The Ford Ka - Growing Up Too Quickly?

Ford seems to be in a state of flux at the moment; discarding the designs of the past and looking forward to a bold, sleek and sporty future. In particular, one car has garnered more automotive column inches in the past few months than any other. The car in question is obviously the new Ford Fiesta, which has been part of a marketing buzz that hasn't lost momentum since it first appeared as a concept model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007. With all the fuss and attention that has been directed towards the new Ford Fiesta, it has been quite easy to dismiss the other new Ford with a radical new design. The neglected vehicle I speak of is the brand new Ford Ka.

The Ford Ka revolutionised the supermini market when it was originally released in 1996. It's bold, rounded design confounded as many critics as it delighted and it became one of the true examples of a car splitting everyone's opinions. The critic's opinion was irrelevant when it came to sales, as the Ford Ka was snapped up from forecourts up and down the land. 13 years on and the Ford Ka is still a very strong seller. This begs the question; if the old Ka wasn't broken, why did Ford want to fix it?

The answer presents itself when you look at the new Ka alongside the new Ford Fiesta. The whole design aesthetic seems to be Ford trying to grow up and become more mature. The rounded, playful body of the previous Ka has been replaced by what essentially is a slightly scaled down Fiesta. Both models have started 2009 looking considerably sportier and aimed a little more to (dare I say it?) the more 'serious' driver. It seems to me that Ford are trying to add some brand value to their lower end vehicles that were perhaps missing before.

So how about performance? Well, things seem to have picked up neatly from where the previous Ford Ka left off. The basic 1.3 Litre Diesel is more than enough power to pull the light body of the Ka around. The handling is much as you would expect from a lower budget supermini; responsive but occasionally a little too light. Everything seems all well and good then? Well, not quite everything.

Ford Fiesta - Facelifted

The Ford Fiesta is Britain's best-selling car. And now it has been given a mid-life facelift and a host of new technology. The Fiesta has also been fitted with Ford's fantastic three-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo engine. The new Fiesta gets headlights with LED daytime running lamps. It is also inspired by the forthcoming Mondeo with a larger trapezoidal grille. There is a more aggressive 'Power Dome' shape on the bonnet. The current Fiesta has a flatter design at the centre but this new Fiesta has a raised centre. The Fiesta continues Ford's bid to become known as a 'technology company' as well as a car company, with lots of hi-tech equipment.

The main new feature is Ford's 'MyKey' system. This system allows owners to set a maximum speed and stereo volume if they lend the car to someone. It will then be restricted to the settings which were set by the owner. MyKey prevents driver aids and other safety systems from being deactivated. MyKey also mutes the stereo until the seatbelts are fastened. Push-button start and keyless entry come as standard. Other features include Ford SYNC, which includes voice-activated commands for music and phone calls via Bluetooth or with media attached through the USB or auxiliary ports.

It allows you to use smartphone apps through the Fiesta's audio system. Ford have put an application called Pandora, it is for creating playlists or software that lets you update your Twitter feed using only your voice. The Fiesta is all covered on the safety front as well; SYNC sends an automatic call out to emergency services in the event of an airbag being deployed or the fuel cut-out being activated. Ford has put its award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder engine available in the Fiesta for the first time. Ford didn't give any figures for the engine outputs, but did say that a version below the 99bhp and 118bhp will be available. These have been already confirmed for the B-MAX. Expect over 60mpg from that model. It might even improve on the current car's 85.6mpg and 87g/km emissions.

The Fiesta already had a five-star Euro NCAP rating, but the new model has a host of new safety features. There's ESP, on top of the side, curtain and knee airbags and Active City Stop will be an option for the first time. This will prevent low-speed collisions by automatically bringing the car to a stop if necessary. The changes apply to three and five-door models. With all these features and technology and Ford's EcoBoost engine, the new Fiesta is sure to remain Britain's bestselling car for some time to come.

Ford's Bid to Fight Back

In a bid to regain its sales in Europe, manufacturer Ford has released many new models, including the new versions of Fiesta, Mondeo and Kuga, and the most exciting will be the launch of Mustang, yes the right hand version aimed at the UK market is expected to be released very soon. This all comes after a warning that Ford might have to bear £630m loss this year.

Stephen Odell the chief executive of Ford Europe is hopeful that European car market has a great growth potential, "While others are backing off or cutting product investments, we at Ford are accelerating the introduction of new products". The Ford's two year plan includes a redesign of its best-selling Fiesta with many high tech features and a new shape, a new Mondeo, sports versions of Kuga and other vehicles, design changes in commercial vehicles and introducing latest technologies like more economical engines, inflatable seats and driver aid features.

Ford has suffered loss in stock market as well. The share price has plummeted to $9 in the spring from $ 13, which shows the problems it has been facing. The European sales of the company has fallen to 10% during the first half of 2012, while its rivals showed an increase in the same period, Hyundai up 12% and Kia's sales were up by 25%. In fact, during April to June period, North America was the only market where Ford performed well. However, Ford is expecting the European and Russian market to expand 20% in the next five years. "Even with the near-term business environment, Europe presents a significant opportunity for profitable growth. Today, we are accelerating the introduction of our new products in Europe", said Alan Mulally, the boss of Ford.