Headline News: How Ford makes Ka different from Fiat 500
The Ka may not be available here, but did you know that the car was developed jointly with Fiat and is based on the 500/Panda platform?
Ford actually did this to keep costs down. "Fiat was a natural partner for us because of their small car expertise," explains Tony Dixon, Ford's Ka project and business manager, adding that the small car business is a difficult one to make money in.
Ford has gone to some lengths to differentiate the Ka from the 500, says Dixon. Improvements to the suspension and steering are what the keen driver will notice most. Ford has fitted a rear anti-roll bar which improves stability and stiffer bushes which has allowed the springs to be set 30 per cent softer than on the Fiat 500 for a more comfortable ride.
It translates into a car that drives with the same nimbleness and comfort of the highly-acclaimed Fiesta. Dixon adds that everything a customer sees, hears or feels on the new Ka is Ford and this has extended to tuning the engine software to give both the 1.2 litre petrol unit and 1.3 litre diesel slightly different characteristics to the Fiat versions.
The importance of the Ka is stressed by Ford of Britain chairman Roelant de Waard. The sub-B segment in which it competes is today worth about 8 per cent of total sales, up from 4.3 per cent in 2003. When it was launched 12 years ago, Ka had only eight competitors - today it has 21. Throughout all that it has been segment leader taking 20 per cent of all sales. De Waard forecast sales in 2009 will be around 25,000, about 10 per cent down on current Ka and in line with the general 10 per cent decline in the market which he expects to continue throughout next year.
A diesel joins the line-up for the first time and although that is a bit of an unknown quantity, de Waard expects it to take about 4 per cent of sales.
There will also be a low-emission Econetic version; final specification, including which engine will be used, has not been finalised nor will the company put a date on when it will arrive. "We could use a Fiat engine but there's nothing stopping us using one of our engines," says Dixon.
[IMG]http://www.oneshift.com/showroom/uploadimages/resized-20081102154748434.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.oneshift.com/showroom/uploadimages/resized-20081102154724045.jpg[/IMG]
Credits: JRC
Get the Best Price for your used car
from 500+ dealers in 24 hours
Convenient and Hassle-Free- Consumer Protection
Transparent Process
With No Obligation
