Press Release
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Ford Ka celebrates 10 years of success
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383, 261 Ka models have been sold
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The iconic design has kept it as segment leader for its lifetime
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The latest Ka models hit showrooms this month. Entry model is £255 cheaper than the first model sold 10 years ago
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Top of the range Sportka now £305 less and Luxury £700 less than previous models
Ford's best-selling supermini, the Ford Ka, celebrates 10 years of success this month. A new Ka line-up arrives in showrooms across , once again enhancing the range and specifications and offering great value. At £7,095, the entry model of the new line-up costs £255 less than the first Ka sold 10 years ago.
The new Ka line-up has seven models from the entry level Studio to the Sportka SE. Ka is popular with a diverse range of customers, from the student to the grandparent and so the range caters for many needs. The new line-up starts at £7,095 on-the-road for a Studio model, to £9,995 for the Sportka SE.
Mark Ovenden, marketing director, Ford of Britain said: "Today's Ka driver still loves the funky look of Ka but also wants more technology and luxury. We have added a higher specification to the mid-range models and greater value in the high-end models to cater for this.
"In its lifetime, Ka has gone from a basic runaround to the kind of car customers can personalise with everything from air conditioning to two tone leather trim. Price is a key consideration for the supermini car buyer and that's why value is the mainstay of the new models," he added.
The new seven- model line- up is:
Studio – £7,095 on-the-road entry level with ABS, immobiliser, tinted glass, silver sports-style dials, driver's airbag, radio/cassette, and power steering.
Style – at £7, 395 on-the-road, with body coloured bumpers and door mirrors, CD player, central locking, electric windows and remote boot release.
Style Climate – at £7, 995 on-the-road, Style Climate has air conditioning, Quickclear heated front windscreen and power, heated mirrors.
Zetec – at £7,995 on-the-road, this model is £600 less than the previous Ka Collection model. It has alloy wheels, rear spoiler, remote central locking, scuff plates, leather gear knob and steering wheel.
Zetec Climate – at £8,595 on-the-road, this model adds air conditioning, quickclear heated front windscreen and power, heated mirrors to the already well-specified Zetec.
Luxury – the ultimate Ka at £9,195 on-the-road, this model adds leather trim, carpet mats, chrome grille and exhaust. This is £1,100 less than the outgoing model.
Sportka SE – the sports model topping the range is £9,995 on-the-road and has a punchy 1.6-litre engine with added torque. This is £305 less than the outgoing model. SportKa SE is fully equipped with 16" alloy wheels, two-tone leather seats, air conditioning, CD player and Quickclear heated front windscreen
An Automotive Style Icon
Ford’s Ka has been acknowledged as an automotive style icon and few cars in this sector have attracted so much attention from the famous and the professional.
Prime Minister Tony Blair had a close look at the Ka when he named it as one of the first Millennium Products chosen by the Design Council back in 1998. The Ka was chosen for its forward thinking, challenging, creative and innovative design.
One star helped on to the road by the Ka is Doctor Who’s assistant Billie Piper. She learnt to drive in a striking Amparo Blue Ka Collection. And celebrity hairdresser Nicki Clarke and his wife had a brand new Streetka completely repainted in pink as a present for their daughter.
Streetka was the envy of thousands across when pop diva Kylie Minogue took the car on her European ‘Fever’ tour in 2002 prior to the car’s official launch. Kylie then officially launched Streetka at the Paris Motor Show. Posters of Kylie with the Streetka were grabbed from the walls of her tour venues, as they became instant collectors' items. One lucky couple from actually won a Streetka that had been personally signed by Kylie. The universally admired pop star shared style, good looks and a sparkling personality with the Streetka, and both have maintained a head-turning appeal.
Celebrity designer Bruce Oldfield produced a dress from Streetka parts and Julien MacDonald used a specially created flamboyant pink Streetka as the centrepiece of his fashion Week show back in 2002. The car even included diamonds worth a million dollars.
In its Sportka form, Ka has shared the F1 stage with Eddie Jordan and stayed in the sports arena when footballing sensation Wayne Rooney tore-up his ‘L’ plates in 2003. He jumped straight into a distinctive Imperial Blue Sportka.
