Ford Figo

The Ford Figo concept car (just the exterior) was unveiled to the world at large, last September under the One Ford programme which basically unified all of Ford's engineering R&D activities to build cars for the global market place.

The Ford Figo may not be as exciting to look at when compared to cars like Chevrolet Beat or Hyundai i20 with sharper more dynamic styling. Figo's direct competition, the Maruti Swift is looking slightly dated now and no doubt, the Figo would be looking into eating into a fair chunk of this market. Ford Figo also competes with the Tata Indica Vista, the Ritz, i10, the Punto and most notably the top end Chevy Beat.

Ford Figo really does look like a slightly watered down version of the Fusion in terms of its styling and design proportions, but that's not a bad thing as Ford always have had a family look about their cars - be it the front or the rear end. The Ford Figo in that sense has truly retained the Ford styling DNA and added on some of their new design language - kinetic design, which is now really evident on their newer more dynamically styled cars, most notably their new Fiesta (in Europe) and the Focus.

Ford Figo is available in four trim levels. There is the bare-bones Figo LXI, the mid-level Figo EXI, the loaded Figo ZXI and the Figo Titanium which is the variant with all the bells, whistles and safety (since it has Airbags and ABS). The Ford Figo ZXI and the Titanium variants are available with 'Coral' interiors. This means you get a dashboard bathed in a reddish-brown, plenty of silver accents on the centre console and the door handles and a slightly different interior fabric which has also got red in it. It is quite strikingly different, but somehow I don't really see falling head over heels with the Coral interior. That said, the one colour that really complements this interior scheme is the Metallic Grey exterior.

The fully-equipped Ford Figo's that we drove came with front power windows, keyless-entry with tailgate release on the remote itself. The Figo's also were equipped with a stereo system which sported an Auxiliary-In, MP3 / CD, Bluetooth and USB connectivity in addition to a radio. The good thing about this factory fitted system is that it integrates well with the dashboard and has the same colour of lighting as the instrument cluster carries, giving the car a more unified feel on the inside. Figo's dials are reddish in colour too and the layout we are told comes from a motorcycle cluster.

Ford Figo's top end version (Titanium) comes with an airbag for the driver and the passenger and also has got load sensing seatbelt reels apart from the anti-submarine seats. Other small touches that make the Figo so much more practical are the doorpads which can hold a 1-litre bottle, storage space on the console where you can put your cellular phone or a cup, and some storage space immediately behind the parking brake for some odd bits you'd want to stow. Ford Figo's glove box is fairly large too, and will comfortably accommodate lots of the knick knacks.

The Ford Figo comes with two engines - a 1.2litre DuraTec petrol which is all aluminum (both the block and the head are aluminum alloy). This 1196cc, four-cylinder, 16V DOHC engine produces 70bhp at 6,250rpm and 102NM of torque at 4,000rpm.

The other engine in the Figo, the DuraTorq - is a 1.4litre unit. This 1399cc, four-cylinder, 8V SOHC engine makes all of 68bhp at 4,000rpm and a very useful 160nm of torque at 2,000rpm. This engine in Figo is the same common-rail diesel one which does duty under the hood of the Fiesta, Fusion and the Ikon, so we all know that this lightweight unit is a fairly reliable, robust powerplant and is more than enough for your regular and highway commuting needs. This engine is also known for its economy and we have a feeling this is the engine that most people buying the Figo just might go for. It just has so much torque, that you can be in two gears higher than you should and the engine will just shrug its shoulders and carry on doing its job without a hint of feeling stressed.

Both the petrol and the diesel Figo engines are mated to the very popular IB5 gearbox. This world-class gearbox which is common across the 'B' platform is an extremely quick shifting, slick and precise. It's a total joy to use and it's just one of those gearboxes you'd know you wouldn't mind doing countless gear-shifts through the day.

Ford has done everything it should do for the driving dynamics of the Figo. The Figo's ride is terrific and the grip level is more than adequate. It comes with struts at the front and twist beam at the rear and the suspension set-up has been well tweaked which doesn't make you feel nervous while maneuvering corners and the steering also weighs up well boosting the confidence of the driver.

Ford Figo's steering is superbly weighted and whether high speeds or low speeds, the steering always felt just perfect and accurate. None of the Figo's trim levels have an alloy wheel option and they all run on 175/65/R14 tyres on steel wheels. The Figo's that we were driving had Goodyear GT3's on them and this just goes to show that Ford isn't cutting corners when it comes to something this important. Ford understands the need of good tyres and it is in the Ford genes not to compromise on vehicle dynamics.

The Figo could just be that game changer for Ford and could really help Ford's fortunes. Ford has really listened to the Sandeep's of the world and have priced the Figo incredibly well. The Ford really does have so much in its favour and the Figo possibly is one of the most sensible purchases in the segment today.