First 2017 Ford Ka+ Review Says It's Practical But not Cute

With the new Fiesta being slightly larger and aiming towards a more premium buyer, it's up to the Ka+ to lure in people who are on a tight budget but want to stick to the mainstream brands.

So, do you want to know what a car that's as much as £4,000 cheaper than the Fiesta is like? Of course, you do, which is why we're bringing you the first review from YouTube.

According to CarBuyer's James Batchelor, the interior is far below the old Fiesta regarding the quality of design, which isn't saying much. Remember, the old Fiesta had a dash inspired by phones that had rows of buttons.

But you do get quite a lot of room for this amount of money. It seems that both head and kneed room are better than on rivals like the Vauxhall Viva/Opel Karl or Skoda Citigo.

Ford only offers one engine with the Ka+, a 1.2-liter Duratec four-cylinder unit. The naturally aspirated mill churns out 70 PS and 142 lb-ft and 105 Nm. There’s a more potent alternative available, though, packing 85 PS and 112 Nm of torque. How does 0 to 62mph in 15.3 or 13.3 seconds strike you?

As far as the above-mentioned rivals are concerned, the Vauxhall Viva only manages to get 75 PS from its 1-liter engine, and it's less economical, while the Skoda Citigo is as frugal as the Ka+ with its 75 PS 1-liter but less fun. We're talking real-world numbers, not what the manufacturers say.

The good news is that this reviewer found it to be joyful to drive, which is exactly what people expect when they look at that manly grille. Having said that, the suspension is softer, and the Ka+ thus rolls around more in the corners. Clearly, it's aimed at female drivers and the elderly.