2019 Ford Figo Review — Driving The BLU’s Away

Updated: Monday, March 18, 2019, 12:00 [IST]

Ford first introduced the Figo hatchback in the market, back in 2010. The hatchback offering from Ford India, was an instant hit in the market; winning the prestigious 'Indian Car of the Year' in 2011. The car later received a facelift in 2012. The Ford Figo brought in volume sales to the brand in the country, thanks to its fresh design, strong performance and feature-packed interiors.

Continuing on the success, Ford later brought in the second-generation Figo to India back in 2015. The new generation model, brought along with it a number of additional features and a host of updates. Now, four years later, Ford has given the 2015 Figo, a mid-cycle update in the Indian market.

The new 2019 model, brings along with it a number of styling changes, additional features and new safety equipment as well. The top-spec Figo BLU; similar to the Figo S variant is offered with additional cosmetic features, which helps it stand out as a more sporty offering compared to its lower variants.

We got a chance to test drive the new Ford Figo BLU in the 'Blue City' of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. So what exactly has changed? And is the new Ford Figo worth its new price tag? Let's find out.

Design & Style

In terms of design, the new Ford Figo is identical to the 2018 Ford Ka+ (European nameplate for the Figo). However, compared to the older Indian-spec model, the new Figo now comes with a number of subtle, yet noticeable changes. These include a stylish new honeycomb grille, updated bumpers with reworked fog lamp housing, updated headlamp cluster, tweaked taillights and larger set of newly-designed alloy wheels.

Starting off with the front, the Ford Figo BLU is offered with very stylish blacked-out honeycomb grille. The sporty look of the Figo BLU is further characterised by the stylish metallic blue-coloured C-shaped surrounds around the fog lamp housing. The fog lamps themselves are positioned below the main headlamp cluster and are integrated with the updated front bumper which adds to the character of the hatchback.

Looking at the new Ford Figo BLU from the front, we can notice a slightly raised centre section. The bonnet is also now broader and is borrowed from the new Ford Aspire compact-sedan offering.

The Blue accents and the blacked-out grille, however, are available only with the top-spec variant. Lower variants, on the other hand, offer a chrome honeycomb grille. The blue elements around the fog lamps are also replaced by chrome accents.

The Figo continues to be offered with the same halogen headlamps as on the previous model. The low-beam works perfectly well, with a decent throw for night runs in the city. However, on the highway the headlamps do feel a bit lacking; even with the high-beam switched on.

Moving to the side, the new Ford Figo BLU now comes with a larger set of 15-inch blacked-out alloy wheels. These alloys also offer a new design; continuing with the sporty theme of the hatchback.

Other sporty elements include black decals running across the length of the hatchback on either side and blacked-out ORVMs with integrated turn indicators. Ford is also said to have raised the ride height of the new Figo slightly, to better accommodate for Indian road situations.

The Ford Figo BLU also comes with a dual-tone paint scheme featuring a blacked-out roof, which along with the integrated rear spoiler gives the hatchback a more-compact sporty two-door look.

The rear of the Ford Figo remains mostly unchanged, compared to the 2015 model. However, it does come with slightly tweaked taillights, as well as a high-mounted light strip integrated with the spoiler. The lower boot lip also features the black decals, this time with the 'BLU' name tag; just below the trim badging.

The Cockpit

The cabin space on the new Ford Figo BLU hasn't changed much. It still features a similar interior as seen on the previous generation. However, it does borrow a number of elements from the Aspire compact-sedan.

It offers a similar, instrument cluster with blue-coloured needles, horizontal MID at the lower central part of the instrumentation; between the analogue speedometer and the tachometers. The instrument cluster has also been placed in the line-of-sight of the driver; allowing them to concentrate on the road ahead, without any major distraction.

The Ford Figo comes with a three-spoke steering wheel wrapped in leather. Ford has provided the steering wheel with the right amount of thickness, which along with the leather-wrap feels good to hold on to.

The steering wheel further comes with a piano-black finish on the bottom-spoke. It also features mounted-controls for calls and audio functionality on the left-spoke. Behind the wheel is the indicator and rain-wiper stalks, which function well, however, it did feel a bit 'non-premium'.

The Ford Figo continues to come with the same circular-shaped AC vents surrounded by chrome, near the front doors. The central AC vents also seem to have remained largely unchanged, positioned on either side of the infotainment display. The centre console on the Figo also comes with AC controls, allowing passengers to set the climate control accordingly.

