Ford Ka


The Ford Ka is a small car which was manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1996 to 2021 over three generations. It entered its second generation in 2008, produced by Fiat in Tychy, Poland. A third generation was introduced in 2014. The first two generations have been described as city cars, whilst the third generation has been called a subcompact car.
The first two generations have a three-door hatchback body style, with the first generation also having a two-door convertible version that was marketed as the StreetKa and a sporty hatch version, the SportKa. The third generation was produced as a five-door hatchback and as a four-door sedan. It was initially only available in Brazil, and later was introduced in India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Argentina, and Poland. European sales ended in 2020, and in 2021 was taken out of production in Brazil.

Pronunciation

The name Ka has three possible pronunciations. It can be said using a long or short "a", or with the letters pronounced separately. Ford's press office has used all three. According to Auto Trader, Ford "top brass" have given the correct pronunciation as "Ka as in cat".

First generation (BE146; 1996)

The first Ford Ka was introduced on September 11, 1996, as a small and low-cost addition to the Ford range. Developed under the BE146 development code, it was based on the Mark 3 Ford Fiesta platform, but with a completely different exterior design. The design borrowed from Ghia's "Saetta" show car, a roadster designed by Filippo Sapino. The Ka evolved from concept vehicles to production with minor changes. The large, one-piece, moulded bumpers and wheel arches made the vehicle more durable and easier to repair. The vehicle was manufactured on the existing Fiesta production line in Almussafes, Valencia, minimising new model investment costs. The chief program engineer was Kevin O’Neill. The designer of the car was Chris Svensson of Sunderland, who had designed a similar-shaped car when at the Royal College of Art in 1992.
When the Ka was first introduced to the public, it provoked mixed reactions due to its unusual New Edge design, overseen by Jack Telnack and executed by Claude Lobo.
Besides the styling, the Ka, like its sister cars Fiesta and Puma, was lauded in the motoring press for its handling. Under Richard Parry-Jones' supervision, the suspension and steering settings allowed for hard cornering and high levels of grip, providing strong handling characteristics.
At launch, the Ka was created as a single model with a number of production options, including air conditioning, power steering, height-adjustable driver's seat, adjustable position rear seat with head restraints, passenger airbag, central locking, and power windows. However, anti-lock braking was only added as an option, and not until January 1997.
The car's main drawback was the 1,300 cc overhead valve four-cylinder Endura-E engine, a derivative of the Valencia unit used in all the previous generations of the Fiesta and based on the older "Kent" design, which dated back to the 1960s. Although not very modern, it provided enough torque to allow relaxed if not spirited driving. In 2002, the Endura-E was replaced by the overhead-cam Duratec engine, with claims of improved fuel efficiency and increased refinement, mostly caused by taller gearing on the cars without air conditioning.

Endura-E engine specs (Ka)

998 cc :
  • Power output - 53HP
  • Torque - 77.2 Nm
  • Bore - 68.68mm
  • Stroke - 67.40mm
  • Redline - 5450 rpm
  • RPM Limit - 5675 rpm
1297 cc:
  • Power output - 60HP
  • Torque - 104.0 Nm
  • Bore - 74mm
  • Stroke - 75.5mm
  • Redline - 5450 rpm
  • RPM Limit - 5675 rpm
For the first three years of production, all models had black plastic bumpers to minimise parking damage to paintwork in city environments. These bumpers contained a stabiliser to prevent UV degradation, which made them unsuitable for painting because the paint would not adhere properly. Since many owners wanted body-coloured bumpers, they were introduced in 1999 using different bumper mouldings.
The Ka proved highly profitable for Ford despite its low selling price, largely due to low development costs. In 2006, Ford sold 17,000 cars in the United Kingdom.
In Australia, the Ka was introduced in October 1999 and was on the market until 2002. It was unsuccessful; fewer than 2,000 were sold per year. This was partly due to the lack of an automatic transmission, which is preferred by a large proportion of Australian car buyers. The Ka was also sold in New Zealand between 1999 and 2004, and was replaced by the newer Fiesta.

