FORD FIGO
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Ford is throwing everything (including a Rs 2300 crore investment) behind the Figo, the company’s first mainstream hatchback for India. It comes after several years of thorough development and a huge cost reduction exercise. However, the Figo also comes at a time when the fight in the hatchback segment has never been fiercer. With the VW Polo just launched, the Nissan Micra a few months away and Toyota on the radar as well, the Figo will certainly have its work cut out. More so when you consider that the established hatchbacks like the Swift, i20 and Fabia are in a process of upgradation and won’t make things easy.
So how will the Figo differentiate itself? How will it entice buyers who now have a choice like never before? Ford is banking on the proven underpinnings of the Figo to deliver a solidly engineered and practical car in an irresistible value-for-money package. But is the enough to lure customers? Our road test answers these questions.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
The Figo’s nose is without a doubt the most attractive part of the car, sporting Ford’s Kinetic Design language which is shared with stablemates like the Mondeo, Focus and the new European Fiesta. The slim upper grille and huge anvil-like lower grille are typical Kinetic Design elements, which work brilliantly to offer a sporty and contemporary look. Details like the very technical-looking front end.
Start moving back and the Figo rapidly loses its modern looks and moves a generation back to betray its roots, which lie in the previous Mark V Fiesta (code: B256) from 2003. Though Ford has re-skinned most of the car by replacing almost all the body panel (except the roof and rearmost side section which are carried over from the B256), the large glass area and low window line point look stylistically outdated. The rear three-quarter glasses look old-school too. Move over to the rear of the car and the Figo redeems itself with a completely re-designed tailgate and a new vertical tail-lamp cluster. To meet brutal cost targets, Ford had no choice but to retain some of the panels from the previous-generation Euroepan Fiesta, for the Figo. However, Ford’s design centre in Australia, which styled the Figo, must be complimented for blending old with new in a seamless way. The overall result is a car that is well proportioned and pleasing to the eye. The Figo may not have the futuristic styling of the Beat or even the five-year-old Swift but it’s not that dull to put buyers off.
The Figo is based on the tried-and-tested Fiesta platform that’s successfully sold in India. In fact, the underpinnings are almost identical to the saloon and that’s a good thing. You get the same though build (the doors shut with a big-car thud) and the same brilliant suspension and steering systems. The front struts with the lower A-arms are mounted on a tough sub-frame for rigidity and road isolation and the Figo gets along 170mm travel suspension. The ‘valveing’ on the rear dampers has also been altered to make ride more comfortable and Ford has reduced steering effort at low speeds in accordance with customer demand. For all practical purposes, the Figo is a Fiesta without a boot and around 20kg lighter.
INTERIORS
The Figo’s interiors are based on the Fiesta saloon but have been redesigned extensively. The lower half of the dashboard is similar to the Fiesta, which means it is supremely practical with generous storage in the central console, door pockets and glovebox. The dashboard ‘topper’ is all new and smartly shaped with lots of edgy bits. However, the optional red colour for the dash top is really jarring but thankfully there’s an all-black interior that you can choose too.
Splashes of silver, especially around the air vents, look great and lend an air of sophistication to the cabin. The plastics don’t have the richness you now expect in a big hatch but the plastic are hardwearing and the switchgear have a solid, workmanlike feel.
Equipment levels though are a mixed bag. On the top-end version, safety essentials like ABS and airbags are standard as are luxury items like electric power mirrors, a new double DIN audio system with MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity. What’s missing is steering adjust and steering-mounted audio controls but the biggest bit of penny pinching is the absence of power windows at the rear.
There is loads of legroom in the front, even for six-footers. The front seats with their firm padding and durable material are pretty comfy and visibility is excellent. In fact, the Figo’s generous glass area and low windows sills have given it a particularly airy cabin. It’s just as well that the Figo retains the Fiesta’s big-capacity air-con compressor, which is particularly effective even in peak heat.
The driver’s seat adjusts for height but not the steering wheel which can sometimes feel odd, especially if the seat is dropped to its lowest setting.
Despite the overall length of the car and the long wheelbase, legroom at the rear is not a Figo strength. That’s because the Figo with its sloping roof is low-slung at the rear and passengers have to crouch a bit and that takes up more kneeroom than when sitting more upright. To make up, Ford has cleverly liberated plenty of foot space below the front seats, which ensures you never really feel cramped. Another plus point is the generous width and long seat squab, great for underthigh support.
The Figo provides exceptional boot space and the design of the hatch makes it easy to load as well. Two suitcases can be squeezed in without dropping the single-piece bench (there is no split).
