The new Ford KA+ will cost you less than £9k

The Ford Ka is about to be replaced with this, the KA+, and as you can see, it bears little resemblance to the (mildly disappointing) car it replaces, or the (quite good) car that first wore the badge in the mid- to late-nineties. 

That’s probably because the Plus (officially it's KA+, but we're sticking with Plus...) isn’t really a direct replacement for the Ka. While the outgoing car competed with the Fiat 500 – with which it shared a platform, incidentally – this one will likely go up against the Vauxhall Vivas and Hyundai i10s of this world, which explains the added number of entrances. Black and White editions will also be offered later in the year.

Prices will kick off at a little under £9K for the +, which is marginally shorter and taller than the always-popular Fiesta. There’s only one engine option for now – a 1.2-litre four-cylinder closely related to the Fiesta’s age-old 1.25, with either 69 or 84bhp. The gearbox is a five-speed manual. We have no performance figures (all we know is 114g/km of CO2 and 56.5mpg), but take our word for it – the KA+ will not be quick. 

There’s space for five inside, and Ford talks in detail about the 21 storage locations, which don’t include stowing stuff on your person or taping things to your legs, as we first presumed. The boot is large for a car of this size (270 litres), but you’ll probably still have to pack light if you’re using a KA+ to take you to the airport. All models get Bluetooth, front fogs, chrome splashes and electric door mirrors (gasp!), and high-spec ones get a version of Ford’s SYNC infotainment system and 15s. There’s even something called a MyFord Dock, which promises to let you mount and charge mobile phones and portable sat-navs. Meanwhile the exterior is, erm, let’s say ‘unconventionally proportioned’. 

Dynamics? Ford promises the +, which is already on sale in South America, has been “developed to deliver agile, fun-to-drive dynamics that match European customer expectations.” 

Ford does have form when it comes to sweet-handling hatchbacks. We only hope the KA+ drives better than it looks…