Rumormill: Could the Fiat-Chrysler deal yield a North American Ford Ka?
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchbacks</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chrysler/" rel="tag">Chrysler, LLC.</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/" rel="tag">FIAT</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/rumormill/" rel="tag">Rumormill</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/1080924/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/05/ford_chrysler_fiat_ka.jpg " /></a><br /><em><strong></strong></em><strong> </strong>
<div align="center"><strong><e m><strong><small>The 2009 Ford Ka - Click above for a high-res gallery</small></strong></em><br /></strong></div>
<br />It's a long shot, but according to <em>The Detroit Free Press</em>, Chrysler's deal with Fiat could result in Ford offering the cutesy Ka for sale in North America. As you may recall, Ford co-developed the Ka's platform with Fiat (it shares its chassis with the 500), and the Italian automaker builds both cars in Poland. If and when Chrysler and Fiat finish dancing and commit, the Freep reasons that models built on the 500's platform might be built in Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant. If so, that could offer Ford the kind of economies-of-scale necessary to sell the thousands of thin-margin Kas to make the venture worthwhile. <br /><br />If the Ford Fiesta takes off and Ford can keep the Ka's price down - it starts at &pound;7,995 ($12,150 US) in the UK - the case might make itself. Sure, there are a fair number of ifs, mights, and maybes in there, but as a cheap city car for when gas prices doubtlessly skyrocket again, it's certainly worth a thought or two.<br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/">2009 Ford Ka</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/954602/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/ka_1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/954603/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/ka_2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/954601/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/ka_3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/1080928/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/00_08fordka_thumbnail.jpg " alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/leaked-2009-ford-ka/1080921/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/01_08fordka_thumbnail.jpg " alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20090510/COL14/905100519/1014/rss13">The Detroit Free Press</a>]<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/11/rumormill-could-the-fiat-chrysler-deal-yield-a-north-american-f/">Rumormill: Could the Fiat-Chrysler deal yield a North American Ford Ka?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Mon, 11 May 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.freep.com/article/20090510/COL14/905100519/1014/rss13>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/11/rumormill-could-the-fiat-chrysler-deal-yield-a-north-american-f/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1541816/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/11/rumormill-could-the-fiat-chrysler-deal-yield-a-north-american-f/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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