| Ford Ka [1] [2] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Production | 1996–present |
| Class | City car |
| Body style(s) | 3-door hatchback |
| Engine(s) | Ford Kent (Endura-E) Ford Duratec 1. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any A city car (or urban car) is a small moderately powered Automobile intended for use in Urban areas It is comparable in size and features to a Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single The Ford Kent is an Internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. The Duratec is a range of four, six and twelve -cylinder Gasoline engines used in Ford cars 3L I4 50 PS (49 hp/37 kW) 1. The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders 3L I4 60 PS (59 hp/44 kW) 1. 3L I4 70 PS (69 hp/51 kW) 1. 6L I4 95 PS (94 hp/70 kW) |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed manual transmission |
| Wheelbase | 2448 mm (96. In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels 4 in) |
| Length | 3620 mm (142. 5 in) |
| Width | 1639 mm (64. 5 in) |
| Height | 1413 mm (55. 6 in) |
| Curb weight | 870 kg (1918 lb)−945 kg (2083 lb) |
The Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere. Curb weight is the total Weight of a Vehicle with standard equipment all necessary operating Consumables (e A city car (or urban car) is a small moderately powered Automobile intended for use in Urban areas It is comparable in size and features to a Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The name is officially pronounced as /kɑː/ (that is, like "car" in non-rhotic dialects of English). English pronunciation is divided into two main accent groups the rhotic (ˈroʊtɪk and non-rhotic, depending on when the sound typically represented .
The European version is produced in Valencia, Spain, while the one sold in Latin America is built in Brazil. Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld
It has been produced since 1996 and is due to enter its second generation in 2009.
Contents |
First generation (1996–present)
The car was introduced on September 11, 1996 as a small and low-cost addition to the Ford range. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The Ka is based on the same platform as the Mark IV Ford Fiesta, but with a radically different external design. The Ford Fiesta is a Supermini car designed by Ford Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company The vehicle was manufactured on the production facility of Almussafes, Valencia. Almussafes is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Ribera Baixa in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Valencian Community ( Valencian and official Comunitat Valenciana; Comunidad Valenciana is an Autonomous community located in central to When the Ka was first introduced to the public it provoked mixed reactions due to its original and striking New Edge design, created by Jack Telnack. Not to be confused with the new Ford Edge. New Edge was the name given to a style of Automobile design used by Jack Telnack (born as "John J Telnack" in 1937 was the former global Vice President of Design of the Ford Motor Company from 1980 to 1997
Besides the styling, the Ka, like its sister cars Fiesta and Puma, was lauded in the motoring press for its nimble handling. The Ford Fiesta is a Supermini car designed by Ford Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company The Ford Puma was a small Coupé produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1997 to 2001 for sale in Europe. Under Richard Parry-Jones's supervision, the suspension and steering settings allowed for spirited cornering and high levels of grip making it one of the best handling cars of the current generation superminis, not unlike the original Mini.
The main drawback was the Ka's 1300 cc OHV four-cylinder Endura-E engine, a design dating back to the 1960s Kent engine used in the Ford Anglia. An overhead valve (OHV engine, also called pushrod engine or I-head engine is a type of Piston engine that places the Camshaft The Ford Kent is an Internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. The Ford Kent is an Internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. The Ford Anglia was a British car from Ford in the UK. It was related to the Ford Prefect and the later Ford Popular. Although not very modern, it provided enough torque to allow relaxed if not spirited driving. In 2002, the Endura-E was replaced by the overhead cam Duratec engine, with claims of improved fuel efficiency and increased refinement, mostly caused by taller gearing on the non-air conditioned models. The Duratec is a range of four, six and twelve -cylinder Gasoline engines used in Ford cars
The Ka has proved highly profitable for Ford despite its low selling price, largely due to the lack of spending required in its development. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following It has been the best selling car in its class in the United Kingdom for a number of years and commands around a fifth of the city car market. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
The Ka in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom model range consisted of the standard version, the Ka, and the higher specification Ka². The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Ka³ was introduced later. Initially, all Kas were delivered as the standard model and upgraded to the higher variants at Ford dealerships, saving on production costs. However, this practice was dropped following the renaming of the Ka² and Ka³ as the Ka Collection and the LuxuryKa (later Ka Luxury).
