Spec Comparison: 2019 Ford Figo vs Maruti Suzuki Swift

Ford India is all set to launch the new Figo facelift in India today. Ahead of its launch, the variants and feature details of the car were leaked earlier this week. The Figo facelift has received subtle cosmetic changes to enhance its visual appeal along with feature additions. The closest and most fierce rival to the Ford Figo is the all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift, which has won the ICOTY 2018 award. The Swift is the market leader in its segment and comes with a refreshing design, new platform and a ton of features. Here’s a quick spec-level comparison between the Figo and the Swift.

Engine

The new Ford Figo facelift will be available with three engine options – two petrol motors and a diesel one. The car will get a 1.2-litre three-cylinder, Ti-VCT petrol motor from the Dragon family, which is capable of producing 95 bhp and 120 Nm of peak torque. This is the same motor that powers the Ford Freestyle and the Aspire compact sedan. The oil burner will be the tried and tested 1.5-litre TDCi diesel motor that makes 99 bhp and 215 Nm. Both the engines will be mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Meanwhile, a 1.5-litre three-cylinder Ti-VCT petrol will be the only motor to get a six-speed automatic torque converter. It produces 121 bhp and 150 Nm.

On the other hand, the Maruti Suzuki Swift is available in both petrol and diesel variants. The gasoline model employs a 1.2-litre K12B four-cylinder motor that pumps out 84 bhp of power and 114 Nm of peak torque. The diesel variant, on the other hand, uses a Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre Multijet engine that produces 74 bhp and 190 Nm. Both the engines are available with a five-speed manual and an AMT gearbox from Magneti Marelli. While the AMT unit does its job on the Swift, we feel the torque converter on the Figo is a better transmission.

Exterior

The 2019 Ford Figo facelift has undergone subtle changes to its exterior but has managed to retain its overall silhouette. Similar to the new Ford Aspire, this Figo features updated front and rear bumpers and a honeycomb mesh grille pattern on the front grille. The top-spec Titanium Blu variant comes with a blacked-out roof, ORVMs, front grille and alloy wheels, while the front bumper gets a blue insert. The car also features black decals on the doors and the tailgate.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift, underpinned by the Heartect platform, is one of the best looking cars in its segment. Design highlights include a hexagonal front grille, headlamps with integrated LED DRLs, c-pillar mounted rear door handles, floating roof effect and 15-inch dual-tone machined alloy wheels.

Interior

The new Ford Figo continues to be outfitted with the all-black interiors that are seen on the outgoing model. On the other hand, it also finally got the much-needed touch-screen infotainment system. Moreover, the top-of-the-line Titanium Blu model features contrast blue stitching on the seats and blue inserts on the door, blue accents on the infotainment system dials and even the needles on the instrument console get blue highlights.

The Swift features an all-black cabin as well, with black fabric upholstery for the seats and a silver accent on the dashboard, steering wheel and the door panels. The infotainment system is tilted towards the driver by 5 degrees, while the car gets a flat-bottom steering wheel. The twin-pod instrument cluster and the digital automatic climate control dials add a premium touch to the cabin.

Features

The 2019 Figo comes with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, speed sensing auto door lock and seat belt reminder as standard fitment. The Titanium variant gets 14-inch alloys, 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with navigation, rear camera, keyless entry, engine start/stop button, and electrically adjustable and retractable ORVMs. The 1.5L petrol AT model further gets ESP, traction control and hill hold functions. The top-spec Titanium Blu trim comes with 15-inch black alloy wheels, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps, leather-wrapped steering wheels, auto day/night IRVM and side & curtain airbags.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift also features dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts, and seat belt reminder as standard. The mid-spec variant comes with steering mounted controls, keyless entry, electrically adjustable ORVMs and day/night IRVM, while the top end variant (Z) gets LED taillights, 15-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, engine start/stop button, and automatic climate control. The Z+ trim further comes with LED projector headlights and a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system.

Price

The outgoing Figo is priced between Rs 5.83 lakhs to Rs 8.46 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). Considering the changes and the competition, we expect the new Figo to get a price hike of not more than Rs 20,000. On the other hand, the Maruti Suzuki Swift is priced between Rs 4.99 lakhs to Rs 8.85 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

Conclusion

The facelift breathes in a new lease of life into the Ford Figo. In terms of overall packaging, the car is on par with the Maruti Swift. However, it has a tough task ahead when it comes to competing against its rivals in the brutal Indian market.