Ford Ka - Paris motor show news - 2008

02 October 2008 - 11:00

Ford tries a 500

You didn't think Ford would unveil the new Ka without a big song and dance, did you?

The covers have just come the little city car - a whole 12 years after the original - to the accompaniment of bangin' music, gyrating girls, flashing lights and a troupe of evil clowns armed with weapons fashioned from balloons.

OK, we're lying about the clowns, but all the rest was true.

We brought you all the news on the new Ka - including the welcome arrival of a diesel engine - a month ago, but the most obvious aspect of Ford's display stand is how hard they're gunning for the Fiat 500.

There are Kas (is that the plural? Looks wrong, somehow) decked out in black with lumino-yellow stripes, white-on-red (oh, very Cinquecento...) and a host of other 'expressive' colour combinations. There's also a little stand detailing a variety of, er, bold interior options. Sound familiar? Don't forget that the Ka shares its underpinnings with Fiat's award-winning little 500...

The irony (at least, we think it's irony) is that just 50 yards away from the Ka display lurks a 40-foot high Fiat 500, gazing down on the Ford newcomer from its lofty perch. There's something symbolic there, but we can't put our finger on it.

Will the Ka tempt chi-chi fashionistas away from their (regular-sized) 500s? We'll find out when the Ford goes on sale in the UK early next year...

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wildkat commented on this article

11 April 2009

Those who must fashionably reduce their carbon footprint by driving a Prius are looking for a new fashion symbol. But I doubt this runt of the Ford litter will be among the contenders. The saving grace of the Prius is that you do not feel cramped inside it, even in the backseat. Does the Ka even HAVE a backseat? Even one that is only there to toss your umbrella on, as there is no leg room? These cars just aren't going to make it in the states for one simple reason. People who are serious about saving, whether it be money or the environment, are going beyond reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions through economical transportation. They're opting to bypass engine driven transport altogether by using people power, ie, walking or biking, rather than driving. These, of course, are those who are genuinely serious. The car craze fashionistas will continue to look for the newest fad in environmentally friendly autos.

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