Category: City Cars 
Price Range: £7,395 to £11,195
Sharp drive, supple ride, cute looks.
Stingy on kit, limited space for adults in rear, lacks charm of Fiat 500.
The Ka out-drives the 500, but loses out on value and desirability.
Ford has yet to hear back from Euro NCAP to find out how well the new Ka has performed in the voluntary crash testing, but engineers are tipping a four star result for adult occupancy protection. But the Fiat 500 received a glittering five out of five, so what gives?
Blame economics. To help the Ka compete on an equal cost footing, some of the 500's standard safety equipment has been sacrificed. That's why side and curtain airbags are on the options list, costing £150 and £200 respectively. It's also a shame that life-saving ESP is a hefty £400 option.
A four star rating for a city car is still credible, but we all know that, with the right kit fitted, the Ford Ka could lead the class for safety alongside the 500.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Ford Ka
wrote on 14 08 2006