Ford India has had an inauspicious start in India with Escort which labored on for quite a while before Ford India gave up the ghost and packed its bag. It returned in 1998 with the Ikon sedan which was launched amidst much fanfare. This had a choice of 1.6 ROCAM engine which was dubbed as the “Josh” machine for its sprightly nature. There was also the old school 1.8 diesel from the erstwhile Ford Escort and another 1.3 liter petrol motor to offset the thirsty nature of the 1.6 motor. As of now, the Ikon sells only in 2 avatars and those are the 1.4 liter tdci and 1.3 liter petrol motor. The Ikon was a runaway success. Then the Executive class Mondeo was launched but due to a poor image, it sunk without a trace. It was a very capable machine and won many magazine shootouts though. Next came the Ford Fusion, Ford India’s attempt at giving India their first crossover vehicle. It had a high price tag and didn’t see the same success as the Ikon.

Then came the big bad Ford Endeavour and it was lapped up in no time. Riding on this success, Ford India launched the Ford Fiesta and this too met with the same success or probably more than the Ford Ikon.

Based on this platform, Ford launched the Ford Figo. The following article describes the details of Ford India’s best attempt at giving Indian consumers a big hatchback with cutting edge technology and at a killer price tag.

Looks

That Ford India have made a valid attempt with giving the new car a identity of its own is well known but how much of it has succeeded? It has a distinct identity of its own however it looks similar to the Ford Fusion. The Ford Figo has a small radiator opening and gives it look of the Ford family. The Blue Oval sits proudly atop the radiator grille. The air dam is a bold affair and one that is really wide. It gives the Figo a aggressive look. The bonnet though is a softened version and features two subtle creases. The head lamps are those wrap around types and the inserts for the fog lamps in the top end versions are blacked out. The side features two distinct creases. The outside rear view mirrors are body colored. It even features a rear window quarter glass.

The size of the front and rear bumpers have been modified to bring in under the 4 meter mark to qualify for excise benefits. The bumpers are also body colored. The windscreen wipers are rain sensing.

The tubeless tyres are of the 14 inch type with the size as 175/65 R14. They fill the wheel wells just about and are fitted with a wheel cover. There are no alloy wheels though, even on the top variant.

The tail lamps for the car are of the SUV type in the vertical shape. The high mounted LED stop lamp is also another feature. The glass area is also huge according to small car standards and features a rear wiper. The rear bumper has a black cladding underneath it and this houses the reflectors.

Interiors

The Titanium spec version of the car gets optional coral hues dashboard. While opinions may be polarized over its looks, we felt that it was a good touch and one that distinguishes the Ford Figo’s interiors from others in its class. The instrument cluster is borrowed from the Fiesta and that is not a bad thing. It gets a three spoked steering wheel however devoid of steering wheel controls for the audio and bluetooth. Bluetooth connectivity is standard however it needs some improvement. Abundant use of brushed aluminum is used for good effect. The circular AC vents spruce up the quotient inside the cabin.

There are cubby holes in abundance keeping the Indian families in mind. Ford India has built this car only for the Indian market as of now.The seats themselves are comfortable however three abreast at the rear would be a chore. The Ford Figo doesn’t feature rear headrests and speaking of rear,a glaring omission is the lack of rear power windows even on the top spec variant. The boot space is 286 liters and it is flat, so lots of the space is actually usable.

It is spacious than the rest of the competiton like the Maruti Swift, Hyundai i10 and the Chevrolet Beat.

Handling and ride quality
In India, no one does the ride and handling package better than Ford India. They have hit the sweet spot from the time the Escort was launched. It handles quite well been based on the Fiesta platform. It is only let down by its puny tyre configuration however wide enough to plant a grin on your face everytime you attack a corner with it.

The same way, the ride is also well sorted out and all but the biggest bump would onloy unsettle it. However it is not as sublime as the Maruti Ritz though. It is just a small trade-off for all the sporty handling and one which many wouldn’t notice.

Engine,Performance and fuel efficiency

Two engines do duty in the Ford Figo. One is the 1.4 liter diesel currently in the Ford Ikon and Fiesta. The other is the 1.2 liter petrol motor. The diesel displaces 69 PS at 4,200 rpm and a peak torque of 160 Nm at 2,000 rpm whereas the petrol outputs 71 PS of peak power at 6,250 rpm and also 102 Nm of peak torque at 4,100 rpm.

Both the engines are lively though the diesel feels slightly under powered but it does the job.

The diesel is the one that would see greater numbers given India’s fixation for small diesel engines.

Performance for the diesel is sluggish though you don’t feel the same while driving it and the power steering adds to the feel. The petrol is high revving and feels good for some more horses.

The Figo has ABS, EBD as standard equipment and has 2 air bags.

The all important question is the average for the Ford Figo and it doesn’t disappoint in this either. The petrol gives 15kmpl in city and 18 on the highway whereas the diesel gave a whopping 20 in the city and 25 on the highway.

Verdict

Ford have hit the right recipe with the Figo. An affordable car with good space for its positioning and price point. Couple that with the features on offer and good handling car alongwith the mileage to boot and the Figo is a winner.

The Ford Figo price range starts from Rs 3,49,900 for the base petrol to Rs 5,29,900 for the top end diesel model.