Ford Figo

First Generation (2010-2015)

The Ford Figo was unveiled in Delhi in September 2009. It is based on the same small car platform used for the Ford Fiesta and resembles the mark 5 Fiesta but with revised front and rear treatments. It is smaller than the Fiesta Classic which Ford also sells in India. The name "Figo" is a colloquial Italian word meaning "cool".

It was launched to the Indian market in March 2010, and by July 2010 there were 25,000 sales bookings across all variants. A facelifted model of the Figo was launched on October 15, 2012. This model has a larger hexagonal grill and redesigned head and tail lamps. It was released in South Africa in January 2013.

India

The Ford Figo is available in both petrol and diesel versions, all with five speed manual transmissions and power steering as standard. Both engines meet the BS-IV (Bharat Stage - IV) emission norms.

The Figo diesel is equipped with the same 1.4L engine which is currently powering the Ford Ikon and Ford Fiesta and the Indian petrol version is equipped with a new 1.2L. The petrol variant gives a mileage of around 12.5 kmpl in the city while on the highway it offers around 15.5 kmpl. and the diesel returns a mileage of around 16 kmpl in the city while on the highway it delivers a mileage of 19 kmpl.

The Figo is available 34 in a range of specifications including LXI, EXI, ZXI and Titanium. The Titanium adds alloy wheels, dual air bags and ABS.

The Figo underwent a facelift in October 2012. The facelift had around 100 changes including some major cosmetic changes like new headlamps, new steering column mounted audio controls, new tail lamps, alloy wheels, new front bumper and a new seat fabric design. However, the car remains unchanged mechanically and uses the same 1.2 L Duratec petrol and 1.4 L Duratorq diesel engine.

In February 2014 Ford added a wifi option to all models of the Figo range as part of an audio upgrade package, a first-in-class option. The Ford Figo Concept for 2014 was showcased at the Auto Expo 2014, which has been incorporated into a Ford Time Machine, which gives auto enthusiasts an opportunity to 'go back in time' and take a 3D virtual reality tour of the Ford Pavilion.

Mexico

The Mexican Ikon Hatch is available only with a 1.6 L Duratec petrol engine producing 98 hp (73 kW; 98 hp) at 6500 rpm and torque of 142 N·m (105 lb·ft) at 4000 rpm.

Middle East

The Figo is available with a 1.4 L petrol engine with a manual gearbox or a 1.6 L with an automatic gearbox. It is sold in Trend and Ambiente models.

South Africa

The South African petrol Figo is powered by a 1.4L producing 62 kW (84 PS; 83 bhp) at 6000rpm and torque of 127 N·m (13.0 kg·m) at 4000 and is available in Ambiente and Trend models. The 1.2L petrol is not available.

Production

The Ford Figo is manufactured at Ford's plant in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The 100,000th Ford Figo produced for the Indian market was delivered 15 months after its launch. The 200,000th Figo was sold during August 2012, after 29 months of production, while the 300,000th Figo was made in first week of August 2013, after 41 months of production.

Braking and handling

The Ford Figo has ventilated discs at front and drum rear brakes. The top variant comes with an Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) which enhances the safety of the car by helping it come to a complete stop in emergency situations. The Figo has a turning radius of 4.9 meters and standard power steering.

Safety

During a crash, the Figo's engine automatically falls from the bonnet area to prevent the car from catching fire. Dual front airbags are available on a premium package.

Awards

The Figo has been awarded 20 Indian auto industry awards, more honours than any other car in 2010. The Ford Figo was voted the 2011 Indian Car of the Year by a panel of leading automotive magazine editors. It was also named runner-up in the 2011 South African Car of the Year Awards.

Marketing controversy

A series of Ford Figo print ads were created by JWT India, including a caricature of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the driver's seat with three scantily clad women sitting gagged and bound in the trunk, a Paris Hilton caricature winking from the driver's seat while Kim Kardashian and two others are gagged in the boot, and a caricatured Michael Schumacher with Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso lookalikes gagged in the back. All three featured the same tagline: "Leave your worries behind".

The print ads were not approved by Ford, but were used as speculative renderings to show off the agency's creative talents. JWT breached trust and used an approval from Ford to use other poster ads made for Ford as a tacit approval to enter the adverts into the GoaFest 2013 Advertising awards and adsoftheworld.com. Ivan Razl of adsoftheworld.com confirmed that the ads were removed according to the rules of the website as the letter was only a generic approval and the said ads were not approved, which was confirmed to him by JWT. After the publication of the ads, Ford responded by stating that the posters were contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and its agency partners. JWT India's parent, WPP plc, apologized for the adverts.

After the incident, JWT India chief creative officer and managing partner Bobby Pawar and Blue Hive creative director Vijay Simha Vellanki resigned; and an entire creative team of around 10 from New Delhi were reported to have been laid off.

Second Generation (2015-present)

Ford India launched the second generation Figo in 2015, six years after the initial launch.

Engines

The second generation Figo is available in three engine options. The 1.2-litre petrol unit makes 88PS and 112Nm and comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Ford also has a larger 1.5-litre petrol on offer which is only offered with a 6-speed Dual-clutch transmission. This unit makes 112PS and 136Nm. And lastly, there is also a 1.5-litre diesel, churning 100PS and 215Nm.

Safety

All variants are offered with dual-front Airbags except the base variant, which only gets a driver-side Airbag. The top-end variant gets 6-airbags in total, which includes Side & Curtain Airbags.

Suspension

Independent MacPherson strut with coil spring and anti-roll bar up front work in tandem with semi independent twist beam with twin gas and oil filled shock absorbers at the rear.

Front Grille

The second generation Figo comes with "Aston Martin-esque" Front Grilles. On the top end trims Titanium and Titanium+, the slats/bars and the grill surround are chrome plated. The lower trims get either Black or Silver painted grills and grill surround.

Equipment

Equipment highlights for the Figo include the MyFord Dock, first introduced on the Figo Aspire, which allows occupants to easily place and charge their smart-devices and also use the same for navigation if necessary with the advantage of in-car entertainment integration. Ford’s SYNC with AppLink connectivity is also on offer on top-of-the-line variants. The Ford MyKey allows owners to set limits on how the car is used in terms of top-speed, encouraging seat-belt usage, regulating audio volume etc.

Colours

The second gen Ford Figo is offered with 7 paint options – Ruby Red, Tuxedo Black, Deep Impact Blue, Ingot Silver, Sparkling Gold, Oxford White and Smoke Grey.

Recalls

Ford India issued a statement saying that they had initiated a voluntary recall for approximately 42,300 units of the new Figo and the Figo Aspire owing to problems in the Restraint Control Module (RCM).

The software issue on the RCM can result in airbags not deploying in certain collisions. This may lead to loss of life. Ford stated that they will be carrying out software upgrade on the RCM on all affected vehicles across the country, free of cost. The recall applied to Figo and Figo Aspire units manufactured since the launch of both the vehicles till April 12, 2016.

Production Volumes

Ford India initially targeted 20,000 units / month of average output for Figo and Figo Aspire from the Sanand, Gujarat plant. However reports indicated that Figo hatchback's sales declined by 60 percent between October 2015 and March 2016, while the Figo Aspire's sales went down 74 percent from its launch in August 2015 and March 2016. This led to slash in production to 10,800 units a month.