Figo is often termed as Ford’s most successful car in India. It was launched in March 2010 and Ford made 25,000 bookings by July 2010. Ford launched this hatchback’s facelift model in 2012, and the car’s recent version was released in February 2014. Let’s take a look at what this car has in store for car lovers.
Exterior
Figo looks stylish and sporty. Its sculpted side panels, large hexagonal lower grille, sloping roof line will tempt you to open the car’s door and look inside. Car’s rear and front bumpers, side mirrors, and door handles are body colored. It is advisable to keep those eight spoke alloy wheels and recently redesigned headlamps, tail lamps clean and shinny to attract people’s attention while on road.
Interior
Figo’s fabric seats perfectly match car’s color. Center stack consists of simple buttons for climate control and music system. Air conditioner with 154 cc compressor manages cooling; the heater is impressive as well. Its buttons are placed in center stack below the music system. Door pull caps and centre stack shine due to silver finish. Door trim also looks good due to fabric insert.
You can connect your phone with Figo’s Bluetooth audio unit, and make / receive phone calls. Car’s audio system consists of CD player and radio. Music system supports Bluetooth and USB, so, you can also stream audio from your music player or smartphone.
To make sure that the driver feels comfortable, Ford has added features like height adjustable power steering, height adjustable driver’s seat, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, and rear windshield wash-and-wipe system. There are several storage spaces to keep your smartphone, maps and parking tickets. Front seat passengers can use two cup holders that are part of center console.
Instrument panel consists of digital odometer, low fuel indicator with distance to empty, water in fuel indicator, tachometer, and headlamp on reminder. Figo’s boot space is 284 liters, which is sufficient to carry shopping bags as well as airport luggage. The car maker has also fitted cargo area lamp in certain variants.
Engine
Figo is available with two engine options. You can choose from 1.4-litre Duratorq diesel engine or 1.2-litre Duratec petrol. Both engines are matted with 5-speed manual transmission gearbox. Petrol version offers mileage of 15.22 KMPL, and diesel offers mileage of 19.99 KMPL.
Braking and Suspension System
Independent McPherson strut combined with dual path mounts, manage front suspension, while coil springs with semi-independent twist beam manage rear suspension. Figo’s ventilated disc brake in the front and drum brake in the rear are good enough to control this car.
Safety Seatures
Figo is loaded with safety features like dual front airbags, anti-lock braking system with EBD, keyless entry, front fog lamps, rear defogger, and passive anti-theft system.
Competition
The car competes with Toyota Liva, Maruti Swift, and Hyundai Grand i10 in India. Experts suggest that out of all the cars, Hyundai Grand i10’s cabin is better than those offered by others. But Figo’s plastic material used inside the cabin is tough and hard compared to other three competitors. Ford’s suspension is also rated better than its competitors, as it absorbs all the bumps and offers balanced ride. Price wise, Figo is second cheapest car in this list.
Figo variants are priced between Rs 6.63 lakh and Rs 8 lakh. Price depends on variant and all the applicable taxes. According to news reports, Ford might release Figo’s next version this year. The car maker had unveiled Figo’s production version during 2014’s Sao Paulo Motor Show. Ford might also release Figo compact sedan this year in Indian and South American market.