Twelve years ago Ford launched the KA, one of the more iconic cars of its time. I hated it, I found its wallowing handling tiresome, its 'curvy' frame as appealing as Colleen Rooney's, as well about as entertaining and engaging as the god awful drivel produced by the aforementioned WAG in the name of reality TV. However its worth pointing out that this point that I appear to be with only one with a dislike of Ford's baby model, some 1.4 million of them sold to Europe and half of million of them to UK buyers.
So a decade has pasted and Ford have been very busy in the past couple of years, updating its entire range with totally new, improved and more desirable motors. S-Max came first, followed by C-Max, then one day Mondeo went to the movies and came back a totally different car with massive improvements. Then this year it's been the turn of Fiesta, with the gorgeous new model about to hit the streets, and buyers appearing not to be able to place orders quick enough. Just when you thought that Ford had run out of steam and cash, along comes the Paris Motor Show and hey presto, NEW KA. Well I said when I saw the car at Paris that I loved the new styling; it's far more chic, looking fun and funky, whilst at the same time appearing to be a far more up market and solid than the model it replaces.
Well as I sit here on Ford's plane, flying back from launch of the all-new KA, I have to report that having spent the last 2 days driving both the 1.2L Petrol and, for the first time ever in the KA range, the 1.3L Diesel versions of the new car…. It's a total winner!
Comparing this new KA with the outgoing model would be akin to comparing Danny Dyers to Danny Minogue. The new KA is an absolute triumph, fun to drive with great handling, great to look at thanks to its new killer styling, fantastically well equipped for its sub-10k pricing and so appealing especially in any of the new 'individual' models 'Graphic Art' (ok if you love black and day glow green) 'Grand Prix' (ultra cool racing stripes, white wheels and sporty interior) and finally my favourite 'Tattoo' which adds body and seat graphics, seriously evil interior and some great extra kit).
So handling wise it's stiffer than ever before, which means little to no body roll in tight corners, a softer suspension gives a much improved ride quality. Generally I found it to be a nippy fun little run-around that you can actually throw down country lanes and into corners and really enjoy driving. The new KA is for the first time ever now available as a diesel, although Ford think that only 8% of sales will be in diesel guise, which I think will be a crying shame, the 1.3L diesel is without doubt the better of the two engine choices. Don't get me wrong I like the 1.2L petrol, but I did find it somewhat gutless up hills and lacking in power the faster you go. In fact to get any real performance out of the petrol you do really need to rag the hell out the engine to get it moving quickly.
The interior is another place where Ford have really excelled with the new KA, the dashboard, centre console and centre console mounted gear stick really improve space in the front, equipment levels have gone through the roof, most models coming as standard with electric windows, A/C, electric mirrors, CD player, MP3 USB connection ports and a much much higher quality of materials and fabrics used to really give the KA an upmarket classy and expensive feel.
How much will this wonderment cost I hear you all cry? Well the range starts with the modestly equipped Studio model for £7,995 OTR, with the Style and Style + models coming in respectively at £8,450 OTR and £8,895 OTR, the range topping Zetec costs £9,450 OTR and you can add £300 extra if you want to add one of the new 'individual' model range interiors and an extra £500 for the exterior. With order books opening in Jan 09 if you're wanting one of the first get yourself down to a dealer and order early!
Overall I love it, its without a shadow of doubt in my mind the best in its sub b sector class, it looks great, drives well, performs more than good enough for most, its keenly priced and its got a fun factor about it that you just cant help but love!
Having never been a massive fan of the last generation of 'boxy' Fiesta's, I was hugely surprised when Ford unveiled the all new Fiesta, it looked sporty and fun… So when Ford invited me to beautiful Sienna in Italy to test-drive it, I was expecting the Gaydar profile of the motoring world, you know what I mean! The pics and the profile say one thing but in reality 'sporting' actually means 'runs only to answer the door for Pizza's' and 'funky' means 'cuts own hair - badly'. However with the new Fiesta it does what it says on the tin, I was totally blown away by just how good it is!
