007 movie boosts launch of small Ford
9:18am Friday 9th January 2009 in Cars By Alex North
THE new Ford Ka is arriving in UK showrooms, its profile raised by a cameo role in the recent James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.
Hero Daniel Craig is briefly a passenger whisked away by leading lady Olga Kurylenko, as feisty Camille, at the wheel of a gold-painted Ka – a one-off special you will not be able to order from your local dealer, Ford stress.
The Ka is launched in its all-new, threedoor body with a choice of two small, eco-friendly engines – petrol and, for the first time in a Ka, a diesel.
These are permed with four levels of trim, three design themes and six option packs of extras, at prices starting from £7,827.
Identical in length but four inches taller than the current model, the new Ka is an “80 per cent” clone of the recent Fiat 500, built in a cost-saving joint venture down the same production line in Fiat's factory in Poland.
And whereas the 500 has won plaudits for its cool, retro-chic styling, the Ka is pitching its appeal in bold – some might say garish – interior colours and patterns with names like Digital Art and Tattoo.
Standard on all versions are electric power steering, height-adjustable steering wheel, antilock brakes, front airbags, headlamp courtesy delay and six-speaker CD-radio with MP3 connector.
The Ka comes with a good sales pedigree - 1.4million customers in its 12-year lifetime, 500,000 of those in the UK.
Paul Singleton, Ford of Britain manager of car marketing, points out that while the Ka's original seven rivals have grown to 20, it still leads the pack, taking 20 per cent of its sector and recording an eight per cent increase in sales in this difficult year. He is looking to find 20,000 to 25,000 Ka customers here next year.
Of the versions tried in Press previews, the 1.3 diesel, product of the first Ford- General Motors collaboration, proved smoother and more flexible, but at nearly £9,801 is expected by Ford to attract only four per cent of customers.
Ford expect the best-seller to be the Ka Zetec 1.2 petrol, accounting for more than 40 per cent of sales. It will come in at £9,295. The Ka’s new, taller body allows a commendably higher seating position, but legroom as before just about allows average sized adults to sit behind each other. As a token, the rear seat-backs drop forward to extend the limited boot, although not to form a flat floor. There is reasonable storage around the cabin, notably in an extralarge glovebox, a rarity these days.
Both engines duck below the crucial 120 g/km emissions level and into the £35 annual road tax band, with official combined mpg figures of 55.4 (petrol) and 67.3 (diesel).
Ford are currently working on an even more economical Econetic version of the Ka.
Ford emphasise the exclusive work they have done on steering, suspension and chassis to deliver “the most exciting driving dynamics of any small car.” They quote a 30 per cent softer ride and 70 per cent stiffening to counter body roll compared with the current Ka.
On that basis Mr Bond in his brief ride should have been neither shaken nor stirred
