Ford has joined India’s small car market with the Figo, the manufacturer’s first vehicle in the competitive sub-compact automotive segment.Previously dominated by Maruti, Tata Motors and Hyundai, General Motors, small car sales represent 70 percent of the market in India. New players Volkswagen and Skoda have now been joined by Ford in the economy recently noted as home to the cheapest car made, the Tata Nano ($2,500).
The Figo is priced substantial higher, with its base price is around $7,800 for the gas version and just under $10,000 for the diesel edition. But since Figo means “cool” in Italian, Ford hopes the car resonates similarly with car buyers.
The sub-compact is specifically designed for the Indian market and four models – LXI, EXI, ZXI and Titanium – will be available with different trim levels and designed to suit a variety of consumer tastes.
All models also will be available with a Duratorq diesel engine option. Based on Ford’s proven global small car architecture, Figo has been thoroughly tuned for Indian drivers. With the longest wheelbase in the B-car segment (2489 millimeters) chassis dynamics have been optimized with new steering and suspension components.
The standard engine for all models is the 1.2-liter Duratec petrol engine. Duratorq 1.4-litre diesel engines are available on all models. A new 1.2-litre petrol engine delivers 52.44 kW (71.35 PS) @ 6250 rpm and 102 Nm (10.4 kg) @ 4000 rpm. Ideally geared for Indian traffic, fuel efficiency for the 1.2-liter is 15.6 kilometres per liter or about 35 mpg. The 1.4-liter Duratorq diesel engine also will be available for Figo with fuel mileage averages of 20 kpl or about 47 mpg.
A five-speed manual transmission is standard equipment on both engines. The clutch has been designed for low effort due to frequent application for shifting in high traffic found in the Indian market. Zero to 62 mph is 15.5 seconds and 15.8 seconds for the diesel variant.
Article Last Updated: September 8, 2021.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