ENGINE, GERARBOX & PERFORMANCE
Petrol
Diesel
The Figo comes with two engine options – a 1.2 Petrol and a 1.4 diesel. The diesel is the same Duratorq unit that powers the Ikon and Fiesta while the petrol is a scaled-down version of the 1.4/1.6 Duratec engine from the Fiesta and belongs to the same Sigma engine family.
In fact, Ford used the European Fiesta’s 1.25-litre Sigma engine as a base and merely reduced the bore (the stroke is the same). Along with this reduced capacity comes a lower compression ratio of 9.75:1 and a new design for the head, both done to allow the engine to adapt better to our lower octane fuel. Ford has also constructed a special water jacket to cool the head more effectively. A digital throttle also helps improve control over the engine and this motor is Euro IV-compliant from the word go. The power output of the motor is an unimpressive 70bhp - the Honda 1.2 produces 89bhp in comparison.
Throttle response is pretty decent and on part-throttle the Figo is quite sprightly for its power-to-weight ration. However, floor the throttle pedal to overtake in a hurry and you will be disappointed. The mid-range is quite weak and you need to drop down a gear, sometimes two, to get a serious move on. Ford has also curtailed the top end of the motor. Unlike the 1.6 or even the 1.4, it no longer pulls to 7000rpm, the limiter cuts in at 6500rpm, and the last 1000rpm feels strained. As a result, flat-out acceleration to 100kph takes a leisurely 16.3 second with 120kph only coming up in 24.8sec. This is clearly slower than competition like the Swift, which is 3.2sec faster. In-gear acceleration, though slower than the Swift, isn’t too far removed from cars like the i20, which also have a weak bottom end. However, Ford’s iB5 transmission which is light, precise and an absolute jewel, makes it easy to keep the motor in the perky part of the powerband.
The smooth and very responsive Duratorq diesel is by far the more driveable motor. There’s little turbo-lag and this is easily the most tractable small diesel in the market. The Duratorq has only two valves per cylinder which reduces high-speed flow to the cylinders. This gives a very strong bottom end and good mid range too but there is a lack of top-end grunt. Still, the diesel does the 0-100kph in a petrol-matching 16.3sec and can stay with the petrol as speeds build up as well. This common-rail diesel is also exceptionally smooth and vibration free. You can hear some amount of diesel clatter but it’s one of the quieter diesels around. The Figo diesel is clearly the better of the two engine options.
RIDE & HANDLING
With the Fiesta chassis as a starting point, we expected the Figo to have outstanding ride and handling. What we didn’t expect is how much of an improvement it would be. Ford’s engineers wanted to deliver a comfortable ride without compromising the fun-to-drive elements that characterize every Ford. Which they have succeeded in doing.
The ride on the long-travel springs and finely tuned dampers is perfect. The suspension has the right amount of suppleness to absorb bumps without getting unsettled, and functions silently with no crashes or thuds. And this is at low, Medium or high speeds. Having sophisticated suspension geometry and a long wheelbase pays dividends and straightline stability is hugely impressive.
Ford has reduced steering effort to make maneuvering at parking speeds a lot easier. The steering feels delightfully light at low speeds but up the pace or attack your favourite twisty road and the Figo steers very accurately; however, some of the ‘Fordness’ and feel of the steering system is lost. Nevertheless, this remains one of the nicest steering systems around and offers a purity of steering only achieved by hydraulic and not electric assistance.
Body control and chassis balance are outstanding as well and the Figo simply begs to be driven hard. It’s such a pity that neither engine option can fully exploit this wonderful chassis.
The brakes, though pretty effective, need an extra shove on the pedal to shed speed quickly.
FUEL ECONOMY
Petrol
Diesel
The petrol Figo returned consumption figures of 10.9kpl and 15.4kpl for the city and highway respectively. These figures, though respectable, are nowhere near the class best mainly due to the weak mid-range which necessitates fuel-sapping gearshifts.
The diesel, in comparison, is incredibly frugal, especially in the city where it returned an astonishing 14.1kpl. The highway figure of 18.5kpl is hugely impressive too.
Ford Figo
AUTOCAR VERDICT
Petrol
Diesel
Petrol Figo great value, diesel is hard to fault.
The Figo may not have the design flair of other B-segment hatchbacks and neither is it as modern as the competition. Also, the 1.2 petrol, though smooth and efficient, is outclassed by other 1200cc engine. The diesel Figo, on the other hand, makes a strong case for itself with the responsive and frugal 1.4 Duratorq motor. Under the skin is a tried-and-tested platform that offers brilliant ride and handling, true to the Ford DNA. The Figo’s interiors are pretty spacious, well equipped and solidly built, and in fact the Figo comes across as a Fiesta without a boot. It’s hard to fault the Figo diesel, which has everything you would want from an affordable diesel hatch. Ford has a winner on its hands.