The Ford Figo, a.k.a. Europe’s retired Ka+, has welcomed a new addition to its South African family, the Figo Freestyle.
Described as a small CUV, it’s based on the regular hatchback, to which it has added a 16 mm (0.6 in) higher ground clearance (for a total of 190 mm / 7.5 in). The Figo Freestyle also brings revised looks including a sculpted front bumper and exclusive 15-inch alloy wheels housed in the broader wheel arches with black moldings.
It also features underbody protection at both ends provided by skid plates, standard roof rails, as well as ‘Freestyle’ badging and decals applied to the lower sections of the doors. The new ‘Canyon Ridge’ paint finish is exclusive to this model, which can also be ordered in Diamond White, Smoke Grey, Ruby Red, Moondust Silver and White Gold.
The interior remains virtually untouched, bar the exclusive upholstery and trim, soft-touch gearshift knob, scuff plates and all-weather floor mats. These complement the standard gear offered in the Trend spec, such as the Device Dock with Bluetooth, USB, AUX and smartphone holder, remote central locking, electric windows and others. The Titanium adds the Ford MyKey, 6.5-inch infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, push-button start, automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing headlamps.
Power still comes from the 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol engine found in the Figo hatchback, which makes 122 HP (124 PS / 91 kW) and 111 lb-ft (150 Nm) of torque. Despite the elevated ground clearance, the Figo Freestyle doesn’t feature an all-wheel drive system, as the torque is channeled to the front wheels via the five-speed manual transmission.
Local pricing starts from the equivalent of $13,675 and goes up to $14,930 for the better-equipped Titanium.