Ford Ka+ Active
Chunky makeover aims to boost appeal of city car
FORD’S smallest car wants to be an SUV. The new Ka+ Active joins the line-up as part of a mid-life refresh for the full Ka+ range, sitting above the Studio and Zetec trims.
As with Ford’s other Active models, the jacked-up Ka+ comes with a tougher 4x4-inspired stance and bodykit. There is a diesel option, but Ford reckons that only four per cent of buyers will choose it – with most favouring this new 1.2-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol-powered car instead.
It’s priced from £12,950 (£1,150 more than the Zetec), with the changes limited largely to a set of extensive cosmetic tweaks. There’s extra body trim finished in black plastic around the arches, and some fake skid plates on the front and rear bumpers.
The Active gets unique roof rails, rear privacy glass and a set of exclusive 15-inch alloys. There’s also new orange paint – seen here and only available on the Active. The changes are minor, but they add some charm to what is normally a rather dreary-looking car.
Perhaps the most significant difference comes with the suspension, though. The Active’s ride height is raised by 23mm over the other models in the range, and it gets a thicker front anti-roll bar to compensate for the potential extra lean through corners.
Supple
That minimal extra height is never going to endow the Ka+ with the lofty driving position you’d expect from a full-blown SUV, but the extra suspension travel, and the suppleness that comes with it, means that it’s the pick of the range for those who spend most of their time navigating broken city streets.
Better still, it keeps its cheery persona from behind the wheel. The Ka+ Active turns into bends with real enthusiasm, while compact dimensions, decent visibility and precise steering make it ideal for tight manoeuvres at low speed.
The new 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol is an improvement over the old fourcylinder unit, but still not perfect. It’s 10 per cent torquier at low revs, and, although power delivery is smooth, the lack of a turbo means it’s still harder work than some rival units. As with most three-cylinder motors, it makes an audible thrum, but it’s never unpleasant.
Ford also claims a four per cent improvement in fuel efficiency, helped partly by a stop/start system that’s now standard throughout the Ka+ line-up. If there’s a downside, it’s that it uses the same five-speed manual gearbox as before. It’s precise enough, but has a grainy feel to the shift, which means it’s not very satisfying to use.
The updates to the full Ka+ range have introduced Ford’s latest SYNC 3 infotainment system, however. It’s standard on the Zetec and the Active, and is a welcome addition. It features both Apple Carplay and Android Auto mobile phone connectivity, so you can do without sat-nav, which isn’t even on the options list. A heated windscreen is now available for the first time.
This is where the changes end; yet that means the Ka+ is still a spacious and practical small car. In terms of size, it’s somewhere between a city car and a supermini, although it’s closer to the latter for interior space. The high body gives great headroom, and two fairly tall adults can get comfy in the back. The 270-litre boot is only slightly smaller than the Fiesta’s, too.
Interior quality isn’t a match for its big brother. The design shares more with the previous-generation Fiesta, and as a result is looking a little dated. There are plenty of hard plastics – not unusual for a city car – but things like the comically wobbly front centre armrest are more difficult to excuse.
“Active’s ride height is raised by 23mm, and it gets a thicker front anti-roll bar”