If you were one of the many compact car lovers that were excited when earlier reports of a Ford Ka for the U.S. started showing up – we’ve got some bad news for you this Monday morning. FoMoCo CEO Alan Mulally said that the Ford Ka minicar and the new Ford Ranger pickup will not come to the United States.

Mulally said that the Ka has been deemed to small for our American taste and the Fiesta is probably the smallest Ford will ever go on the stateside.

“Our view is that Fiesta is about the smallest vehicle that we think will be a real success in the United States,” Mulally told Automotive News.

The global Ford Ranger is a new compact pickup that is different from the current Ranger sold here. Production of the U.S. Ford ranger is scheduled to end in 2011. Ford is currently looking at options for a replacement.

- By: Kap Shah

Ford of Europe says that due to a weak British pound, it is being forced to increase prices on all of its products sold in the United Kingdom. Starting July 1, FoMoCo will increase the sticker price of all vehicles sold in the UK by an average of 4 percent.

“In common with most of the U.K. auto industry, Ford is reacting to the sustained weakness of the pound against the Euro,” said Nigel Sharp, managing director of Ford of Britain. “Raising prices in difficult times, and when a scrappage scheme has been introduced, may seem counter-intuitive, but with so many of our costs priced in Euros, there is no choice if we are to maintain a viable business.”

Ford will add more than $1,000 to the price of popular models such as the Ford Fiesta, Ka, Focus, C-Max, Kuga and Mondeo.

Sharp said that additional price increases could be necessary.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

According to a report by the Detroit Free Press, Chrysler and Fiat’s alliance may clear way for Ford to bring it’s Ka city car over to the United States. While there have been rumors before, Ford has not confirmed any plans to sell the Ka in North America, a popular minicar in Europe.

Detroit Free Press’ Mark Phelan says that there is no trend of Americans buying a car that measures just 142.5 inches long, which is one major reason Ford has been reluctant to offer the Ka on the stateside.

However, since the Ka shares its underpinnings with the Fiat 500, which will be built at one of Chrysler’s North American factories, Ford may end up offering the car to U.S. consumers.

The Ka is built on the same platform of the 500, which is built by Fiat. Both cars are manufactured in Poland. The Fiat 500 and any Chrysler model based on the 500’s platform will be built at Chrysler’s Toluca, Mexico, plant.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Free Press

According to Ford CEO Alan Mulally, fuel-prices are going to stay relatively high, even though they’re low right now. With that in mind FoMoCo is not letting go of the idea of bringing its small-car onslaught to the U.S.

“The most important thing we can do is have a full complement of small and medium-sized cars and utilities that complement our larger vehicles,” Mulally told Automotive News in an exclusive interview.

Right now, Mulally says that his priority is to launch the subcompact Ford Fiesta in the U.S. by 2010. After that Ford will launch a variety of subcompact B-segment cars. Mulally is even considering the Ford Ka minicar for the U.S.

All these small cars means letting go of the handsome $8,000 to $10,000+ profit margin that Ford used to see with the pickups and SUVs. Mulally admits that at first it will take some time to fill in the loss of revenue on large vehicles but over time he plans to make money on them with a reasonable return.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

FoMoCo of Europe has announced the pricing on the new 2009 Ford Ka subcompact. The 2009 Ford Ka will arrive in the UK market in January 2009 with two engine choices including a 69-hp 1.2L and a 75-hp 1.3L.

Kicking off the lineup will be the Ford Ka Studio which starts at £7,995 ($12,938 USD). The package includes Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), height-adjustable steering wheel, ABS brakes, driver and passenger front airbags, headlamp courtesy delay system and body-colored bumpers as standard.

The Ford Ka Style will carry a price tag of £8,495 ($13,746 USD) and comes with body-colored heated door mirrors, electric front windows with one-touch up and down for the driver, remote locking, driver seat height adjust and driver seat memory function. The Ford Ka Style + which starts at £8,995 ($14,552 USD) adds air-conditioning and heated wind screen.

The Ford Ka Zetec will start at £9,495 ($15,358 USD) for the 1.2L petrol and £10,195 ($16,491 USD) for the 1.3 TDCi. The Zetec models add 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, remote locking, upgraded instrument panel and trip computer and dimming interior lights.

6 speakers, CD radio with MP3 compatibility and AUX-in connector also come as standard on all models.

2009 Ford Ka:

Ford is doing all it can to generate buzz around its new compact Ford Ka and it is once again releasing images and a press release with the new Quantum of Solace Bond girl Olga Kurylenko and the Ka.

