Small wonders

Why the comparison?

The comparison here is obvious, as Ford and Fiat's small cars are so close in their aim that they share the same production line in Poland. The underpinnings for both these cool city cars are identical - Fiat and Ford shared costs on these low margin cars to maximise the profitability. That's not unusual, with Toyota, Citroen and Peugeot also sharing a small car in the shape of their Aygo, C1 and 107 ranges - though the Fiat and Ford here are differentiated far better by significant design differences inside and out.

How are they similar?

Proportionally both the cars are identical thanks to all those common platform parts. Each aims to tap into an audience looking for small, economical, fun yet safe transport. As such both come with a good array of safety equipment that is important in a market which attracts young, crash-prone buyers. They both offer a decent amount of space up front for the driver and passenger, but you'll save the rear seats for the people you don't count among your best friends, as space is a bit tight. The boot is pretty tiny on each too, so it's more than likely those rear seats will double up as luggage space most of the time.

It's not just platforms that they share; the Ford and Fiat also have common engines. That means economy figures are largely the same for each, as are emissions. Figure on over 55mpg and sub-120g/km CO₂ emissions on the combined cycles from either of the 1.2-litre petrol choices and near 70mpg and sub-110g/km in the diesels.

How do they differ?

While the Fiat and Ford might be largely identical structurally and in the drivetrain department, there are some significant differences between them. The Fiat is unashamedly retro in its looks, majoring on style - and plundering its history to do so. It looks like a modern version of the hugely successful 500 from the '60s. Unlike BMW's retro icon, the MINI, the new 500 doesn't drive with any real verve, which is where the Ka steps in. Ford has managed to work its chassis magic despite the Ka's borrowed underpinnings. The difference on the road between the Fiat and Ford is remarkable given their shared DNA: the Ka is precise and sharp where the Fiat feels remote and blunt.

So the Fiat loses out on the road, but it does deliver a serious shot of retro cool that the Ford simply cannot match. Sure, the Ford is nicely finished inside and out, but it lacks the cute looks and feel of the Fiat. If image is important to you then the Fiat is the clear winner; if you like driving then it's the Ford every time. Oddly given the largely shared mechanicals, the Ford needs servicing every 12,500-miles, while the Fiat stretches visits to the dealer to 18,000-miles. Given the sort of town mileage they'll be doing we'd recommend not leaving it that long.

So which one would we have?

There's no contest here really. We'd have the Ford Ka. That's based on a number of important reasons. Ford dealers are far more prevalent - and are far more likely to be able to sort out any problems you have with your car than a Fiat dealer will - and the Ka drives better too. It'll also be cheaper, Fiat trading on that cutesy retro look to bump up prices a touch more than the Ford.

Kyle Fortune