Driving the new Ford KA+ is what I’ve been doing for the past week and I have to tell you, it’s a lovely little motor. Ford approached me a few week’s ago and asked if I’d like to give their new nifty little 5 door member to the fleet a test drive and how could I resist? I’d never driven a brand new car before and having only driven an automatic since the day I passed my test I was eager to see if I could still remember how to handle a manual, as well as try out all the mod cons a brand new vehicle has to offer.

I’d wondered if it might take me a while to get used to the stick shift? Driving lessons hadn’t always been smooth for me (I took 5 attempts to pass) and stalling had seemed to happen a lot so I was just a touch concerned I’d be stopping and starting all over the city but from the moment I stepped into the driving seat of the The new Ford KA+ it wasn’t a problem. The way new cars are made these days means they are MUCH easier to handle and this little KA Plus almost drove itself – phew! I actually, dare I say it, think I preferred the driving experience to my automatic – i never thought I’d hear myself say that.

The new KA Plus is, as I mentioned, a 5 door version of their original little KA, which I know has been the first car for many of my pals. While the original isn’t perhaps quite the right size for children and car seats to comfortably fit, the new updated version is perfect for a family of four (with even a full shoulder belt in the middle of the back seat) so… What did we think?

We thought a lot… We loved it in fact! Watch my YouTube video of the week we spent driving the new Ford KA+ about the City of Norwich (it’s a car intended for City living) and also when we took it to London (100 miles away) showing how it handles on the motorway!

So, as you can see, we thought it was a great car for our family and while this KA+ is a compact motor, just like its predecessor, it’s also rather roomy inside. A tardis is how I liken it because though on the outside it appears neat and little, once inside, either as a driver or a passenger, it’s super big with ample room for even long legs (not that I personally have to worry about that) in either the front or the back seats.

Having children with a three door car (as mine is) is often tricky for a number of reasons; you have to climb over to put the children’s seats in and out, the kiddos then have to climb over to get into them and when going on holiday there’s literally no room to move. I have a top box on my own car so that we can go camping and fit everything in and many times I’ve bombed down the motorway in it with the car literally jamp packed and the children almost wedged in their seats between bags, tents and everything else we need when the four of us go away on holiday. A 5 door immediately makes life easier and in this KA+ there’s a tremendous amount of storage both in the boot AND everywhere else!

I’m not going to profess to be a car boffin so although I will give you all the facts below, I firstly wanted to tell you what we liked about the car best from my point of view. As a woman with no real car knowledge (when my engine warning light came on once in my own car I did nothing for a week and just mentally noted to myself that at some point I had to find out what the helicopter sign meant) I don’t really look for the things someone in the know might when buying a car but… I know what I like and what’s important to me so first up… Both Florence and I found great joy in a lot of the little things about the KA+! And my husband really liked it too!

• Heated seats – what a treat!
• The wing mirrors close in and out with the touch of a button.
• Rear window controls can be locked from the front (bonus if you own a Jimmy)!
• The wifi connectivity meant we could listen to Spotify from my phone.
• Voice command technology is such a safety feature as well as being super easy!
• Cruise control and speed limiter mean a much easier drive.
• The high up seats made me feel a lot less vulnerable everywhere but especially on the motorway.
• Driving to London and back (200 miles from my house) cost me £20 in petrol – THAT’s economical and considerably more so than my older car with the same 1.2 engine (it costs me £24 in my car).
• The Ford KA+ has 21 stowage locations for drinks and nick nacks – this appealed to the little ones!
• The dashboard tells you which gear you should be in – handy for me who hasn’t driven a manual for a yonk!
• The windscreen kind of wraps around giving a much better view and with the full beam on I almost frightened myself with how much I could see into the woods when I came to a stop at a junction!
• Reverse parking sensors – Oh the benefits!

And now onto some proper facts from Ford for you…

• 50% of the body is made with high strength steel and all models include 6 air bags, ABS, Stability control with hill start assist, an auto speed limiter and day time running lights.
• Entry level (£8,995) Studio includes a chrome front grille, front fog lamps, power front windows, electric door mirrors, Bluetooth and USB port, alarm and remote locking.
• More advanced spec includes 15inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, voice activated communications, and an app link delivered entertainment system. It also has a leather wrapped steering wheel with remote audio controls, Cruise control and Ford MyKey so that you can set the maximum speed and volume limits. The Zetec version has a more powerful engine, electronic climate control, heated front seats, tinted windows in the back, a spare wheel kit and rear parking sensors with power windows in the back.

All in all it’s a wonderful car and for a brand new model with an absolutely top spec the price comes in at £10,295 which I think is incredibly reasonable. It’s economical in the extreme to run as well and although it does take a small moment to get up to top speed on the motorway I think I prefer it that way. I’m definitely not a 0-70 in 30 seconds kind of girl and prefer to play things safe which, ultimately, is how I felt in this car and at the end of the day that’s what’s important to me with my family when I’m driving.

Jimmy came out of school the day the car went on to its next test driver (a rather famous car fanatic no less – hope he doesn’t get my cold) and looked like he was going to cry when he saw my old little car parked outside. ‘But, where’s my Ford KA+ Mummy?’ he asked? And I sadly had to explain (again) that unfortunately it wasn’t ours to keep.

I’d have absolutely loved to have bought this car and actually am rather mulling over the idea. I wasn’t in the market to buy a compact car next. I’d rather thought we might go for a 7 seater when my 14 year old motor says it’s had it and will give no more but… This was such a super drive and suits us perfectly I can’t help but be considering it!