Introduction

The Ford KA is a very well-known city car among British motorists, but this new-generation KA+ is in some ways very different.

For one thing, the plus symbol has been added to the name because it’s a bigger car which, unlike its predecessors, comes with five-doors. It now fits into the B-segment where superminis rather than city cars reside, although the pricing of the KA+ will still draw comparisons to current city cars like the Skoda Citigo and Hyundai i10.

Because Ford scrapped the Fiesta’s cheaper Studio and Style trim in Britain, which raised the starting price to over £13k, this makes the KA+ the car to pick if you want a new Ford supermini on a tight budget.

With all that in mind, other budget superminis like the MG3 and Dacia Sandero could be viewed as this car’s most direct competitors. But can Ford’s most affordable car offer the high quality and fun driving characteristics the brand is renowned for?

Performance

There’s just one engine available for the Ford KA+ and it’s a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. It produces 69bhp as standard for both the Studio and Zetec trims, but the latter trim offers an 84bhp version of this engine.

We tested the 84bhp Zetec version of the KA+ which delivers a 0-62mph sprint time of 13.6 seconds. The performance feels adequate for city driving and there is some perk during the initial get-go. But on uphill sections you do need to work the engine hard to keep moving and the unit gets very shouty in the process.

The gear changes from the five-speed manual utilised in this Ford are slick. But a sixth gear would have been nice to improve flexibility and refinement when on motorways or dual carriageways.

Ride and Handling

Though it’s not exactly nippy, the driving experience of the KA+ benefits from precise, well-weighted steering and a pleasingly smooth ride.

On modern town roads especially, the KA+ is generally relaxing to drive and the suspension springs do a decent job absorbing bumps even when road quality goes downhill.

Take a corner at speed though and you will notice a fair amount of bodyroll, which means you’re unlikely to ever want to drive the KA+ in a particularly enthusiastic manner. That’s a bit of a shame when you consider how much fun you can have through the corners when driving other current superminis like the Fiesta.

The suspension springs do a decent job absorbing bumps even when road quality goes downhill.

Did you know?

The previous-generation Ford KA appeared in the James Bond 007 film Quantum of Solace.

Interior and Equipment

Even if you opt for the plusher Zetec trim there’s no escaping the budget car feeling as the cabin is swamped by black or dark grey plastics, but this is a given in cars of this price bracket. At least virtually all the controls feel easy to find and use.

You can’t argue that the KA+ has a decent amount of space for a car in this category. Ford focused a lot on cabin room with this car and it shows.

It’s easy to get comfortable in the front and for rear passengers there’s a pleasantly surprising amount of legroom. Getting at least two adults in the back shouldn’t prove much of a fuss, although anyone over six-foot may still find headroom a bit of a squeeze.

The boot offers 270 litres of load capacity as standard. That’s less than the Fiesta and other modern superminis but more than you get from even the more practical city cars like the Hyundai i10 and Skoda Citigo (252 and 251 litres respectively.

Fitting at least half a dozen shopping bags in the back of the KA+ with the seats up should prove easy enough.

Standard kit for the Ford KA+ includes a radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and electric front windows. There’s not much else besides that offered with the Studio trim, but the Zetec adds the likes of 15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, DAB radio with SYNC, cruise control and a leather wrapped steering wheel with remote audio controls.

Cost

While the Ford KA+ has an eye-catching starting price of £8,995, the Zetec trim we tried starts at £9,995 and you have to pay at least £10,295 if you want the 84bhp engine.

That’s still a very affordable price compared to the vast majority of other superminis and it’s indeed a competitive price range next to current city cars too. You may be surprised to learn though that unlike with most current superminis and city cars, the KA+ doesn’t offer a specification which records over 60mpg combined or emits below 100g/km in CO2.

Regardless of power output, the KA+ with its 1.2-litre engine returns 56.5mpg combined and emits 114g/km.

The Zetec trim we tried starts at £9,995 and you have to pay at least £10,295 if you want the 84bhp engine.

Our Verdict

The KA+ is far less exciting than the more spectacular offerings in Ford’s product range. But the car’s main goals where to be affordable and practical for its category and easy to drive and live with, and in these areas, this car does perform a solid job.

If you’re looking for a new small car to buy on a tight budget and you plan to use it for mostly city driving and possibly as family transport too, then the KA+ is a decent option.

It feels well suited as a first car for young drivers or parents with young children. Just don’t expect class-leading running costs or a drive that will blow your socks off in the process.