I'm too sexy for my KA..... Well, actually, the truth of the matter is, that probably isn't true - as far as cars are concerned, this is one stylish little critter. In the seven days AutoSpeed had the test car, an average of two people a day commented on how cute the car was. Any car that attracts this much attention has to have something going for it, but how does it stack up on the road? We put it through the paces with some interesting results....
The KA rules! It is hot, its chic, it's straight from the heart of the Euro design culture - and it costs an on-special A$14990. If you have a wardrobe full of designer clothes, but your budget doesn't extend to a Boxster - or even secondhand 3-series BMW for that matter - this is the car for you. In the all important coffee shop society, the KA will hold its own. The level of design detail is impressive for any car, yet alone a competitor in the micro car end of the market. In a modern context, it blends sharp angular intrusions of head and taillights with a subtly curvaceous body. Surprising is that its drag coefficient is a truck-like 0.36Cd.
The interior is striking. The dashboard curves aggressively from the centre console up and over the instrument cluster. The door pockets are a semicircular design that integrates pocket and cup holders of two different sizes. The glove box is straight out of a Batman movie. On top is the lid; close it and the whole assembly spins to reveal twin sunglass holders. The design department were clearly racking up overtime on the KA.... Assorted change and oddments trays are literally integrated into the moulded floor carpet. The external rear wiper has a moulded plastic arm; simple, clean and smooth - a typical example of the level of design detailing in the car.
But the KA is a mixed bag when it comes to features. It lacks a tachometer and temperature gauge, yet has driver and passenger airbags. The electric glass sunroof and air conditioning are also standard, yet there's no central locking. In fact there is no way to lock the car from the inside - the doors must be locked from the outside, strange.... The headlights have a levelling control; hope it was automatic... I couldn't find it. The standard stereo is an AM /FM single CD player. The quality is exceptional for a standard system, which is fortunate because upgrading the head unit would be near impossible as the unit is fully integrated with the curved centre console.
Pumping out a slim 43kW at 5000rpm and 100Nm of torque at 2500 rpm, is the 1.3-litre fuel injected OHV(!) 4-cylinder. The basic engine design dates back decades - the latest in engine technology it isn't, although the static compression ratio is a lofty 9.5 :1. We felt that premium would be the required diet, but apparently not. In fact we noticed no difference using regular or premium fuel. The 5-speed manual is the only transmission available. Coupled to a hydraulic clutch, both are light and easy to use. Maybe a little too light, to the point of where it could be said they both lack any positive feel in their use.
The front suspension is MacPherson strut, lower A-arms, offset coil springs and a 15mm anti-roll bar. Rear suspension is a coil sprung torsion beam. Any car with a wheel in each corner is going to have an advantage in the handling department, the KA being no exception. It sits quite flat and stable, with the ride very subtle for such a small car. Punting the KA through corners can be done with speed and precision. As expected from most front wheel drives, there is a bias toward understeer. Turn in hard and you will induce tyre-squealing understeer, but nothing too serious or uncontrollable. In fact, given the tiny 13 x 5 wheels fitted with 165/65 R13 77T tires, the traits are not entirely unexpected. But what was unexpected was that turning in hard on a left hand corner caused the KA to stop dead. It happened only on left hand corners, where - with three-quarters of a tank of fuel or less in the tank - the engine would momentarily starve for fuel. Unbelievable, not to mention disconcerting.......
Steering is power-assisted rack and pinion, with 2.9 turns lock to lock. It provides reasonable feel at speed, and is appropriately light for parking speeds. Despite the driver not being able to see the bonnet from inside the car, parking is a breeze - the KA will fit anywhere. Brakes are discs at the front, drums at the rear; ABS is not available. At city speeds the brakes are fine but out on the highway they are a little ordinary.
With a kerb weight of 955kg, the KA is heavier than an Excel. And the weight to power ratio of 22.2 kg/kW is frightening, especially when compared to 12.6 kg/kW for that Hyundai. Our performance G-tech runs were done with a full tank and the driver only. We saw a best 0-100 km/h of 13.9 sec, and 0-400m in 19.3 at 115 km/h......sizzling performance.....not! But as an inner city runabout, the KA is perfect - it's compact, stylish, and easy to manoeuvre and park.
The KA competes with a number of key players in the micro car market - Toyota Echo, Hyundai Excel, Daewoo Lanos, Proton Satria, Holden Barina. It matches or exceeds these cars on features and style, but falls short on performance. In fact the KA is the least powerful 4-cylinder in its class. For the most bang for your bucks, there are better buys.
The KA is a bitter-sweet affair. We were seduced by its gorgeous looks and exquisite detailing.
We were disappointed by its lack performance.
But try it for yourself. You might just like it......
www.ford.com.au
