Opel / Vauxhall Announce New Small Car below the Corsa, Confirm Sporty Coupe and Small SUV

Speaking at a press conference in Eisenach on Thursday, Opel/Vauxhall CEO Nick Reilly revealed plans to build an all-new small car below the Corsa, with production set to start in 2013 at the firm's Eisenach plant in the east German state of Thuringia. "This new product will be an important element in our growth strategy" said Reilly.

The car is expected to go up against Ford's Fiat 500-based Ka and the forthcoming Volkswagen Up mini. According to an official statement from Opel, the as of yet unnamed city car will be geared towards customers who need "a small-sized fuel-efficient car in urban areas, but who do not want to compromise on technology, design or convenience".

The company added that the mini may also form the base for an all-electric, battery-powered version at a later stage.

GM's European unit said it will invest €90 million (approximately US$120 million) to manufacturer the small car on an existing production line alongside the Corsa at its Eisenach factory. According to the automaker, the decision to build the small car in Eisenach also benefits the Opel/Vauxhall's manufacturing plant in Zaragoza, Spain as it will receive additional Corsa production volume.

In addition to the announcement on Opel's future small car, Reilly also confirmed the automaker's plans to introduce a sporty coupe and small SUV to the firm's vehicle lineup.

"Along with other new vehicles, such as the upcoming electric Ampera [see here], a sporty coupe and a small SUV, we will significantly expand our product lineup in the future and offer customer choices in several more segments," said Reilly without getting into specifics.

Ford Ka Tops Half a Million Sales in the UK

With a little help from the second generation Ka mini that has found its way in the driveway of more than 11,000 UK customers since its launch this past January, UK sales of Ford's mini have surpassed the half-a-million mark. The original, first-generation Ka was introduced in Britain in 1996.

Marketing director, Ford of Britain, Mark Simpson, commented: "There were eight competitors in the Ka's market segment in 1996 – now there are 26 rivals. Offering low ownership costs and cheeky distinctive styling, the Ka has maintained its strong appeal over the years and remains at the top of its segment."

Burn Ka Burn... Truckload of 2009 Ford KAs Burnt to the Ground

A truck load of snazzy 2009 Ford Ka models went up in flames this afternoon (November 24, 2008) in Poland. According to our special polish agent -slash reader, slash translator- who goes by the nickname "Carnivor", the accident took place somewhere on the A-4 highway near the Tychy plant where the new Ford Ka is being produced alongside the Fiat 500. We have no idea what caused the six-and-a-half Ford KAs to burn down to bare metal, but it's clear from the photos that the truck wasn't involved in any head-on collision. Maybe a car rammed the truck from behind and burst into flames igniting the KAs - who knows. Check out the photos after the jump and tell us what you think. -"Dziekuje" for the tip Carnivor!

Photos: Ratownictwo

2009 Ford KA Leaked Ahead of Paris Debut

The first official image of Ford’s second generation KA citycar was leaked into the internet this morning. We’re still short on details but we gather it won’t take long before Ford lets outs official information on the KA’s long-awaited successor that’s scheduled to make its world debut at the Paris Show in early October. Our first take is that Ford’s designers did a pretty convincing job in hiding the new KA’s Fiat 500 underpinnings as the minicar looks remarkably distinct and different. -Continued

Ford of Europe’s engineers are also said to have reworked the Fiat 500’s chassis in order to maintain the previous KA’s reputation for fine handling. In terms of powerplants, the KA is expected to be powered by the same engine range as its Italian cousin. Though this has not been officially confirmed yet, the KA’s line-up is said to include an ST model equipped with the 500 Abarth’s 1.4-liter turbocharged unit. The new KA will be built alongside the 500 at Fiat’s Tychy plant in Poland.

Via: Cartibe (-Opening picture edited by CarScoop -)

2009 Ford Ka Scooped in Poland

The Fiat 500’s alter ego, the second generation Ford Ka has been scooped by the folks at "Polskatimes" virtually undisguised. From what we can tell, these pictures seem to have been shot inside Fiat’s Tychy factory in Poland where both the 500 and Ka are built. Unlike Fiat’s retro approach, Ford designed the Ka to look sort of like a miniaturized version of the new Fiesta. To a lesser extent, same goes for the interior, which as you can see, will also be offered with vibrant two-color schemes. The new Ka will make its debut at the Paris Show this fall with European sales following shortly after. -More pics after the jump

Via: Polskatimes

2009 Ford Ka Appears in New James Bond Movie Trailer

The vehicle you see in these blurry images that we managed to snap from a behind-the-scenes video of James Bond’s forthcoming film titled “Quantum of Solace” (scheduled to hit movie theaters on November 7, 2008) is the 2009 Ford Ka. As many of you might already know, Ford Motor Company has a deal with the producers of the James Bond series to show off its vehicles in 007’s movies.

Ford’s new Euro baby car will be officially launched at the forthcoming Paris Auto Show this September. The 2009 Ka is being built as part of a co-operation deal between Ford and Fiat and it’s based on the same platform as the successful Fiat 500. According to Ford’s the new Ka will not share any visible parts with its Italian sister car. –See more pictures of the 2009 Ka along with the video after the jump

Quantum of Solace

Ford Launches Limited Edition Two-Tone KA

Ford’s British arm has announced the market launch of a Two-Tone special edition version of the KA. According to Ford, the two-tone KA has a retro-look (to be honest, we can’t see it). Anyway, only 1,000 units of the Two-Tone KA will be available in the UK priced from £7,995 ($16,440 or €11,090). Buyers can opt between four body colors: panther black, ocean, sea grey and new blazer blue, all combined with the moondust silver bumpers and mirror housings. -Continued

2009 Ford Ka Rendering

Brit magazine Autoexpress is attempting to preview Ford’s next generation Ka through a computer-generated image featured on this week’s front cover. We cant say if the artist has come close to the actual Ka that will be presented at the 2008 Paris Show in September, but it does look eerily alike with the K(i)a Picanto facelift (see here). What we do know is that Ford’s new baby will be sharing its underpinnings with the all-new Fiat 500, which has proved a success even before it went on sale. You can check out the whole story on Autoexpress’ website by clicking the link below.

Via: Autoexpress

2008 Ford Ka Renderings

Believe it or not, the next generation Ford Ka will not only be built by Fiat at the Tychy plant in Poland but it will also be based on the New 500’s underpinnings. However, according to Ford Europe officials, the two mini cars will significantly differ in design –in and out. Car Online decided to share with us a couple of artist's impressions previewing the looks of the new Ka which will debut in mid 2008. Despite the fact that the Ka shown here is a five-door, Car Online notes that Ford’s new mini car will again be a compact three-door hatch. -Continued after the jump

The Ka, which may be previewed as a concept at the September Frankfurt Show, will be offered once more in an ST guise. The latter, as with the rest of the Ka range, is expected to be equipped with a Fiat 500 derived powertrain –probably the Abarth’s 1.4-liter Turbo producing between 120 to 150Hp. We know it’s way too early for assumptions, but having in mind that the New 500’s platform doesn’t even come close in terms of driving dynamics to the current Ka, we doubt that the new Ka ST will offer the same kind of pleasure behind the steering wheel.

Via: Autoblog.it , Source: Car