This new Fiesta is a totally new car from the wheels up, everything has been changed and nothing of the outgoing model remains (thankfully), and it's bigger (only slightly smaller than the new Focus), which means more room inside than ever. It seats 5 in comfort, has enough standard equipment, gadgets and toys to keep an 18yr chicken happier than being in the Disney Store, and the new dashboard is easily the best in the small car segment. The centre console housing the stereo equipment, heating controls and the various toys included, is nothing short of a work of art, curves and lines take your eye across the dash and an abundance of chrome inserts give a truly upmarket feel and finish.
The new exterior is simply stunning, with the Fiesta's rear pitched tighter than Joan Rivers last face lift (love her to bits). Lines flow seamlessly from front to rear and a high waistline give even the basic non sports model a tough sport stance.
So what about engines and handling? I drove the 1.4 and 1.6 engines, and both the 3dr and 5dr derivatives, neither disappointed when it came to handling, performance and ride comfort. My favourite at present would have to be the more than adequately equipped 1.6 petrol Sport 3dr, which considering I generally don't like small 3dr cars came as quite a surprise to me lol. The Top of the range Titanium model is ridiculously well equipped with just far too much toys for me to list
Overview
The current generation Mondeo is without doubt its best incarnation to date, great looks, fantastic performance and an all round superb package. We'd love to tell you how it stacks up against the Vauxhall Insignia, but having make 6 different calls to book one, Vauxhall are yet to get back to us! So put the Mondeo up against the Renault Laguna and the Peugeot 407, the Ford has a better feel of build quality and offers the better value for money on the like for like models.
Style
Well it's certainly got flair and style, kit it out with privacy glass and some kicking 18" alloys and it's a sporty motor. The interior is beautifully laid out; everything is where you'd expect it to be. The overall feel of the cabin is very driver focused and has a high quality feel throughout. The 'chrome' effect trim is actually quite convincing and doesn't feel or appear tacky.
Comfort and Equipment
Well I gave the Mondeo the mother of all tests, by driving it to Paris and back. I have to say that the comfort levels are really good. Even after 10hrs of almost non-stop driving I didn't feel achy or stiff, I also didn't feel fatigued at all. Ford's rep wagon is definitely designed with huge mileage drivers in mind (as you would expect). Rear seat comfort hasn't been overlooked either, there's ample legroom and the seats are just as supportive as those in the front. As standard the entire range comes with bucket loads of equipment as standard, however adding a few options here and there can make a huge amount of difference. Sat Nav wise, we used the top-of-the-range system for our trip. One of the funniest moments of our travels came from the Nav as we were sat in Dover facing a ferry. The Nav had said nothing for about 20mins when suddenly 'Doris' (we named her) chimed in with 'WARNING - Ferry' (you had to be there!). The system performed well, unfortunately I forgot to check that the route included the use of motorways, this meant that the Nav guided us on a very scenic 5hr route to Paris, whoops.
Performance
We tested the 123bhp ECOnetic 1.8TDCI Durashift engine for the Paris trip. To say it has all the pulling ability of a fat drag queen would be an understatement. It's not the quickest of cars, performance is rather lacking, 0-62mph taking just under a leisurely 11 seconds, but then it's designed for economy rather than sporting prowess. So rather than be an eco-warrior (yes I know its only £125 a year in road tax, and I'm saving the planet by not having huge CO2 emissions) my engine of choice would be the 170bhp 2.2L TDCI which offers far more entertaining performance.
Economy
Yes the ECOnetic is very economical and driving to Paris and back was taken care of in a tank and a half of diesel. We actual got better mpg figures than Fords quoted 64 for motorway mileage. As great as the fuel economy was though, I still would have preferred to have had a bit more power for overtaking. Round town economy is good and the quiet little diesel was happy shooting around the back streets of the French capital.
Verdict
Top Rep wagon for under 24k for the ECO and under 27k for the Titanium X, well worth high mileage drivers choosing the ECOnetic and saving the earth as well as pounds.