The Ford Ka Black Edition and its sister car, the White Edition, are both very similar to the Zetec version, which lies second from the top in the Ka line-up (below the Titanium but above the Studio and Style). It differs from the Zetec only that it has a different, and considerably sportier, alloy wheel design, along with a great many interior elements in white (sometimes Pearl White) to contrast with the surrounding dark greys.
Adding £300 to the price of a normal Zetec, this all works very well, in that it adds a premium feel to both the inside and the outside. It doesn't, however, alter the fact that the Ka is in no way a premium car. Of course, there's no reason to expect that it should be, since its appeal is more to do with convenient motoring around town than with luxury travel. However, I think Ford could have made an effort to add a little more refinement.
It could ride better than it does, for example, and I suspect that its 16-inch wheels are larger than the chassis engineers originally intended. If you venture out of built-up areas, there is also a spectacular amount of road noise. It almost entirely drowns out the sound of the 1.2-litre petrol engine unless you're on full throttle anywhere between 4,000rpm and the rev limit of just over 6,000rpm.
The engine produces a maximum of 68bhp, a figure exceeded by some city cars, and it gives the Ka a top speed of 99mph and a 0-62mph time of 13.4 seconds. Nothing exciting there, then, but the performance is adequate for the purpose. Nobody who is seriously in the market for a Ka will need it to go as quickly as it does, let alone more so.
The front of the cockpit is astonishingly roomy, and should not cause anyone under, say, six foot four to feel cramped. It's a different story in the rear, where few people over the age of 12 are likely to be comfortable unless someone particular short is sitting directly in front of them.
With the rear seats up, the boot holds 224 litres (again a little disappointing when you consider that a good many city cars offer 250 or more). Access isn't particularly good either, since the load sill is high and the tailgate opening is narrow.
Despite the jazzing-up of its interior, younger or more tech-savvy drivers are probably going to be put off at an early stage. There's no tablet-style touchscreen, the radio controls are basic and inconveniently small, and the vocal directions and accompanying beeps sound as if they were recorded in 1983.
There is some up-to-date tech stuff, but it's not obvious. It took me so long to find out how to pair a mobile phone that I believed for some time that it wasn't possible, even though it is. The owner's manual doesn't tell you how to access it, and it wasn't until I read through a separate handbook for the audio system that I realised you have to go through the voice control system.
It took me nearly as long to find the USB port. It is actually in a perfectly sensible place just ahead of the gear lever but it’s so well disguised that, once again, I could have sworn Ford hadn't provided one.
Of course, a buyer would soon work out where everything was and how to operate it, but many manufacturers are paying attention to modern life experience and adapting their cars to reflect it. Therefore, I can imagine younger drivers, in particular, being put off by the little Ford at first glance and choosing something else instead.