These offered colour-coded bumpers for the first time, although this lost the designer's original intention of the black plastic bumpers avoiding parking damage to paintwork in city conditions. The Luxury version came with a Quickclear heated windscreen, leather seats and interior trim as well as standard air conditioning and Ka Sun Collection with a full-length fabric folding roof was also added to the range during the summer months. Quickclear is a European Trademark used by the Ford Motor Company for its electrically heated Windshield technology Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process The term air conditioning refers to the cooling and dehumidification of indoor air for Thermal comfort. A revised line-up gives Ka the following trim levels in the United Kingdom: Studio, Style, Style Climate, Zetec Climate, and SportKa SE. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Furthermore, acknowledging the car's impending replacement, as of May 2008, a Finale special edition is available with distinguishing features.
Famous Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney is known to own one. [3]
The Ka in Latin America (1997-2007)
In Latin America, the Ka received a facelift in 2003 and is now slightly different externally to the European model; the main noticeable difference is at the rear, with taller lights. The other differences from the European model are the very short gearbox and the lack of soundproofing, gradually removed each year since 2000 as a way to cut down costs, following what other Brazilian car makers previously did. Soundproofing is any means of reducing the intensity of Sound with respect to a specified source and receptor No-frills or no frills is a term used to describe any service or product for which the non-essential features have been removed |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld It is powered by either a 95 hp (71 kW) Zetec Rocam 1. 6-litre petrol engine or a 65 hp (48 kW) Zetec Rocam 1. A Petrol engine or Gasoline engine is an Internal combustion engine with spark-ignition designed to run on petrol ( Gasoline) and similar volatile 0-litre petrol engine, both of which are four-cylinder units. 108,600 Ka's have been sold in Brazil since July 2002, without counting the sales since 1997 (its launch in Brazil).
Ford presented the new Brazilian Ka on 14 December 2007. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Sales started on 2 January 2008 in Brazil, and the car will be exported to other markets in Latin America. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
Mexico
The Ford Ka was officially discontinued in Mexico in early January 2008 due to poor sales since its introduction in late November 2001. The Mexican Ford Ka was the Brazilian model; it has also been announced that the new Brazilian Ka will not be offered in the Mexican market.
StreetKa and SportKa
In 2003 the Ka brand was diversified, with the addition of a new SportKa featuring a sporty body kit, wider track with stiffened suspension and redesigned 16" alloy wheels. Both models came with slightly widened bumpers front and rear with integral fog lamps. A convertible model called StreetKa also appeared, launched with the help of pop singer Kylie Minogue. Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE, born 28 May 1968 is an Australian pop Singer - Songwriter and occasional Actress.
In 2005 all Ka models including Sportka and Streetka received a slightly updated interior bringing the cabin back up to date while still retaining the look and feel of the original. Both Streetka and Sportka received a new 95 hp 1. 6-litre 8-valve Duratec petrol engine, whereas Ka, Ka Collection and LuxuryKa retained the 1. In Automotive engineering, an engine is referred to as multi-valve (or multivalve) when each cylinder has more than two valves. 3 Duratec petrol engine.
The SportKa was noted for its surprising advertising campaign, "The Ka's Evil Twin", denouncing the Ka's traditionally perceived "cute" design.
StreetKa ceased to be officially on sale in late 2006.
A Ford KA rally championship was created in 1998 [1] and has proved to be one of the most popular junior rally championships in Britain and Ireland. In 2007 Luke Pinder won the BRC Silverstone Tyre 1400 Championship in a Chris Birkbeck Ford KA. Luke Pinder is a 24 year old British rally driver from Shipley, West Yorkshire.
Reliability
The Ka generally has a good reliability record.
However, taper-fit sparkplugs are notorious for rusting into the cylinder head. A spark plug (also very rarely nowadays in British English: a sparking plug) is an electrical device that fits into the Cylinder In an Internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits atop the cylinders and consists of a platform containing part of the Combustion chamber and the Frequently the head has to be removed and sent to a machine shop when the time comes to change the plugs.
