The
Revised 2003 Ka
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n late 2002 I was fortunate enough
to get up close and personal with several of the new 2003 Ka models at
the 2002 British Motor Show, at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre.
Ford macde some useful
improvements to the Ka and introduced the Sportka and Streetka in 2003
The Sportka, shown here, comes
with a revised front bumper (incorporating fog lamps, a new grill, and
wheelarch extensions over the headlights).
It also comes with a new (to the
From the motorshow, the differences between the new
2003 Ka and the current (as I write, i.e. the 1996 - 2002 model) Ka are
subtle. The revised Ka has a new
dashboard, with space for a rev counter (in the basic model), or a rev
counter (in the upper models).
The most important change is the revised engine - the humble 1·3 litre Endura-E has been revised and renamed
the Duratec 8v, and now has
a quoted power output of 70 PS, up from 60 PS.
The new 1·3 litre Duratec 8v has lightened valve gear, and this pays
dividends at the pumps: the new 2003 Ka has a combined cycle fuel consumption
return greater the 48 mpg, compared with the 2002 model’s 42·1 mpg.
This is clearly to annoy all of the Ka owners who have
spend a few hundred quid on getting their Ka up from 60 PS to 65 PS... heh.
As an update and after trying
various new Ka models, I’ve finally written a comparison between the Duratec and the Endura-E.
The LuxuryKa that I had a look at
featured a cover over the very front of the car, shielding the induction
intake, radiator and condenser from . . . well I’m not entire sure what
from! Perhaps this improves the airflow
through the cooling system? But whatever
the idea behind it, it would make an ideal place to mount stickers... hmm...
Ford were not showing a Sportka that could be
accessible, which was a pity, however I did get the chance to pour over the
Streetka. And sit in one. And fiddle with the engine. And generally ask the attractive Ford
girls all sorts of questions, and thankfully most were answered!
This is the 1·6 Duratec (which
is a development of the RoCam unit, as used in the Brazilian Ka). It looks remarkably similar to the 1·3 - and
has the now-common practice of covering at least some of the engine with
plastic!
The Streetka has a manual folding
roof, and no rear seats - there’s probably a bit more room in the front because
of this, and there is certainly a slightly larger boot (it’s longer). However, as you’d expect, the Streetka is not
really a practical car.
Both the Streetka and Sportka come with 16” wheels,
and these are rather tasty, too. They
also have slightly revised interiors - that tachometer, for one - but
otherwise; once a Ka, always a Ka.
Some of Ford’s detailing on the Streetka is
particularly impressive, especially if you’re of the Ka-persuasion. As the profile above shows, it looks similar
to the Audi TT Roadster – and that can’t be a bad thing!
The 2003 Ka in Action
This shot on the left shows a 2003
Ka Collection cruising at around 45 mph in top gear.
And here’s one of the Ka
Collection parked up.
And of course, the new 1·3 Duratec 8v engine!
Thanks to Sean for the above
pictures!
You can see more details of the
2001 KuxuryKa ‘vs’ the 2003 LuxuryKa meet here,
plus a comparison of the 1·3 litre engines here.