While Ford's Fiesta is set to grow in its next iteration, the company's cheap n' cheerful bottom rung Ka hatchback will look to get by with a little help from an Italian friend: Fiat. The Ka replacement won't appear until 2010, but Fiat will revisit its historic 500 nameplate by producing their own version of the baby Blue [Oval] city car beginning next year.
Fiat showed a sensational looking spiritual successor to the 500, dubbed the Trepiùno concept, two years ago in Geneva. Click here for a refresher.
[Source: Auto Express UK, Car Design News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cameron @ Mar 10th 2006 12:19PM
That's an odd-looking car. To me, it looks a little depressed and mopey...something about that front end. Otherwise, it kind of looks like the offspring of a Beetle and a Focus.
Puff Chippy @ Mar 10th 2006 1:20PM
I'd hate to see one that got run over by a Suburban at 60 MPH.
matt @ Mar 10th 2006 1:35PM
Bring the Droptop Ka over to compete with the mini convertable, please!
rwcmick @ Mar 10th 2006 1:58PM
I prefer the Fiesta to the Ka. It's one of those "for a few dollars more" quandaries in life that I usually solve by spending the extra $. I had the opportunity to drive the Fiesta and Ka pretty much back to back while on vacation in Tahiti and I thought the Fiesta was the clear winner. The Ka still has the left over oddball styling that Ford had awhile ago--especially with the styling of the dash. I do like the Fiat concept and am hopeful that this will mean good things for the next Ka.
http://www.allcarsallthetime.com
rwcmick @ Mar 10th 2006 2:46PM
I forgot to mention that I write a little blurb on each rental experience.
Ka
http://allcarsallthetime.blogspot.com/2006/02/ka-ka-ka-nope-not-sound-of-crows-but.html
Fiesta
http://allcarsallthetime.blogspot.com/2006/02/were-going-to-party-fiesta-come-on-and.html
donald douglas @ Mar 10th 2006 10:42PM
You know i think its funny that here in san diego i see so many mexican vehicles everyday that they rufuse to sell here in the states and the ka is one of them,and i quote------
""it took a federal law signed by President Clinton for Bill Gates to legally drive his 959 on American roads"", but yet the cars from under the border run around so cal all day, everyday with surburbans and excursions and such and there is no problem ! these same cars a-b sized cars run around so cal every single day as they go to and from work, but are not allowed to be sold here seems very odd to me !
2 vehicles that i truly like are the fiesta based suv and the nissan xtrail, both of them the same size as the escape but they cant be sold here sucks !
tcc3 @ Mar 11th 2006 5:39AM
Yes, but does it decapitate cats with its sunroof? Thats the real question....
DervMan @ Mar 12th 2006 5:00AM
Heh - the current generation Ka has a loyal following in the UK. And they're perfectly adept machines for long haul trips as well as short city runs. We took ours to and from Italy without fuss nor bother! :) Lets hope the new one retains its charm and introduces a whole bunch of new people to the ownership experience.
JS @ Mar 13th 2006 11:43AM
sounds good to me, but if they do a 500 then make sure if fast as crap (ie: like a 150HP engine would make it a rocket) and handle like a champ and ill use it in the next iteration of the latest and greatest racing game (fill in your favorite here) and beat all you punks with NSX's and Chrome Lambo's :p
p.s. Im thinking of R:Racing for Xbox (fun game and man could that Fiat fly!)
john lahanas @ Mar 13th 2006 9:39PM
ford is going in the right direction with its ka model, by sharing with the world leader in small cars fiat.