Car Moon

While we’re waiting to see the 2009 Ka up close at the Paris Motor Show, the first volume production example of Ford’s new minicar rolled off the production line at a special ceremony today in Fiat’s Tychy plant in Poland. The new Ka was jointly developed with Fiat, but while it shares most of its underpinning with the Fiat 500 that is also built along with the Panda in the Tychy plant, the two minicars don’t share any sheetmetal or any major interior components. -Continued

"It was three years ago that we reached agreement with Fiat to produce the new Ka here in Tychy," explained Ian Slater, vice-president communications and public affairs, Ford of Europe. "One of the strengths of this co-operation has been that both parties wanted to produce vehicles which would be very different in looks and character. I'm satisfied that in doing so, we've set up a 'win-win' opportunity for both companies."

Ford’s investment in the 500-Ka project amounted to 210 million Euros and it resulted to the addition of another 1,000 jobs in the plant and more among locally-based suppliers. Annual production of Ford Ka will be 120,000 units a year.