Ford thinking seriously about bringing Ka to U.S.

Ford is taking a page from Volkswagen and is going to "think small". We already know that Ford will bring the small Fiesta and European Focus to these shores by 2010, but it may go even smaller and bring in the diminutive Ka along for the ride as well.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally hinted to the Automotive News that the company is taking a serious look at making the Ka part of its small car strategy. There is no deadline for when/if a final decision will be made.

"It will be really interesting to see how far down we go in size," Mulally said. But the Ford CEO must find a way to achieve a decent profit margin on small cars, and one good way is to spread the development costs of the European cars such as the Ka, Fiesta and Focus (European) over as many markets as possible. Still, it will be tough to replace the $8,000 to $10,000-plus profit margins on big pickups and SUVs.

The redesigned Ka is reciving favorable reviews for both styling and performance, but that’s in Europe. The 1.2 and 1.4-liter gas engines that are planned for use in the current production models may have a tough uphill battle (pun intended) on these shores. But what will certainly help the Ka’s chances with the U.S. consumer is its use as the choice of Bond-girl hottie in the latest flick.