Ford CEO Alan Mullaly told Detroit radio station WJR that the company is reconsidering whether to bring its smallest car to the U.S. market. Ford officially introduced the second-generation Ka last week at the Paris Motor Show and up until now has not planned to offer the car in the U.S. The Ka is much smaller than even the Fiesta that will arrive in early 2010. The rising demand for small cars in the U.S. market has prompted Ford to reconsider its marketing plans for the Ka. The Ka is available in Europe with a choice of 1.2L gas or 1.3L diesel engines. If Ford does decide to bring the Ka to the U.S., it likely wouldn't arrive before 2010 or '11 at the earliest. The one thing that could make help the Ka arrive earlier would be if federal regulators grant a waiver to allow automakers to temporarily bring in small cars that don't meet current U.S. regulations until they can be modified. If that were to happen, the Ka could arrive sooner. The diesel Ka with a start stop system is rated at 60.3 mpg (U.S.) in Europe.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Click on the Ka for a high res gallery

As we approach next month's Paris Motor Show, Ford is releasing more details on its new baby, the second-generation Ka. We now know that it will be launched with a pair of engine options, one each running on gas and diesel. The gas engine will be a 1.2L 69 hp unit while the Ka gets a diesel for first time with a 1.3L unit that generates 75 hp. The gas engine reduces fuel consumption by 21 percent compared to 1.3L unit in the old Ka. The diesel goes even further getting a rating of 56 mpg (U.S.) and both powertrains get CO₂ ratings under 120 g/km. Like other European Fords, the Ka has been tuned for good handling including spending some development at the Nurburgring amongst the ZR1s and GT-Rs. Production kicks off alongside the Fiat 500 this fall in Tychy, Poland. Unfortunately, it's unlikely we'll see it here in the U.S., but you never know. The Ford press release is after the jump.


[Source: Ford]

Click the Ka for a high-res gallery

The world will get its first official look at the new Ford Ka at the Paris Motor Show in about 6 weeks. However the production crew of the new James Bond flick have been seeing and driving it for months. Ford's new city car will be wielded by the the female lead in Quantum of Solace starting in November. The rampant product placement of the Casino Royale looks set for a re-run in the new movie. We still don't know if or when Americans will ever get a chance to tool around in a Ka, but if gas prices spike again, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. In the meantime you can check out the Polish assembled Ka in the gallery.


[Source: Ford]

Click the new Ka for a high-res gallery

Ford's new super-mini won't be making its live debut until the Paris Motor Show in October, but we now have official photos of the new Ka. Ford hasn't released any notable details of the new city car yet but we do know some things about it. It shares a platform with the Fiat 500 and will be built at a Fiat factory in Poland. Ford has done a masterful job of migrating the kinetic design themes of its European lineup to the diminutive Ka. Now if only they would bring it to the US to take on the likes of the MINI and Smart ForTwo.


[Source: Ford]

Click above to enlarge this image of the 2009 Ford Ka.

We've been seeing spy shot after spy shot of Ford's upcoming second-generation Ka minicar, so it's nice to see it in production form via a leaked photo on the internet ahead of its official unveiling. While the original Ka has been around since 1996, the New Edge vehicle still commands good sales numbers in the U.K. due to its good fuel mileage and low cost. Therefore, Ford's got plenty riding on the new redesign, and the look follows the current Kinetic Euro design ethos used by Ford while still featuring some of the key Ka styling trademarks, such as the pronounced wheel arches.

We have high hopes that the Ka will make the jump from Euro-only model to the United States as part of Ford's current U.S. strategy of offering small cars in lieu of SUVs and trucks. After all, who wouldn't like to see a mild hybrid variant of the next-gen Ka that can achieve 60.3mpg (U.S.)? Plus, it's attained Sub Zero status on Top Gear's Cool Wall.

[Source: Car Tribe]

Ford's upcoming baby, the Ka, won't be making its public debut until October's Paris Motor Show, but it seems to be turning up all over the place these days. The latest sighting of a new Ka was outside of the Tychy, Poland factory where the Ka and its platform mate the Fiat 500 are built. This latest batch of photos shows the Ka wearing nothing but duct tape. Perhaps now that F-150 sales are in free-fall and the decision has been made to offer American consumers the option of the Fiesta hatchback, the Dearborn product planners will see fit to offer us the Ka as well. The powertrain options in the Ka should be more palatable to most Americans than the engine in the Smart ForTwo - and the Ka at least has a back seat. Come on Ford, bring us the Ka.

[Source: World Car Fans]

It looks like the second-generation Ford Ka will finally make its official appearance at the Paris Motor Show in October, and Ford might want to seriously consider bringing this little puppy stateside along with the Fiesta. The Ka shares a platform with the Fiat 500 and Germany's Autobild has photos of the micro car devoid of all camouflage. Powerplants should include both gas and diesel engines ranging from a mild hybrid variant that can achieve 60.3mpg (U.S.) to a 100hp ST sport model. So far, there is no indication from Ford that they have any plans to bring the Ka to North America. Hopefully the Fiesta will prove successful here and Ford will see fit to send us this little beauty.

[Source: Autobild via CarScoop]

While the first generation of the Ford Ka was derived from the Fiesta platform in Europe, the Gen 2 model will be based off the new Fiat 500. The 500 was launched for sale at the Frankfurt Motor Show but the Ka will be running about six months behind. According to Fiat that's because Ford joined the program after it was already underway and tooling development will take some extra time.

The Ka and 500 will be built by Fiat on the same assembly line in Poland and use the same lineup of engines. The spy photos of the Ka show some visible body sculpting indicating that the Ka will also feature Ford's kinetic design. With that six month lag time we can probably expect the Ka to arrive in time for Geneva next March. Unfortunately, unlike the Verve/Fiesta, we won't be getting the Ka stateside.

[Source: World Car Fans]

The Brits at CAR have the scoop yet again on another upcoming car that we may or may not see in the US. This time they have details on the new second-generation Ford Ka. The first-generation Ka was based on the chassis of the Ford Fiesta, but the new one shares mechanicals with the new Fiat 500 and will even be built in the same plant in Poland with the Fiat. The funky curvy design of the original Ka is displaced by the kinetic design of the latest European Ford models and a CityKa model will include a low cost hybrid drive train. Check out more images and details at CAR.

[Source: CAR]

On yesterday's On Point, the NPR radio show, the topic was small. Tiny, actually. Tiny cars. These vehicles - cars like the SMART, the Renault Twingo, or the Ford Ka - are gaining interest here as gas prices rise. On Point featured five voices of those in the know, including Rick Woodbury, the inventor of the Tango, an ultra-slim electric commuter car and Ryan Chin, MIT Media Lab's Smart Cities Project, who contributed to the design of the stackable concept car (pictured). While the quotes NPR has up on their website seem to make the guests pro-small car, AutoblogGreen reader Mark Sumner say he heard it differently. "As so often seems to happen, callers were enthusiastic about the vehicles and asking when they could get them, while industry 'insiders' in the studio kept saying they wouldn't sell in the US," he wrote us. I haven't taken the time to listen to the show (but anyone can do so here), so I can't say how the panel leaned, but c'mon, a stackable car? How can you be against that?

[Source: NPR, thanks to Mark Sumner]