Ford Ka+ Active (2018 – 2020) Review

The Ford Ka+ was the smallest offering in the company’s line-up. As it was based on the Ford Fiesta platform, it offered a decent drive and was good value for money. The line-up was then expanded with the creation of the Ford Ka+ Active, which used SUV design cues and raised suspension, as on the Ford Fiesta Active. Read on for our full Ford Ka+ Active review.

It’s not hard to spot the visual differences between the Ford Ka+ Active and conventional Ford Ka+.

The ride height has been increased by 23 millimetres, there is black cladding around the sills, wheelarches and bumpers, and the front grilles are finished in black, too.

There is also a front skid plate, but this sits on the lower bumper rather than running beneath the car, so will offer little in the way of additional protection.

Roof rails are added to make carrying larger items easier.

Under the bonnet, the Ford Ka+ Active is available with a choice of a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol offering 85PS, or a 1.5-litre diesel. Other models in the Ford Ka+ range were offered with a 70PS version of the petrol, but this is not available in Ford Ka+ Active guide.

Both are fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with front-wheel-drive only.

The Ford Ka+ Active also benefits from additional specification, which includes 15-inch alloy wheels, the option of Canyon Ridge metallic paint and interior upgrades such as Active scuff plates and a leather steering wheel.

All-weather floor and boot mats are fitted to cope with muddy boots, while the seats are finished with striped fabric and stitching unique to the Active model.

Because the Ford Ka+ Active is based on the Ford Fiesta rather than the previous generation Ford Ka, it offers a more substantial driving experience.

The raised suspension certainly helps around town, absorbing poor road surfaces to deliver a usefully comfortable ride.

The downside is that there is a little more body roll compared with the regular Ford Ka+, but for many buyers this will be a worthwhile trade-off.

Similarly the Ford Ka+ Active steers with a good level of precision, giving confidence to the driver and making it an enjoyable small car from behind the wheel.

It is not as much fun to drive as the contemporary Ford Fiesta, but it is better than the majority of its rivals in this area of the market.

Less impressive is the performance of the petrol version. It’s adequate at best; the 1.2-litre unit is not particularly keen and can become noisy when pressed.

The 1.5-litre diesel offers a useful increase in performance as well as better fuel economy. But as the majority of versions sold were petrol, diesel variants may be hard to find.

The Ford Ka+ Active offers some useful benefits over the standard car without much in the way of compromise. But if you are looking for a mini-SUV with better credentials, there are alternatives which provide more in terms of off-road capability.

A major plus point for the Ford Ka+ Active is that it uses much of the hardware from the Ford Fiesta, which has been one of the best-handling small cars of recent years.

Even so, it is worth bearing in mind that the Ford Ka+ is taller and shorter than the Ford Fiesta, while the Ford Ka+ Active version is taller still, thanks to the increase in ride height. So neither can deliver the same kind of fun factor as their bigger sibling.

Even so, the Ford Ka+ Active is a car that the majority of drivers will find simple to operate, thanks to responsive steering that gives good feedback and makes the car easy to place accurately on the road.

There is plenty of grip available, and although the increased ride height does result in a little more body roll during hard cornering, it doesn’t detract from the secure and consistent handling.

Keen drivers may wish to consider an alternative, but not many cars in this class offer a high fun factor.

Ride comfort is also good, and despite the short wheelbase, the Ford Ka+ Active does well at dealing with uneven roads and poor surfaces.

15-inch alloy wheels are relatively small by modern standards and this certainly helps the ride quality, although larger potholes will inevitably cause some disturbance in the cabin.

However, the Ford Ka+ Active is more adept at dealing with these than the standard Ford Ka+.

The Ford Ka+ Active has a reduced engine choice compared with the regular Ford Ka+, with the lower-ouput 70PS 1.2-litre petrol not available.

This is a good thing, however, because even the 85PS engine is relatively short on torque, with only 112Nm available.

The result is modest acceleration, and gathering speed on quicker roads can become something of a chore.

It is capable of cruising comfortably at motorway speeds, but hills can eat away at your speed to the point where changing gear is required.

With passengers and luggage on board, this can knock the driver’s confidence in the car’s ability to keep up with traffic.

In normal driving, the petrol engine option offers a decent level of refinement with little in the way of noise. But when greater acceleration is demanded, it can become quite vocal, and on quicker roads this can become a common issue.

