Ford Ka
A small city car with a distinctive New Edge design.
The Ford Ka, a small car produced by Ford from 1996 to 2021, spanned three generations. The first two generations were considered city cars, while the third fell into the subcompact category. The second generation, launched in 2008, was built by Fiat in Tychy, Poland, and the third arrived in 2014. The first two generations were three-door hatchbacks; the first also offered a two-door convertible called the StreetKa and a sporty hatch named the SportKa. The third generation came as a five-door hatchback and a four-door sedan, initially sold only in Brazil before expanding to India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, South Africa (as the Ford Figo), Argentina, and Poland. European sales ended in 2020, and production in Brazil ceased in 2021.
The name "Ka" has three possible pronunciations: with a long or short "a," or with the letters spoken separately. Ford’s press office has used all three, though Auto Trader reported that Ford’s top brass considered the correct pronunciation to be "Ka as in cat."
The first generation (development code BE146) debuted on September 11, 1996, as a low-cost addition to the Ford lineup. It shared the Mark 3 Ford Fiesta platform but had a completely different exterior, borrowing from Ghia’s "Saetta" show car designed by Filippo Sapino. The production version changed little from the concept. Large, one-piece molded bumpers and wheel arches improved durability and ease of repair. It was built on the existing Fiesta line in Almussafes, Valencia, keeping development costs low. Kevin O’Neill served as chief program engineer, and designer Chris Svensson of Sunderland had created a similar shape for his 1992 Royal College of Art project. The car’s unusual New Edge styling, overseen by Jack Telnack and executed by Claude Lobo, drew mixed reactions upon release.
The Ka earned praise from the motoring press for its handling, thanks to suspension and steering settings supervised by Richard Parry-Jones that allowed hard cornering and strong grip. At launch, it came as a single model with options including air conditioning, power steering, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, an adjustable rear seat with head restraints, a passenger airbag, central locking, and power windows. Anti-lock braking was added as an option in January 1997.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Ford
- Production
- 1996–2021
- Class
- City car (1996–2016) / Subcompact car (2014–2021)
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel drive
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
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 large, one-piece, moulded bumpers and wheel arches made the vehicle more durable and easier to repair. The car was manufactured on the existing Fiesta production line in Almussafes, Valencia, minimising new model investment costs. 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. The car's main drawback was the 1,300 cc overhead valve four-cylinder Endura-E engine, a derivative of the Valencia unit. In 2002, the Endura-E was replaced by the overhead-cam Duratec engine. For the first three years of production, all models had black plastic bumpers to minimise parking damage; body-coloured bumpers 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, with fewer than 2,000 sold per year, partly due to the lack of an automatic transmission. The Ka was also sold in New Zealand between 1999 and 2004.
Reader's Guide
The Ford Ka's significance lies in its role as a profitable, low-cost city car that demonstrated Ford's ability to create a distinctive vehicle from an existing platform. Its New Edge styling, while controversial at launch, became a defining visual characteristic. 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 model line expanded to include the sporty SportKa and the convertible StreetKa, designed and built by Pininfarina, which featured improved build quality and rust proofing. The Ka's legacy includes its long production run across three generations, with the third generation produced as a five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, initially only available in Brazil and later introduced in several other markets. European sales ended in 2020, and production in Brazil ceased in 2021. The name Ka has three possible pronunciations, with Ford's press office having used all three.
Did You Know?
- The StreetKa convertible was designed and built by Pininfarina in Italy, with all examples bearing sill plates inscribed 'Pininfarina'.
- The name Ka has three possible pronunciations, and Ford's press office has used all three.
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