The exciting new Ka is more conventional by the design standards of today when compared with the original model a dozen years ago, but it is fresh looking and stylish small car.
Ford even says it is " fun and funky" - we'll see how that pans out when when it takes centre-stage at the 2008 Paris Motor Show in October.
Ford tells us the new Ka brings new levels of style and enjoyment to affordable city cars. Twelve years after the original Ka was launched to great acclaim, its successor captures the same youthful and cheeky spirit, and it also claims the new model retains all of the qualities which made the Ka so popular – its compact size, great looks, lively dynamics, and fun personality – but presents them in a fresh new package.
Ford designers certainly have given the new Ka a fashionable, modern appearance based around the company's kinetic design. A number of visual clues provide a connection to the original Ka, but with its distinctive face and chunky proportions the new model has its own unique character.
The interior of the new Ka also has a stylish, dynamic design, combining bold contrasts and expressive colours which reflect the more adventurous tastes of the typical Ka buyer.
Ford believes the new model is destined to continue the considerable success of the original Ford Ka, which is widely considered to be an automotive design icon. Launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1996, the Ka was immediately praised for its exciting “new edge” styling and class-leading driving dynamics. They would say that, wouldn't they?
Throughout its 12-year life the Ka has remained tremendously popular among small-car buyers, inspiring fierce loyalty from its owners. In total, Ka production has exceeded 1.4 million vehicles.
I will bring you further details on the new Ford Ka range prior to the Paris Motor Show in early October 2008.
