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Ford Touts Ka Concept City Car in Brazil
Small "city cars" are in demand globally, according to Ford's Executive Chairman, Bill Ford, who was in Camacari, Brazil, this week to visit the Ford factory and introduce an all-new Ford Ka Concept sub-compact that could become a production model in 2014 and replace the current Ka model that is sold in the Brazil market.
The Ford Ka Concept 4-door hatchback heralds the future direction of Detroit-based Ford's offerings in major growth markets--such as Brazil. The Ka Concept is the second vehicle to be designed in Brazil. Ford's EcoSport compact utility also was designed in Brazil, which is Ford's third-largest market. It's Ford's first global platform design that is smaller than the Fiesta, which is sold in the U.S. market.
The Ka concept offers a premium package with a roomy interior that seats 5 and also features technologies such as a docking station for mobile devices and Ford Sync connectivity, according to Ford. From a design standpoint, the Ka Concept also features many Ford global design cues, including what Ford describes as, "the trapezoidal front grille and detailed surface lines."
In a statement, a Ford senior official said that the Ka Concept is targeted to attract consumers interested in the sub-B compact vehicle segment, which is projected to grow to nearly 6.2 million units worldwide by 2017, according to Ford research. Fuel economy is one of the benefits of this model, Ford says.
The first-generation Ka has been around since 1996 and the version currently sold in Brazil is different from a second-generation model that was launched in 2008 and built in Poland through a joint venture with the Fiat Group.
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