The companys little citycar is feeling the pinch right at present, with newer arrivals from VW, Toyota, Daihatsu, Fiat and SEAT all nibbling into its market share. Hence the need for a stylised special edition of this sort, intended to reawaken interest in what, dynamically at least, is still the best citycar sub-supermini you can buy.

Priced at £9,560, the luxuryKa costs around £2,500 more than the entry-level Ka variant on which it is based. In return, you get those body-coloured bumpers, 14-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, the handy Quickclear heated front windscreen and body coloured electric door mirrors. Remote central locking, a CD player and full Light Cyprus coloured leather seats and trim are also part of the deal, giving a genuinely, well, luxury feel to the flagship Ka. The interior ambience is completed by a new pale steel dashboard trim that complements the light colours used about the cabin pretty effectively.

" Small doesnt have to mean basic and cheerful neednt always equate to cheap"

Thats on top of the standard Ka specification which runs to power steering, electric front windows, rear wash/wipe, tinted glass and a height adjustable drivers seat. Meanwhile, to ensure nobody makes off with your pride and joy, there are high security door locks and a Safeguard immobiliser.

If all this kit isnt enough, you can also specify any of a selection of extras at an additional cost. These include a sliding sunroof, a CD autochanger and an incredibly useful satellite navigation system which allows you to bin that dog-eared A to Z for good.

Otherwise, the recipe is pure Ka, the car which bestowed some much needed credibility on the Citycar sector. Customers come from so many walks of life and so many other types of car: 4x4s, coupes, roadsters you name it.

In spite of its size, the Ka is as safe as any family car on the road today, meeting all current and future safety legislation for front and side impacts. It comes with a driver's airbag, seatbelt 'grabbers' and optional passenger airbags. Under the bonnet, the Endura-E 1.3-litre engine is the same as that you'd find in an entry-level Fiesta.

Even though it was freshened up for use in the Ka, this old-fashioned 1.3-litre powerplant is hardly the last word in engine design. It runs out of puff very soon after you begin to rev it and takes 13.8 seconds to reach 60mph on the way to 96mph. Even at the original Kas launch in 1996 the engine was described as old-fashioned and coarse and time has not been overly kind to it. It seems a strange oversight, thrown into harsh relief by the all-round excellence of the other constituent parts.

Although this engine performs its job adequately, it is a far cry from Ford's potent and sweet-sounding little 1.25-litre Zetec powertrain. The only point in its favour is economy this frugal engine can average up to 48mpg. A redeeming virtue however, is the Kas superbly controlled ride and handling, which are strongly reminiscent of a much larger car. Youll forgive any shortcomings in the engine the first time you pitch the luxuryKa into a corner. Taking care not to slide off the leather seats, youll be impressed with the sheer stickability of the little Ford. Many of the cars handling attributes are only found in sports models costing a great deal more, and the luxuryKa is something youll find yourself making excuses to drive. As with all modern Fords, the credit for this handling prowess can be attributed to one man, ex-rally driver Richard Parry-Jones, for he was responsible for engineering the driving fun back into class-leading cars like the Ka, Puma, Focus and Mondeo.

Packaging is another Ka strongpoint. You wouldn't believe the amount of oddment space and front legroom that the designers have crammed into the tiny cabin. The sheer size restrictions of a car 210mm shorter than the already compact Fiesta had to catch up with them somewhere however, and as you might imagine, the sacrifices have mainly been made around the two sculpted seats in the rear.

Still, you can't have everything. LuxuryKa buyers will, in any case, almost certainly have another, larger car in the family. Buyers who are prepared to fork out for the additional features that the luxuryKa possesses appreciate that small doesnt have to mean basic and cheerful neednt always equate to cheap. Fords best-dressed baby certainly wont disappoint in that department. One word of warning, though. Get accustomed to this level of luxury and it might make shopping for your next big car an expensive experience!