The New Ka, at 3,620mm in length is the same as the old model but the roof line is higher and longer than its predecessor and the Fiat 500. This means more headroom, especially in the rear and more boot space, 224-litres with the rear seats in position and 747-litres with the seats folded down. The increase in headroom means the seating positions are higher and the visibility for the occupants is improved.

The interior is bold and imaginative and with the extra cost designer option packs there is huge scope for buyers to end up with a design and specification that really suits their personality or image. The interior space is better than the old Ka and the Fiat 500. Rear seat legroom is of course limited and for some Ford owners moving up to the new Fiesta will be a better option.

Using the Fiat 500 platform, core suspension design with the same engines and transmissions do bring benefits in the form of the retail purchase price and profitability for them and their dealers. However starting at £7,995 the new Ka is only £700 cheaper than the highly rated new and roomier Ford Fiesta and the 1.2-litre Fiat 500 is only £105 more than the Ka Studio 1.2 variant.

Thankfully for Ford the new Ka over the Fiat 500 is a much better car to drive and very much more capable in terms of handling and ride comfort. The tuning of the suspension with the addition of a rear antiroll bar has worked wonders giving the vehicle a much less bouncy ride, it has more controlled and predictable handling and more front end grip than Fiat 500. The power saving electronic power steering is well weighted and gives good feedback to the driver. Anti-lock braking is standard on all models.

The two Fiat sourced engines, to be correct the 1.3-litre diesel unit comes from the GM/Fiat engine tie-up, work well with the new Ka. The 1.2-litre 69PS petrol unit is free-revving and will be by far the main selling unit and officially returns 55.4mpg. During the media test drive, pushed pretty hard on the hilly and winding roads of Ibiza, it returned 44.2mpg.
With CO2 emissions of 119g/km road tax is an appealing £35 a year. Being high geared for fuel economy this unit lacks the torque of the diesel engine for responsive driving in traffic or going up hills so be prepared for lots of gearchanging. Like the diesel engine, the petrol unit is mated with a five-speed manual gearbox. No automatic transmission is planned at this stage.

The 1.3-litre 75PS turbodiesel unit with 145Nm of torque from 1,500rpm, whilst it will only attract a projected 4pc of Ka customers, is by far the better unit. It is quiet, responsive and copes better with all driving conditions. I'd pay the extra £700 and the extra per litre cost in fuel costs and go for this engine just because of the better quality of driving it gives. Fuel economy over the same type of roads was 51.6mpg, less than the official 67.3mpg, but still very good. With CO2 emissions at 112g/km road tax is also £35 a year.

Engine/transmission: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol, 69PS, 102Nm from 3,000rpm, 5-speed manual.

Performance: 99mph, 0-62mph 13.1 seconds, 55.4mpg (44.2mpg actual), CO2 119g/km, VED £35.

Insurance group: 1-3E TBC.