Manufacturers usually look to facelift a car after around five years of production – but Ford’s Ka has been so distinctive and successful that the replacement has taken a full 12 years to arrive.

The original Ka must have come as a big shock to Ford’s traditional small car buyers when it was launched in 1996.

Compared to the conservative, slightly frumpy-looking Fiesta of the day the Ka was curvy and extrovert and the public soon took it to their hearts. Some 1.4 million Ka’s have been sold over the years.

The original version’s looks have stood the test of time well but the Ka needed to be brought up to current standards in terms of emissions, economy and safety.

The dilemma Ford faced with the design of the new Ka was whether to reinforce the cheekiness of the orginal or bring it into line with the firm’s new corporate look.

And, as the pictures show, Ford has settled on something of a compromise. The new Ka is based on the Fiat 500 platform but does not share the latter vehicle’s retro styling.

Instead, it blends some of the new design elements present in recent Fords, like the trapezoidal grille, with the curvy outline of the original model.

The new car is bigger than the old one but is remains compact. From some angles it looks like a downsized version of the new Fiesta which is due for launch in a few weeks’ time and has already won praise for its stylish, upmarket feel.

Ford has worked hard to maintain the funkiness of the original Ka’s interior. The new car has a bright, zesty cabin, with a racy, aluminium-look centre console.

Roelant de Waard, chairman and managing director, Ford of Britain, said: “We are very excited about the launch of the new Ka. The original has been a huge hit in the UK with a sales record of over 480,000 – 80 per cent of which have been to retail customers, and many of those first-time buyers.

“I’m confident that the latest design will prove just as big a hit”, he added.

Ford will showcase the new model at the 2008 Paris Motor Show in October but has released pictures of the new model in advance of its public debut.

The firm is still to confirm the price of the new car but expect it to be in the region of £7,000 to £9,000.

By Peter Carroll