The latest James Bond film, 'Quantum of Solace', is about to open in multiplexes across Australia, but the product-placement Ford Ka that graces some scenes will probably not reach us here, in reality.

The previous Ka sold here in limited numbers because it offered just two side doors -- and more importantly, no automatic transmission. Here we are, years later, and the new Ka still doesn't offer an automatic transmission... not even as an option.

For a country such as Australia, in which the vast majority of new-car purchases come with a self-shifter, that spells market death.

Ford Australia's President, Marin Burela, said as much, although tacitly acknowledging that the market has changed -- perhaps forever -- with the crippling fuel prices paid at the pump over the last 12 to 18 months, Burela left the door open for Ka.

"Ka is an incredibly beautiful little vehicle," he said at Ford's monthly briefing earlier this week.

"As you guys know, that was one of my little vehicles in the portfolio that I led over the last three or four years.

"When I go back and look at Australia, Australia being a 95 per cent automatic market -- we don't have an automatic transmission in Ka. So that's the first problem, right? 'I'm not sure', is the answer.

"I think what we'll wait and do is... let's see how we get on with Fiesta -- let's try and get some traction there -- and then we'll look at whether or not we need to complement Fiesta with anything below the actual B segment."

The Ka isn't the only small or light-car product that Ford Australia could conceivably bring here, but it yet to do so. In Europe, Ford has just unveiled the B-Max, a Fiesta-based mini MPV, much like the Focus-based C-Max but smaller again. Asked whether the B-Max was under consideration for Australia, Burela's response suggests that it's not on the local product planners' agenda -- yet.

"I actually think that Australia has an opportunity that hasn't been exploited," he said in respect of the B-Max.

"If you look at the demographic changes, if you look at the cohort groups, you look at the aging population, one of the things that is missing is a stylish-looking vehicle that gives you a high H-Point -- easy ingress/egress -- for the people that have moved on and are maturing in their life stages.

"That actually doesn't exist. Here, you can actually buy a big van of some sort, or you can buy a sedan -- whether it be a five-door or a three-door or a four-door -- or you go buy an SUV of some description.

"The other [niche] in between could present an opportunity, but I'm not quite sure where that opportunity [lies]; whether it's in the B segment, whether it's in the C segment... It's something that I've started thinking about over the last month that I've been here. When I come to a conclusion, I'll let you know."

We at the Carsales Network recall that an attempt by Daihatsu to market the Pyzar on the same basis never quite measured up, but perhaps the market would be more amenable to such a product from Ford in the current climate.

Burela informed the journalists attending the briefing that he was in two minds as to whether the B-Max or the larger C-Max would be the car of choice for the niche he has in mind. He expressed some concern that the styling of the C-Max wouldn't necessarily meet with the approval of the Australian buying public.

"I'm not sure whether the style of the C-Max would fit nicely in the Australian landscape yet -- but the actual product proposal of a C-Max would," he said.

"I'm worried about, is the style of the car consistent with what the Australian consumer is looking for?

"There's: 'I want the ingress/egress, I want the package, I want the visibility, I want all of those comfort things, but do I want it to look like a van?' The answer is 'no'."

As a side issue, the prospect of the Indian market Fiesta coming to Australia was raised with Burela, but the possibility of that car arriving here is slim to the point of non-existent. Burela tried to put this as tactfully as possible, but the inference is clear; the designed-in-Australia Indian B Car is just not polished enough for the local market.

"What is right for India is not right for Australia," says Burela.

"People in India, where the mass market is, are moving out of motorcycles, bicycles and in some cases rickshaws -- they're moving up this chain and they're moving into a car.

"If you look at what Tata has done with the Nano -- a car for the masses -- it's basic transportation that meets the needs of that particular market.

By inference then, the mass-market Fiesta for India just plain lacks the refinement that the Thai-built Fiesta will offer when that car comes to market late in January.

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