Ford has been shipping its Ka+ five-door hatchback from India to European countries since September 2016, pricing it between €10,000 and €13,500. The sales have been brisk with 51,277 units sold in 2017 and 51,057 more in 2018. However, following a 13% drop in the current year, Ford decided to discontinue the series in Europe.
The reason didn’t have much to do with the market demand, though. The car simply ceased to comply with the latest emission standards. According to Ford, updating the model is not feasible because of its low price tag. Furthermore, the company will be launching its new Ford Puma crossover/SUV in Europe in September anyway.
On its domestic market of India, the Ka+ is called the Ford Figo. Its sedan/saloon counterpart ships as the Ford Aspire. Both are available with a gasoline engine (1.2 l, 96 hp / 72 kW) and a diesel one (1.5 l, 100 hp / 75 kW). The transmission is manual. The hatchback is additionally available with a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 123 hp (92 kW) and mated to an automatic transmission.
It should be noted that Ford has been reviewing its lineup in Europe lately, replacing sedans and MPVs with crossover/SUV models. Two new SUVs should arrive on the market within the next five years.