Markets

United Kingdom

The Ka was the best-selling car in its class in the United Kingdom for a number of years and commanded around a fifth of the city-car market. The UK model range originally consisted of the base version, the Ka, and the higher specification Ka2, which standardised a number of the options listed above. The Ka2 badge was fitted by dealers. The Ka3 was introduced later. Power steering was added to the base Ka after the first year.
Concurrent with the introduction of body-coloured bumpers, Ka2 and Ka3 were replaced by Ka Collection and the LuxuryKa.
The Luxury version came with a Quickclear heated windscreen, leather seats and interior trim, and standard air conditioning. A "Ka Blue" special edition was also launched in the UK with dark blue bumpers and a silvery-blue dashboard insert, rather than the standard models' silver. The Ka Sun Collection with a full-length fabric folding roof was also added to the range during the summer.
Unique to the UK was the Ford Ka Van variant, produced for BT Group and featuring a bespoke flat plywood floor with rubber overmat and white-ply covers instead of rear windows.
A further line-up revision gave Ka the following trim levels in the United Kingdom: Studio, Style, Style Climate, and Zetec Climate. In 2005, the Sublime model was introduced featuring special leather interior and features not found on other models. It was produced in only very small numbers and is now one of the most sought-after Kas. The SportKa was also added to the range. With the car's impending replacement, in May 2008, a Finale special edition with distinguishing features such as roof decal and black wing mirrors was made available.

Latin America

From the 1997 launch, and until 2001, the Latin American Ka was substantially similar to the European Ka, differing only in levels of equipment and trim. The main differences from the European model were the very short gearing for the manual transmission and the lack of soundproofing, which had been gradually removed annually since 2000 as a way to cut down costs, following the practice of other Brazilian car makers at the time.
In 2001, the Latin American Ka received a midcycle facelift, which left it slightly different, externally, to the European model. The most noticeable difference was at the rear, where the number plate was moved from the bumper to the boot lid, and the rear lights were made much taller.

StreetKa and SportKa

In 2003, the Ka brand was diversified, with the addition of a new SportKa featuring a sporty body kit, wider track with stiffened suspension and redesigned 16" alloy wheels. Both models came with slightly widened bumpers front and rear with integral fog lamps. A convertible model called StreetKa also appeared, launched with the help of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue at the Paris Motor Show. It featured a manually folding soft top or an optional detachable hardtop.
StreetKa was designed and built by Pininfarina in Italy, and all StreetKas have sill plates inscribed "Pininfarina". Pininfarina produced 37,076 StreetKas between 2003 and 2005. The build quality of the Streetka was far superior to the standard three-door Ka, with improved rust proofing.
StreetKa came in two equipment levels, basic and luxury. The Basic had cloth seats and air conditioning was an option. The Luxury featured leather seats with matching leather door-card inserts, heated seats, a Thatcham approved alarm along with Ford's PATS immobiliser, air conditioning, and heated door mirrors. Options included upgrading the single CD/radio to an in-dash six-disc CD/radio and additional rear speakers beneath the rollover bars and a heated windscreen, standard on winter models. All models featured remote-control central locking with remote boot release, driver and passenger air bags with passengers air bag deactivation, electric windows and door mirrors, electric headlight aim adjustment, antilock brakes, power steering, front fog lights, racing Puma aluminium gear knob, electric hood cover release, and a tachometer.
The engine used in StreetKa is called a Duratec, but it is of South American origin, where it is known as the Zetec Rocam. StreetKa features MacPherson struts front and rear and uses unique wider front lower arms, giving it exceptional handling.
The only exterior panels shared with Ka are the bonnet and the headlights, the latter of which appear different due to the front bumper covering them partly to change their shape. The interior shares most parts with Ka, except the StreetKa has its facia painted blue rather than silver. Its seats are mounted lower than Ka's and it has aluminium effect detailing.
Both the StreetKa and SportKa received a new 1.6-litre eight-valve Duratec petrol engine, whereas Ka, Ka Collection, and LuxuryKa retained the 1.3-litre Duratec petrol engine. The SportKa was noted for its surprising advertising campaign, "The Ka's Evil Twin", denouncing the Ka's traditionally perceived "cute" design. The StreetKa ceased to be officially on sale in late 2006.
A pink version was produced to promote the 2004 Thunderbirds film, and was supplied by Ford to the movie producer. The Thunderbird movie cars were unveiled at the Birmingham Motor Show. Only eight Pink StreetKas were produced by Ford for the film, five in right-hand drive and three in left-hand drive. All were signed by Sophia Myles. The matching StreetKa dress designed by Bruce Oldfield of Ford was later sold in an auction during London Fashion Week to raise money for Barnados.
In 2005, all Ka models, including the SportKa and StreetKa, received a slightly updated interior, bringing the cabin back up to date, while still retaining the look and feel of the original. The SportKa continued to be available until 2008.