• Dark, uninspiring interior
• Feels well-built and robust
• Multimedia package is poor

The interior of the Ka+ is very dark and plain. All the materials feel solid and built to last, but there’s none of the chic design details that models like the style-centric Fiat 500 get or even those of the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108.

With black seat fabric, black dashboard plastics and glossy piano black trim, the Ka+’s cabin is a pretty uninspiring place to be, though the materials do feel surprisingly plush. The layout of controls and build quality are fine, but there are no imaginative details to make you smile. Function firmly ranks over form here.

Even the speedometer looks very dated and drab – especially for this class of car, where manufacturers are constantly upping their game with new ways for buyers to jazz up both the interior and exterior of their cars.

No sat-nav system is available on the Ka+, meaning that the standard media system is very basic compared with rivals including the Peugeot 108, which has a large, bright 7.0-inch touchscreen system. Even top-spec Zetec Ka+ models only get a small 4.2-inch screen.

Comfort

• Ride quality is surprisingly good
• Plenty of cabin space for four, too
• Little exterior noise to gripe about

The Ka+ may beat rivals with its impressive roadholding, but it also scores well for comfort. There’s plenty of space in both rows and the seats themselves offer much greater back support than you’d expect for such an affordable car. These well-padded seats mean that you should be able to get out after a long journey without any aches and pains.

The suspension also soaks up bumps effectively. Helping to make the Ka+ suitable for more than just city car duties is its smooth suspension and decent refinement levels, while low levels of wind and road noise mean that it didn’t feel out of place on the motorways we experienced during our assessment. Thankfully the engine remains reasonably hushed at speed too.