Ford Ka Zetec 1.2 3dr Car Review - February 2012

The Ka has a rather high driving position, which isn’t exactly sporty, but you do get excellent forward visibility. Trying to get comfortable could pose a challenge as there’s no reach adjustment on the steering wheel and changing the height of it ruins the angle as a result. The simple design of the dash makes it uncluttered and instantly useable. The cabin is generally pleasing - it's obviously put together on a tight budget, but the vivid colour options available give it a nice light feel.

Ford’s 70bhp 1.2-litre, 4-cyliner, 8-valve Zetec petrol engine, coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission, powers this 3-door version. The engine needs to be worked hard to get the best out of it at times - but it’s quite capable. 0-62mph comes in 13.4 seconds, and its top speed is 99mph, neither of which is impressive, but it’s on a par with other cars in its class. The engine is at its best when driving in the city and its pulling power of 76lb-ft means that it can be real fun to drive.

The chassis for the Ka is taken from the Fiat 500, but the Ka drives better due to some adjustments to the steering and suspension. The steering is nice and precise with a good feel to it, and the Ka is agile and responsive through corners. The overall ride is maybe a little firm for some tastes – but it’s good for a car of this size.

Wind noise at speed can build up around the door mounted mirrors and tops of the windows and road noise is obvious if you take it over anything less perfect than your regular city roads.

When the Ka was first launched it looked very distinctive from its rivals at the time. This newer version has managed to update and yet maintain that original charm.

This Zetec version is not overly generous with standard equipment but comes with alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric front windows and mirrors, an immobiliser and CD fitted as standard. Optional add-ons include stability control £325, metallic paint £445, rear parking sensors £200, side air bags £250, MP3 connectivity £250 and Bluetooth £250.

The Studio entry-level version doesn’t come with air con, electric windows or central locking. The Edge trim version gives you air-conditioning as standard, and the range topping Titanium has even more goodies.

As a small car it’s actually quite practical. It’s billed as four-seater but while taller passengers seated in the rear certainly won’t have reason to complain on shorter trips, they won’t relish long journeys. Upfront there’s plenty of space and you can easily get comfortable. Boot space too is reasonable with 224-litres available with the rear seats in place and up to 747-litres of space with them down.

Euro NCAP gave the Ka safety ratings of 4 for occupants, 3 for children and 2 for pedestrians. Sadly the Ka only has two airbags fitted as standard: driver and front passenger, and while additional airbags are available as an option – this will push the price up for safety conscious buyers.

The Ka has a well proven engine and borrows other mechanicals from the Fiat 500, which is reliable enough. However, some owners have given it a below average rating for reliability in customer satisfaction surveys.

It comes with Ford’s 3-year, 60,000 miles warranty and service intervals of 12,500 miles.

The Ka is priced at £10,295 - which while not as inexpensive as the original is now more sophisticated and certainly more comfortable. However, it’s limited standard equipment and high sales volumes mean that its residual values can’t compete with those of the Fiat 500. Diesel options push the price up - but the additional power and economy don’t justify the extra money. The frugal 1.2 petrol unit is the best bet offering an average fuel economy of 57.7mpg. Low CO2 emissions of 115g/km (VED band C), and group 3 insurance mean that running costs remain in the ‘budget motoring’ category.