The plastic bumpers were clearly in part intended to prevent wheel arch rust, but instead the Ka is known to rust in the welds under the bonnet and tailgate and where the outer sills are shaped around the doors.
The idle control valve can become blocked, causing an unstable idle and driving difficulties. The part may be replaced or carefully cleaned, ensuring the seal is kept.
Earlier models of Ka suffer from a clutch which is known to not stand the test of time very well and will usually need to be replaced after 30,000 miles (48,000 km). Ford became aware of this problem and it does not affect later models.
Second generation (2009)
In 2008 the Ka will be replaced with a model car co-developed with Fiat S.p.A using the Fiat Panda platform. Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer The Fiat Panda is a City car from the Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat. [2] [3] It will be produced in Tychy, Poland [4] with its Fiat sister, the Fiat 500. Tychy (Tichau is a city in southern Poland with a population of 132600 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland "Fiat 500" can also refer to the former Fiat 500 "Topolino", Fiat 500 or Fiat Cinquecento (500
The new Ka will maintain the curvy styling features of the original, while bringing the look up to date with details such as elliptical headlamps. It will retain the distinctive rear overhangs and wheel at every corner design; therefore this modern interpretation will be instantly recognisable. Standard equipment is expected to be improved, with elements such as MP3 player compatibility and satellite navigation. A digital audio player, more commonly referred to as an MP3 player, is a Consumer electronics device that stores organizes and plays audio files Some
The new Ka will be available with both 1. 4 and 1. 6-litre petrol engines and additionally a 1. 4 TDCi diesel engine. A diesel engine is an Internal combustion engine which operates using the Diesel cycle (named after Dr The traditional Ka logo is also expected to be dropped.
The new Ka will make its on-screen debut in Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond 007 film. Quantum of Solace ( 2008) is the 22nd James Bond film by EON Productions, due for release in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2008 and in This is similar to the current-generation Mondeo, which made its on-screen debut in Casino Royale, the 21st James Bond 007 film. The Ford Mondeo is a Large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world
In popular culture
For several years a modified Ford Ka was installed in the lobby of the London Aquarium to promote Ford's sponsorship of the attraction. The London Aquarium is located on the ground floor of County Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames in central London, near the London The vehicle's doors, windows and vents were sealed and the interior filled with water, forming a home for a shoal of goldfish. The goldfish, Carassius auratus, was one of the earliest Fish to be domesticated, and is still one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish and The car's number plates read "KARP", a pun on "Ka" and "carp", to which family goldfish belong. A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a Motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes The display has now been removed.
According to the BBC TV's Top Gear Cool Wall, the Ford Ka collects a 'Cool' rating, while the StreetKa enjoys a 'Sub Zero' classification. Top Gear is a BAFTA, multi- NTA and International Emmy Award -winning BBC Television series about motor vehicles mainly The SportKa is deemed 'Uncool'.
The Ford SportKa found fame in 2003 with the release of two viral TV adverts: Pigeon and Cat. Ford and advertising agency Ogilvy Mather distanced themselves from the campaign, saying that the creatives behind the advertisements had not been given the go-ahead to make or release them.
A 2002 Ford Ka is driveable in Gran Turismo 2 , Gran Turismo Concept and Gran Turismo 4
References
- ^ Kittler, Eberhard (2001). Gran Turismo 2 (commonly abbreviated to GT2) is a Driving simulator / Racing game for the Sony PlayStation. Gran Turismo Concept is a racing Video game of the ''Gran Turismo'' series for PlayStation 2 which is published by Polyphony Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) is a racing Video game for Sony PlayStation 2 which is published by Deutsche Autos seit 1990, vol. 6. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag, 10-12. ISBN 3-613-02052-1.
- ^ Automobile Revue, catalogue edition 2005, p. 232-33.
- ^ Footballers' Drives: Top Ten Premier League footballer's cars - Times Online
External links
- Official British Ford website
- Free Forum devoted to the Ka
- Fan website
- Ka Owners Klub GB
- Sportka Cat and Pigeon ads
- Ford Ka Turkish Fan Site
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic