Ford Ka+ (2016 – 2020) Review

Ford borrowed most of the Ford Ka+ from its Indian market line-up, but retuned the suspension considerably to meet European drivers' demands. As such, it’s decent to steer, but not as much fun as a Ford Fiesta. The engines are the weakest link in the Ford Ka+ armoury, while the likes of Kia Picanto, its Korean stablemate the Hyundai i10 or the solidly built Volkswagen Up are more rounded and appealing. Read on for our full Ford Ka+ review.

When new, the Ford Ka+ majored on being the firm’s cheapest new model, with its sub-£9k price pitching it squarely against the best five-door small hatchbacks on the market.

Good build quality and low running costs made the Ford Ka+ easy to recommend, although some were disappointed by the bland styling and sluggish performance. These traits are still relevant for the Ford Ka+ as a used buy.

Despite the name, the Ford Ka+ is not actually related to the Ford Ka – it’s actually based on the Ford Fiesta. Yet, despite being shorter than the best-selling small hatchback, the Ford Ka+ is a proper five seater and has a usable 270-litre boot.

There were only two trim levels to choose from – Studio and Zetec – but both versions got lots of kit as standard, including front foglights, electric door mirrors, Bluetooth and electric front windows.

However, unlike the competition, there are no colourful customisation options for the interior, which means you have to make do with lots of dull grey plastic. Ford added the pseudo-SUV Active model towards the end of the Ford Ka+’s time on the new car price lists.

Despite being an entry-level car, the Ford Ka+ doesn’t feel below par when it comes to quality. All of the doors shut with a satisfying clunk and the switchgear in the cabin feels on par with anything you’d find in the Ford Mondeo or seven-seat Ford S-MAX.

Soundproofing levels are also impressive, which means the cabin is quiet and a relaxing place to sit.

The Ford Ka+ impresses on the road with a smooth ride that does a good job of ironing out bumpy roads and potholes. The steering is precise and light, which makes it easy to navigate tight urban streets and exploit gaps in traffic.

The large windscreen and wide door mirrors also provide excellent visibility, which makes reversing and parking a stress-free experience.

The engine and gearbox choices are limited. In fact, there is just one engine – a 1.2-litre petrol that comes in two versions, 70PS or 85PS. And there’s only a five-speed manual gearbox.

Both returned an official 56.5mpg, but even in its most powerful form, the Ford Ka+ is slow footed, with 0-62mph taking 13 seconds. Opt for the 70PS unit and you’ll be waiting 15 seconds to hit motorway speeds, which makes busy junctions and slip roads a frustrating experience.

Despite its shortcomings, the Ford Ka+ is a decent small hatchback, even if it sorely lacks the company’s excellent 1.0 Ecoboost engine. The interior gets all the basics right, with lots of space and impressive build quality.

Running costs are also low, but, there’s no hiding the fact that the 1.2-litre engine is weak on performance. The dull interior only enhances the fact that the Ford Ka+ desperately lacks the fun and style of its rivals.

As with all small cars, the Ford Ka+ excels in busy cities and towns, with its compact dimensions and precise, light steering making it great for navigating rush hour traffic or fitting into narrow parking spaces on the school run.

Refinement levels are also impressive, with the smooth ride and quiet cabin giving the Ford Ka+ the feel of a much larger car.

Despite being 40mm shorter than the contemporary Ford Fiesta, the Ford Ka+ feels stable and sure footed, with minimal body roll in the corners or buffering in poor weather. Sometimes small hatchbacks can feel skittish in the winter – or when passing a large HGV – but the little Ford has no such problems.

The handling, as on many Fords, is strong, with the weight of the steering increasing in tune with the vehicle’s speed.

This means you can navigate a series of twisty bends, without having to guess how much grip the front wheels may have. The five-speed manual gearbox is also slick, with well-judged ratios.

The weak link in the package is the 1.2-litre petrol engine. Available with 70PS or 85PS, the four-cylinder engine feels lethargic above 50mph and even the most powerful version only musters 112Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

As a result the Ford Ka+ is hard work on the motorway, with one or two downchanges required to build momentum to exit a slip road or pass slow-moving traffic.

While the engine might fall behind on performance and economy, it does have a good reputation for reliability in the Ford Fiesta.

It is also smooth and quiet, which makes the Ford Ka+ a tranquil motorway cruiser, once you’ve eventually reached 70mph.

Front, side and curtain airbags, along with ABS anti-lock brakes, and Isofix child seat mounts in the rear, were all in the Ford Ka+’s favour.

However, it missed a lot of other safety kit and could only manage a three-star score from Euro NCAP when tested in 2017.

With an unbraked trailer, the Ford Ka+ can pull up to 500kg, while a braked trailer can be hitched up with a maximum weight of 1000kg.

Despite measuring just four metres in length, the Ford Ka+ is a proper five-seater. However, owing to its upright stance, it actually feels more spacious than the Ford Fiesta it is based on.

This is because the five-door Ford Ka+ is 29mm taller than the Ford Fiesta of the same period, which means even tall adults will fit in the back, without their head bouncing against the roof of the car.

The Ford Ka+ gets a large boot with 270 litres of luggage capacity on offer, including a 13-litre under-floor storage compartment.

This can be extended to 849 litres, with 60/40 split-folding rear seats, but even with the rear seats in place, there is enough space for a couple of large suitcases, although the high boot lip makes it tricky to load heavy items without catching the paintwork.

Unlike some bargain basement hatchbacks, Ford didn’t scrimp on the quality of the trim and fittings. Everything feels solid and there are no rattles or creaks, which reinforces the impression that the cabin is built to last.

The dashboard does look and feel old-fashioned, though. The design is similar to the Ford Fiesta of the same age, which makes it easy to read and use, but there is little colour or imagination with the layout.

There are also no colourful customisation options for the interior, which means you are stuck with lots of dull grey and black plastics.

In the base Studio model, Ford didn’t offer an infotainment set-up, but instead provided a docking system that let you use a mobile phone for this, along with its apps.

Move up to the Zetec model and you get Ford’s SYNC3 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen. It can be paired with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto so you have access to your smartphone’s apps this way. It’s a good set-up and still feels reasonably modern.

A seven-year old Ford Ka+ with around 60,000 miles to its name will cost you around £6500 with either engine option.

For a three-year old Ford Ka+, you can expect to pay up to £12,000 for one with less than 12,000 miles under its wheels.

Both versions of the 1.2-litre petrol engine offer fuel economy in the mid-50s, according to official figures.

Look at our Real MPG data and the Ford Ka+ records an average of 41.8mpg, which is what you can expect when using the car around town in its natural habitat.

With carbon dioxide emissions of 114g/km for both engine variants, you’ll be paying £35 per year for road tax at the time of writing.

Insurance won't bother many owners as the Ford Ka+ sits in groups 1 to 5, while servicing is also inexpensive.

There were two trim levels, starting with the Ford Ka+ Studio that has 15-inch steel wheels, body coloured bumpers, chrome upper grille, electrically operated door mirrors with side indicators, front foglamps and daytime running lights.

It also comes with AM/FM radio with device dock, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, speed limiter, Ford EasyFuel, electric front windows, hill start assist, engine immobiliser, trip computer, perimeter alarm, remote central locking, centre rear head restraint, tyre repair kit and deflation detection system (DDS).

The Ford Ka+ Zetec version adds 15-inch 5x2 spoke alloy wheels, manual air conditioning, DAB radio with 4.2-inch TFT screen, Ford SYNC, MyKey, leather steering wheel with remote audio controls and cruise control.