In many respects, the diesel version offers a better balance of performance and economy. Diesel engines in small cars are a less popular choice, though, so finding a used example in this form may be difficult.

With 10PS more than the petrol, but more importantly 215Nm of torque – almost twice as much – it offers better acceleration, and is more relaxed at all road speeds, with the ability to keep pace comfortably on motorways.

It also offers better fuel economy than the petrol.

However, drivers who intend to use their Ford Ka+ Active for many short urban journeys may find the petrol may be the only practical option.

Euro NCAP tested the Ford Ka+ in 2017, but it achieved a modest three-star score out of a possible five.

Adult occupant protection was 73%, with child occupant protection rated 61%. Pedestrian mitigation was only 57% and safety assist a disappointing 29%, reflecting the modest list of standard safety equipment.

The Ford Ka+ Active comes with ESC, ABS, front and side airbags and Isofix mountings as standard, but the options list only gave the choice of adding rear parking sensors.

The Ford Ka+ Active offers a modest 500kg for both braked and unbraked towing capacity.

This may be sufficient for light towing duties, but the modest performance will make it of limited use for anyone who needs to tow on a regular basis.

Despite measuring four metres in length, putting it firmly in the city car category, the Ford Ka+ Active offers impressive interior space.

Although based on the Ford Fiesta architecture, the Ford Ka+ Active provides more room inside than its sibling, mostly due to the fact that the higher roofline increases the amount of headroom available.

Front-seat passengers will enjoy decent headroom and legroom, although larger occupants may find elbow room is more of an issue.

In the rear, there is sufficient space for two adults to sit comfortably.

Although it is possible to seat a third adult in the middle, the central berth is relatively slim and legroom is compromised by the raised floor, which makes it suited for occasional use at best.

Boot capacity is 270 litres, which is good for a car of this size, and it can be extended to 849 litres with the rear seats folded.

Storage space in the front is also impressive, with a large glovebox and generous door bins. But there is less available for rear passengers.

Despite the Ford Ka+ Active being one of the lowliest models in the company’s line-up, it benefits from the use of similar materials and switchgear from other cars in the range, helping to boost the feeling of quality.

Although some plastics are at the cheaper end of the scale, the overall impression of the interior is one of decent quality that’s on a par with the Ford Fiesta.

Admittedly, the interior lacks much in the way of colour. But the majority of the materials feel substantial and hard-wearing, while the unique seat fabric on the Active model brings some distinction to the cabin.

The switches and buttons operate with reassuring solidity, and although they could not be described as premium in feel, they are capable of standing up to years of use.

Another benefit of the Ford Ka+ Active borrowing much of its interior from the Ford Fiesta is that it shares that car’s infotainment system.

Although this has been replaced by a more modern system in the most recent Ford Fiesta, it does still offer most of the features that buyers are looking for.

The Ford Ka+ Active gets Ford’s SYNC 3 system as standard with a 6.5-inch touchscreen. Although smaller than some rival offerings, this is sufficient for a car of this size.

It features DAB radio, Bluetooth for telephone calls and audio streaming, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Connecting your phone and making use of its functions is straightforward.

The sound quality on offer is respectable, but there is no option to upgrade. Two USB ports in the front mean you can keep devices charged easily.

The Ford Ka+ Active was introduced in 2018 as part of an updated range, but the Ford Ka+ was taken off sale in 2020, which means it is no longer available to buy new.

This also means that supply on the used market of the Ford Ka+ Active is much less when compared with the regular Ford Ka+, which was on sale for four years in total.

The most recent 2020 examples are few and far between, but we found one for sale, with less than 10,000 miles, for £12,000.

We also tracked down several 2019 cars with similar mileages for around £10,000.

At the cheapest end of the market, prices start at around £6,000 for higher mileage examples.

The Ford Ka+ Active’s 1.2-litre petrol engine has a claimed fuel consumption of 43.5mpg, while the 1.5-litre diesel version was claimed to be good for 56.5mpg, both under WLTP testing rules.

Owners of the regular Ford Ka+ have recorded an average Real MPG of 46.6mpg. Even allowing for the slightly greater consumption of the Ford Ka+ Active version, this suggests respectable economy is attainable.

Insurance costs should also be low, with the petrol version in group 6 and the diesel in group 10.

The Ford Ka+ Active is fitted with 15-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, cruise control, electric mirrors, electric front windows and remote central locking.

There’s also traction control, ESC and a 6.5-inch infotainment system including Bluetooth, DAB, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.