Olga Kurylenko will be promoting the Ford Ka along with her new character Camille on a series of TV programs, articles and online content that have been created with support from Ford.

Honestly we think a better way to advertise the Ford Ka for the Bond movie is to hype up the face that Ka driven by Camille in Quantum of Solace runs on hydrogen and when the movie premieres in the U.S. on Nov. 14th, have the Ford Ka on hand and announce it for the North American market. But who’s going to listen to us?

Follow the jump for more pictures and the press release.

Olga Kurylenko and Ford Ka:

INTRODUCING BOND GIRL OLGA KURYLENKO – FIRST DRIVER OF THE NEW FORD KA

BRENTWOOD, October 27, 2008 – Excitement is mounting as film fans await the October 29 world premiere in London of the new James Bond adventure, ‘Quantum of Solace’, which also features a cameo appearance from the stylish new Ford Ka.

In the movie the Ka is driven by Camille, the beautiful but feisty leading lady, played by Olga Kurylenko. To celebrate the cheeky new Ford Ka’s cameo role, Ford is promoting a special series of exciting media features.

Movie fans who want to learn more about Kurylenko and her character Camille don’t need to wait for the film’s release, however. Her independent spirit, sense of adventure, bravery, style and beauty are captured in a series of unique TV programmes, articles and on-line content which have been created with support from Ford.

Special insights into the latest Bond girl are now available via the following channels:

* MTV – MADE Bond Girl Special
Watch as one lucky viewer is selected to be transformed into an authentic Bond girl, mentored by Olga Kurylenko through a four-week programme including martial arts, advanced driving, styling and a makeover.

* E! Entertainment – Bond Girl Diaries
A personal, behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the latest James Bond epic through the eyes of Olga Kurylenko. The programme features interviews with the leading lady, action from the film set, and a look at Kurylenko’s life and career before ‘Quantum of Solace’.

* E! Entertainment – Live From The Red Carpet
Exclusive footage will be seen from the ‘Quantum of Solace’ World Premiere in London, along with interviews with all the celebrity guests, sneak peeks at scenes from the new film, revealing insights as Olga Kurylenko gets ready for the big event.

* Glamour magazine – Bond Special
Twelve pages of special features celebrating the new film and highlighting the style and beauty of its leading lady, Olga Kurylenko. Readers can see how they can get the “Bond girl look”, with fashion and beauty tips from Kurylenko and her on-set styling team.

‘Quantum of Solace’ is produced for EON Productions by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Directed by Marc Forster, the film stars Daniel Craig as the legendary secret agent, James Bond and opens in the UK and France on October 31st, then across the rest of Europe during November 2008.

The all-new Ford Ka will be available to drivers other than Olga Kurylenko in late 2008/early 2009.

FoMoCo showed the world its new Ford Ka minicar at the 2008 Paris Motor Show last week. At the time we were pretty sure that soon enough, we’ll hear news of Ford considering bringing the Ka to the U.S. Today, on a Detroit radio station WJR’s “Paul W. Smith Show” CEO Alan Mulally said that with the increase in demand for small cars, FoMoCo is revisiting its decision not to bring the Ka to the stateside.

The new Ford Ka will go on sale in Europe starting later this year. Two powertrain choices will be offered including a 1.2L Duratec petrol that produces 69-hp and a 1.3L Duratorq turbodiesel that produces 75-hp.

The diesel version returns an estimated 56 mpg.

2009 Ford Ka:

Source: Detroit News

The new 2009 Ford Ka has made its debut at the 2008 Motor Show. Following Ford’s kinetic design, the new Ford Ka gets a completely new front end reminiscent of the new 2009 Ford Fiesta.

The new Ford Ka will go on sale in most European markets in late 2008/early 2009 with powertrain choices including a 69-hp 1.2L Duratec petrol engine and a 75-hp 1.3L Duratorq turbodiesel. Fuel-economy for the diesel version comes in at an impressive 56 mpg.

No we won’t be getting it on the stateside so don’t get your hopes up. But with the way consumers are shifting to fuel-efficient and compact cars, we wouldn’t be surprised if FoMoCo considered it later down the road.

Click through for live images from the Paris Motor Show and the press release.

2009 Ford Ka:

Press Release:

The exciting new Ford Ka makes its global debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. It replaces the iconic original Ford Ka, which brought new levels of style and enjoyment to the small-car market when it was launched in 1996.

