In 2009, the first Ford Figo was introduced and was well received by the Indian car enthusiasts. After all, Ford cars in India have been always known for their driving dynamics. Case in point has being the Aspire, the original Figo, EcoSport, Endeavour and the legendary Mustang GT. So the 2019 Ford Figo obviously comes with a lot of expectations from us as well as Ford fans. We got a chance to drive the 2019 Ford Figo’s top of the line edition which is now known as the Titanium Blue edition and here’s what we think about it.
For starters the silhouette of the new 2019 Ford Figo pretty much remains the same, however Ford has made more than 1200 new changes to the new model. Ford’s key focus areas while developing this vehicle for the consumers by the company was power, style, smart and safe. In this first drive review, we’ll be taking a look at these benchmarks that the company has themselves set for the 2019 Ford Figo. Does it deliver on it? Let’s find out.
Power
For the 2019 Ford Figo, power does not necessarily mean the engine specs. This car also delivers on driving dynamics. Ford has offered the 2019 Ford Figo with a new 1.2 litre petrol motor along with the tried and tested 1.5 litre petrol and a 1.5 litre diesel motor. What we drove for this first drive was the manual transmission, 1.2 Litre petrol and 1.5 litre diesel variants. Both have the potential to be the key sales driver models for the company. The company will be offering the 1.5 litre petrol motor with only an automatic transmission.
2019 Ford Figo 1.2 Litre Petrol
For starters many might think it’s pretty much the same engine that’s offered on the Ford Freestyle, however the difference lies in how it delivers power. The new 3-cylinder 1.2L Ti-VCT petrol engine, has been offered for the first time for the value conscious customer base that Ford wants to target at with this new vehicle. The transmission has been tweaked a bit and the power delivery is something that the company has worked on to the best of its ability. This makes it fair to say that this is probably the only fun to drive petrol hatchback with a 1.2 litre engine that money can buy in India right now. This we say since, the Swift does lack that punch that’s seen on the 2019 Figo, whereas if you are someone looking for a spectacular fuel efficiency, it’s just near about the Swift. That balance of power and efficiency is hard to achieve as many car makers will tell you but the new Ford Figo has balanced it in the best possible way give the current technology availability in this segment of vehicle. The naturally aspirated engine generates best-in-class 96 PS of peak power and 120 Nm of torque while delivering a claimed fuel efficiency of 20.4 KM/L. So we were quite impressed with how the new petrol motor delivers on the driving dynamics bang on. And yes it is a fun to drive car.
2019 Ford Figo 1.5 Litre Diesel
This is probably Ford’s most reliable motor. The tried and tested 1.5 litre TDCi diesel is known to offer colossal amounts of torque that the competitiors can only dream of. This engine delivers 100 PS of peak power, 215 Nm of torque and a fuel economy of 25.5 KM/L. There is nothing to complain about this engine, it offers a good low as well as mid-range and you can push it as hard as you want and still end up with a fuel efficiency north of 17 km/l.
Both the engines are mated to a 5-speed transmission, however the diesel motor has a different mechanism for engaging the reverse gear. The mechanism is something that we have seen in many European and American cars that have come to India, but Ford forgot to put a groove on the lift up knob that can be a bit annoying as your hand might slip and you might fail to engage the reverse gear seamlessly every-time. It’s a small fix that should have been there in the first place.
As far as the driving dynamics are concerned, the Figo proved to be rather planted on the tarmac. It is a fun to drive car that feels right with the only exception being at high speeds as there was a significant amount of road noise inside the cabin. We believe the probable reason for this was the choice of tyres, however to be certain we would need to test the Figo on numerous brands and then make an absolute judgement. However, in terms of the company’s first benchmark which is “Power” we were left quite impressed with what Ford has offered with the new 2019 Figo.
Style
As we said earlier that the silhouette of the 2019 Figo is pretty much the same, there have been some changes in the details. We drove the top of the line variant, so if you plan to buy a lower variant, you might miss out of a few things. The car now comes with sporty cellular grille, new 15” alloys, dual tone roof, stylish blue themed interiors and even fog light bezels that make it look sportier than ever. The fog lamps in the new Figo are integrated into the front bumper and will come with a chrome and Blue touch, depending on the trim.
Headlamps with a black encasing in the new Figo lack DRL’s, however the side and rear decals in the Blu trim accentuate its stance. On the inside there is a sporty blue and charcoal black interior, and it is also equipped with several convenience features including push-button start/stop, reverse parking sensors and camera, automatic climate control, USB slots among many others.
So, in terms of style, the 2019 Ford Figo has got the swag quotient that many young buyers will be looking for in hatchbacks in India. The new design changes have also been done tastefully and the interior blue accents have a nice matte finish to them as well. The cabin as well as the exteriors all shout out quality and are something that will last you for years without any hassle. So, the style benchmark is also fully met by the makers for the new Ford Figo.
Smart
Now a connected vehicle system has pretty much become a prerequisite for not just hatchbacks but even entry level vehicles in India. Ford was also among one of the first companies in the world that offered connected vehicle systems through its SYNC technology that’s seen on many Ford vehicles in India. So, when the new Figo was announced we assumed that this one will have it. Sadly, things like SYNC, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are missing on the new Figo. And when asked the reasoning for it, it usually boiled down to the business decision that Ford took to exclude this.
In 2019, in our opinion it’s just criminal not to have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay in a vehicle, that tops out at a price tag in excess of Rs 7 lakh. In fact, we see vehicles like the Wagon R from Maruti Suzuki and even the Hyundai Santro, have it now. Ford also believes that CarPlay and Android Auto might not be deal breakers for its customers, but we are a little sceptical about it, since the car does come with navigation, but it does not offer traffic updates and fastest routes like Google Maps or Apple Maps. We would rather not have a dual-tone roof if it was a business decision, and have connected devices on the Ford Figo.
This we think is the Achilles heel of the new Figo. Also, this car lacks rear AC vents which even a Hyundai Santro now offers. Another missing link is the fact that the fantastic 7-inch touchscreen that the new Figo offers just does not have the same level of intuitiveness that we had seen on the touchscreen panels of the Freestyle and the EcoSport. So, one might say that Ford has given better connectivity options when compared to the outgoing model, however these connectivity options are a generation older for 2019.
Safe
The 2019 Ford Figo does not compromise on safety at all. Going beyond standard dual-airbags and the segment first 6-Airbags in the top of the line variant, the 2019 Figo will enhance occupant safety with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), that helps drivers with better grip and a smooth drive smooth. The New Figo can also enable its owners to navigate through quick turns with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) that’s available in the automatic variant. To top all of this, the 2019 Ford Figo also offers a first-in-class five-year or 100,000 KM warranty, which includes 2-year factory warranty and 3-year extended warranty. So yes, safety is a commitment that Ford does not want to back down on and it shows on the new Ford Figo.
Verdict
For an American company to have an Italian name (Figo) for its hatchback that loosely translates to “cool”, this new Figo complements that name. There are already over 3,20,000 owners of the Figo in India, and the company hopes that they can double those numbers with its 2019 offering. However, this is still a fun to drive car that has the capability of style that can wow, performance that can awe and safety that you can trust, but misses out on being smart. For us this can be the only deal breaker for many that also look at technology inside the car than just driving dynamics. We can recommend this car to a driving enthusiast, but for those looking for a complete package there are already a few rivals of this vehicle that many can consider when looking to buy their next hatchback.