieved many things in many different countries during the 12 years it remained on sale, including numerous design and best car awards throughout Europe. But surely its greatest feat was reaching over 1.4 million homes, over half a million of which were in the UK.

We Europeans loved the original New Edge Ka, right up until the very last one rolled off the production line last year. So you could say that this all-new model is under unprecedented pressure to succeed.

Ford’s solution to the near-impossible-to-solve equation of how to make money out of a high-quality, desirable city car was to join up with Fiat and split the development costs. Which is why beneath its new skin the new Ka shares 80 per cent of its components with the Fiat 500.

In its detail the new small Ford is significantly different from the Fiat, of course, especially in the way it looks. And drives. But is it good enough to justify its high price beside rivals not just from Fiat but also Mazda and Kia? We test the second-from-top-spec Style + 3dr model at £8945 to find out.