The new Ford Ka retains all of the qualities which made the Ford Ka brand so popular – compact size, great looks, lively dynamics and fun personality – but presents them in a fresh new package.

With its striking interior and exterior design, outstanding dynamics and unique character, the Ford Ka sets a new standard for affordable small cars. Practical, safe, cheap to run, and friendly to the environment, this bold new model starts a new chapter of the Ford Ka success story.

Production of the new Ford Ka commences in the autumn of 2008, and the vehicle will go on sale in most major European markets in late 2008/early 2009.

Stylish and fashionable

With the introduction of new Ka, Ford has extended its kinetic design language to the smallest car range.

The new vehicle has a stylish, fashionable appearance which combines Ford’s latest design thinking with some of the youthful and cheeky spirit which made the original Ford Ka so popular.

Designed for a young target audience who enjoy making a bold statement in their choice of car, the new Ford Ka has the same compact proportions as its predecessor, but with a chunky and expressive style all of its own.

A number of visual cues from the outgoing car ensure that the new design is recognisably a Ford Ka, yet it has the dynamic qualities which mark it out as a member of the kinetic design family.

Bold, colourful interior

The interior of the new Ford Ka has a stylish, dynamic design, just like the exterior. The same kinetic design philosophy used to shape the body is applied inside the vehicle, ensuring that the fresh and modern character of the external design is matched by the interior style.

Bold contrasts and expressive colours have been deliberately chosen to reflect the more adventurous tastes of the typical Ford Ka customer. These are combined with some imaginative design details to give the interior a fashionable and fun personality which is quite unique in the B-car segment.

The new Ford Ka is practical too, with generous interior space and comfortable accommodation for four adults and their belongings. The high seating position, carefully placed controls and excellent visibility make the Ford Ka a pleasure to drive for drivers of all ages.

Exciting driving dynamics

The original Ford Ka was renowned for its go-kart like handling, and the new Ka has been designed to be just as fun and rewarding to drive, with the most exciting driving dynamics of any small car.

Ford’s own chassis engineering experts have tuned the suspension, steering, and chassis, with the same meticulous attention to detail which has made Ford a leader in vehicle dynamics.

Final testing was conducted using a combination of public roads, proving grounds and race tracks – including the legendary Nürburgring in Germany.

During the engineering process, information was exchanged with the team developing the new Ford Fiesta, and certain components, such as the tyres, were jointly developed for both models.

Economical and environmentally friendly

The affordable new Ford Ka is designed to be both cheap to run and kind to the environment. It uses two economical, low emission engines: a 1.2-litre 69 PS Duratec petrol engine and, for the first time on Ford Ka, a 1.3-litre 75 PS Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel.

Both petrol and diesel models are available with sub-120g/km CO2 emissions.

The 1.2-litre petrol model, which is expected to be the largest seller in the new range, has cut fuel consumption by 21 per cent compared to the previous 1.3-litre Ford Ka.

The diesel model – available on the Ford Ka for the first time – improves economy still further, achieving a combined fuel consumption of 4.2 litres/100km.

Safe and secure

The new Ford Ka may be a small vehicle, but it has been engineered to meet Ford’s strict in-house safety design guidelines.

At the heart of the vehicle is the bodyshell, which has been developed to provide an incredibly strong, stable crash structure to protect passengers in case of an accident.

The bodyshell is combined with an Intelligent Protection System (IPS), which integrates airbags, restraint systems and seating technologies to provide a highly effective occupant safety system.

Ford Ka choice

The new Ford Ka is available in two series – Ambiente and Titanium – each offering an outstanding combination of value and equipment. To complement these two models, there are a number of carefully tailored option packs to provide customers with maximum choice when specifying their vehicle.

Specify the Bluetooth-enabled Connectivity Kit, and the Ford Ka comes equipped with Bluetooth® mobile phone connectivity, a USB port to play music files through the sound system and steering wheel controls.

Combine this with one of the superb six-speaker CD sound systems, and the new Ford Ka provides all the necessary equipment to keep its passengers connected and entertained.

Unique among vehicles in the small-car segment, the new Ford Ka also offers heated windscreen and heated seats, invaluable for safe and comfortable driving in cold winter conditions.

Development and production

The new Ford Ka has been developed as part of a common project with Fiat. The vehicle is produced at the modern Fiat manufacturing plant in Tychy, Poland, sharing the production line with the Fiat 500 model.