At the time Rooney said: "It’s just a huge relief to have passed my test and I’m looking forward to driving myself to training in my new car."
The Secret of success
From the moment that it was launched the Ford Ka created not only a new market sector but a new automotive design style too. With its "New Edge" design principles the Ka’s sweeping lines were continued inside the car and even at launch there was the option of CD player, air conditioning and power steering.
Now, a decade on, more than one million have been sold and demand is still healthy. Sales this year are on target for 36,000 despite the arrival in its sector of several newer competitors.
Andrea Cooper, Head of Design Knowledge at the Design Council, recently told the 4Car website that in design terms she could see a parallel between the Ka and the iPod. "When the iPod came out perceived wisdom stated that the public just wouldn't wear white headphones, whereas now that’s become such an iconic and distinctive feature. A big part of it (Ka) is that it’s got character and they (Ford) built in so many qualities which weren’t incorporated in previous small cars."
Special editions have played an important part in the appeal of Ka and reinforced its design chic. From the Sublime and Sun through to the sophisticated Silver, Black and Millennium, special edition models have offered additional equipment in a value package.
Ka has redefined the small city car sector by having a style and design quotient not often seen in a "peoples" car. Claude Lobo, the original chief designer of Ka, said that he wanted a car so strong in its appearance and thinking that it wouldn't need a mid-life facelift. This has proved to be the case and the exterior has not needed any changes in its lifetime. The Ka has seen many improvements to its specification, mechanics and new variants such as Sportka and Streetka. What has, however, remained constant is the strong character and design that has ensured its wide ranging and unique appeal.
Sales patterns reveal that and are where you will see the most style lovers in their Kas. is where the most Sportkas and Streetkas were sold, followed by . is right up there with great Ka sales and some of the highest sales for Streetka and Sportka.
Ka owners choose moondust silver as their favourite colour, followed by panther black.
Ford KA inpires a klub of enthusiasts
Few current cars acquire cult status and develop a following from their owners that results in an enthusiasm normally reserved for coveted classics. The Ford Ka has done that and although many are used for their immense practicality, economy and comfort, there is another band of owners who treasure their Kas and modify them.
Rebecca Holley from Guildford, , has owned her Streetka for two years and uses it as everyday transport. Rebecca says: "I saw a Streetka in a local petrol station, so I went to Ford for a brochure and totally fell in love with it…I just had to have it!"
Although Rebecca’s Streetka looks rather chic it has actually been cleverly modified without detracting from its original style. It now has a modified exhaust, Eibach lowered suspension, magenta interior lighting including the instrumentation, new grille, indicators in the door mirrors, and complete colour coding. Rebecca says she hasn’t worked out how much she’s spent, deciding it was better not to know.
Steve Stunt from Middlesex is the founder and Chairman of the Ka Owners Club and the owner of a Kool Ka. With numerous body, interior and performance modifications Steve has lost count of the number of times people admire his Ka.
Having spent in the region of £11,000 on his Ka he says: "The car is the best car I’ve ever owned. Owning it has made me so many friends. I’d never had the inclination to have anything to do with an owners club for any car I’ve owned before, let alone start one. Being the founder of Ka Klub GB is pretty much the major achievement of my life."
There are many owners happy with their Kas just as they are. Helen McCulloch from is one. Although she made some modifications to her first Ka she has not modified her Sportka that she has owned for just six months. Helen says that her Sportka gets a lot of positive reaction: "The Sport gets looked at a lot, its quite eye-catching and faster than people think." Her Sportka has just featured in Fast Ford magazine too for a buying feature.
Andy Turner from has clocked up 140,000 miles in his Ka that has received modifications including a 1700cc Puma engine conversion, 4-2-1 manifold with stainless exhaust system, cone induction, coilover suspension, full MSD body kit, vented bonnet, triple headlights, triple rear lights, 15” alloys, Puma brakes front & rear, full Cobra retrimmed interior and Sidewinder front seats. Andy says it was Ford’s concept that attracted him to the Ka: "I liked the original concept, the 'Saetta', and hoped it would eventually reach production. The Ka was close enough when it arrived and the appeal of an excellent chassis and roadholding along with cheap insurance was enough to persuade me."
