Ford Ka

The Ka feels dated from behind the wheel and can’t match more modern city car rivals such as the Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii, Volkswagen up! and Hyundai i10 for refinement, low running costs or sharp handling.

To be fair, Ford has given the Ka’s suspension a thorough overhaul, meaning it features sharper handling and a more controlled ride than the Fiat 500 with which it was co-developed. It’s also a fraction more refined.

But the car also has to give best to rivals for practicality. Not only is it hobbled by a smaller interior and boot, the Ford is only available in three-door guise.

The latest Ka may have lost the grown-up driving dynamics and fun-filled character of the original model, but it still looks smart. And the comprehensive line-up means there’s a version for every taste and budget, too.

The original Ford Ka was one of the pioneers of the fashionable city car class when it made its debut in 1996. Boldly styled, great to drive and cheap to run, it proved a massive sales hit in showrooms – even though it started life with a breathless 1.3-litre OHV engine.

An all-new three-door-only model was launched in 2008, but under its fashionable skin the latest Ka shares many of its underpinnings with the Fiat 500 and previous-generation Fiat Panda. It’s even built at the same Tychy production facility in Poland.

There used to be a diesel option, but now the only engine available is a 68bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol, developed by the Italian brand. This is hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox; there’s no automatic option, either.

The eye-catching StreetKa convertible was not carried forward from the previous generation, much to the disappointment of fans of pop star Kylie Minogue, who starred in a TV commercial promoting the car.

Seven years on from its launch, buyers can choose from Studio, Studio Connect, Edge, Zetec, Titanium, Metal and Grand Prix III trim levels.

All versions get stability control, stop/start and body colour bumpers, while the best-selling Zetec adds big car kit such as air-conditioning, electric windows, a heated windscreen and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. A Bluetooth phone connection, USB port and multifunction steering wheel have to be specified as no-cost options on all models except the fairly basic Studio Connect.

As with many of its rivals, the Ka is also available with a variety of personalisation options. For instance, there are a number of bold bodywork decals, a range of larger alloy wheels and even a lowering kit for the suspension.

An all-new five-door model was revealed at the end of 2013 and slated to arrive on UK soil in late 2014, but a European debut for the car – designed and developed in South America – has been postponed for now.

Ford seemed to overlook the incredibly positive impact of the sweet-handling original Ka when engineering the current generation. By opting to share mechanical bits and platform architecture with the Fiat 500 range for the Mk2 version, its options were limited from the outset.

To be fair, Ford’s technical team gave the Fiat chassis a thorough overhaul, with a new anti-roll bar allowing softer damping, but the Ka still falls a little short of class standards.

Happily, the tweaks to the suspension and steering have at least helped make the Ka sharper to drive than its Italian cousin. The steering is precise, body movement is well checked and there’s decent grip. While many drivers will appreciate its qualities, it’s likely those hoping for a bit more zest will feel the Ka is nowhere near as much fun as its bigger brother the Ford Fiesta, or indeed as its trend-setting nineties predecessor.

So it may not be a especially thrilling to drive, but in its favour the Ford feels remarkably stable and relaxed, and is capable of tackling long journeys without breaking a sweat. Only the occasionally fidgety ride at lower speed on bumpy surfaces gives any real cause for concern, and on longer journeys the wind and tyre noise may become intrusive – more modern rivals offer better refinement these days.

The Ford Ka is available with only one engine: an elderly Fiat-sourced 1.2-litre petrol, rebadged as a Ford Duratec, which makes 68bhp. It can sound strained at motorway speeds, which can become tiring, but it’s coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox that’s slick and easy to live with.

Otherwise, the engine is a smooth and reasonably spirited performer and feels happy to be worked hard. Even so, Ford claims a leisurely time of 13.4 seconds for the 0-62mph sprint, meaning the Ka will struggle to keep up with the standard-setting VW Group city car trio – the Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii and Volkswagen up! – all of which use a smaller 1.0-litre engine. The Ford claims a 99mph top speed.

The domed roofline gives the Ford Ka a hint of its Fiat 500 sister car, but that’s about as far as the family resemblance goes.

In the main, the exterior is dominated by Ford’s latest styling cues, which give the car a sharp, modern look like a shrunken Ford Fiesta. It’s a different design approach to that of the intensely retro 500, and a sharp contrast to the original Ka with its distinctive curves, but it works well enough.

Studio and Edge versions of the latest Ka don’t get alloy wheels as standard, but Ford fits the latter with manual air-conditioning, electric front windows and remote central locking.

Whatever way you look at it, though, the Ford Ka is still expensive for a city car. Zetec models and above get front foglamps, heated wing mirrors and 50:50 split rear seats for that extra bit of practicality.

The interior is simple and stylish, with a higher-quality feel than you might expect to find in a city car. Unfortunately, newer rivals such as the brilliant Volkswagen up!, Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii won’t be losing any sleep, and it's a bit of a shame that the radio controls and some of the cheaper materials from the Fiat 500 have made their way into the Ka’s cabin.

The latest Ford Ka didn't feature in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 satisfaction survey, but the closely related Fiat 500 finished in 87th position. That was an impressive 27-place improvement on its ranking in the 2014 poll.

Ka owners haven’t reported any major reliability problems, and as it’s a relatively simple machine, any glitches should be fairly straightforward to rectify.

You’ll never be far from a Ford garage, either, although that may not necessarily be a good thing – the network ranked only 26th out of 31 in the Driver Power 2015 dealer survey.

The Ford Ka only comes with two airbags as standard, and so it’s no surprise it achieved a disappointing four-star score in the Euro NCAP crash tests. As the test was carried out in 2008 when the Ka was fresh in showrooms, it might conceivably do worse under the independent body’s current crash test regime, which has become more stringent over the years.

At least stability control and tyre pressure monitoring are standard across the Ka range, while curtain airbags can be added for £250. However, there’s no option to specify more advanced safety equipment such as autonomous emergency braking.

This is quite a contrast to the latest city cars – the Hyundai i10 earned five stars under the more rigorous Euro NCAP test regime, and side airbags are included on every model, while the same goes for the VW Group’s trio of city cars.