The controls for the headlamp units are placed neatly near the driver-side doors, with easy access to the driver. The new Figo also comes with electrically-adjustable ORVMs as well.

The power window buttons are placed on the doors, with easy reach to the passengers. The side armrest on the doors also get the same matching metallic blue accents as seen around the exterior fog lamps.

The centre console on the Figo also comes with AC controls, allowing passengers to set the climate control accordingly. All-in-all, the cockpit is the place to be in the Figo. It offers a clean and simple layout, most of it within easy reach to the driver.

Stereo & Infotainment

The new Ford Figo is offered with a 7.0-inch capacitive touchscreen infotainment system; the same one seen on the Aspire. The display offers a clean layout and is easy to operate. The touchscreen display can be used to control the media settings, Bluetooth connectivity and also the in-built navigation.

However, even the top-spec Ford Figo BLU misses out on Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and the brand's own SYNC3 functionalities; most of which have become almost an expected feature on new models. Ford has offered the Figo with four speakers; on each of the doors. The car also allows passengers to select and vary the intensity of the music between the front and rear speakers.

Apart from the infotainment display, Ford Figo also comes with physical buttons, which can be used to switch between radio channels, audio sources, volume and other features.

Practicality, Comfort & Boot Space

The new Ford Figo looks compact from the outside, however, it does offer a good amount of space on the inside. The 2019 Ford Figo also has the longest wheelbase in the segment at 2490mm translating to better cabin space, compared to most of its rivals.

Ford offers the Figo with fabric seats, even on the top-spec variant. The seats themselves are sufficiently large and comfortable with good thigh support. The side bolstering on the front seats could have been a tad bit better as we do end up moving about, especially during sharp or fast corners.

The seats on the Ford Figo need to be adjusted manually, using levers present on the side as well as under it. The steering further comes with tilt function, which helps provide the driver with a comfortable driving position.

Moving to the rear seats, the Ford Figo comes with flat bench seats. Though they are meant for three adults, it will be a bit of a squeeze. The seats themselves are flat, with very little thigh support. However, they are comfortable with enough legroom and headroom, even for a six-footer.

In terms of practicality, the Ford Figo offers a good amount of storage space all around the inside of the car. Cubby spaces can be seen all around, including on all four doors and next to the handbrake as well. The glove box compartment is also spacious, with easy reach to the driver as well.

The new Ford Figo offers a decent luggage capacity of around 257-litres. The space can further be extended by folding the rear seats entirely. Ford doesn't offer a 60:40 split seat folding on the Figo. The boot can easily fit the luggage of the entire family, however, loading and unloading will take a bit of effort due to the large boot lip. Ford also offers the Figo with a full-size 14-inch steel spare wheel placed under the boot.

Engine, Performance & Driving Impressions

As part of the drive, we got to test out two variants of the new Ford Figo BLU — 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol and 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel units.

The 1.2-litre petrol 'dragon-series' engine churns out 'class-leading' power output, compared to its competitors in the segment. It produces 96bhp and 120Nm of torque and Is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard.

The petrol engine offers a smooth drive, with a strong and linear performance. The engine does struggle a bit at lower RPMs, however, once you cross the 2,500rpm mark, it becomes more lively and fun to drive. The Ford Figo also offers a light-clutch, making it easy to get off the line. At higher speeds the strong linear performance easily keeps the engine going till the redline at around 6,500rpm. However, the car does struggle at low revs, constantly making you work through the gears., however, at low speeds, you will really need to work the gears as the response isn't the best.

The diesel engine, on the other hand, was an absolute pleasure to drive. The 1.5-litre diesel unit churns out 100bhp and 215Nm of torque mated to the same five-speed manual as the petrol. The engine offers good performance, however, there is a bit of turbo lag below the 1,500rpm after which there is an immediate surge in power available all the way up to 5,000rpm.

There was also not much engine noise creeping into the cabin, translating to good NVH levels. The five-speed gearbox was an almost perfect match for the diesel unit; with little to no hesitancy while performing quick gearshifts. The Ford Figo even handled corners brilliantly. It was extremely stable at high-speed straights, bends and even some aggressive overtakes.

The suspension has been set up to absorb most of the road undulations, with little to no jerks being transferred to the passengers. The steering wheel also feels well weighed-up, offering enough confidence and feedback to perform any quick directional changes as well.

Apart from the two engine options, Ford also offers the Figo with a larger 1.5-litre 'Dragon series' petrol engine on offer. However, this is available with only the mid-spec Titanium variants. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine churns out 123bhp and 150Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission as standard.

Specifications Overview

Here are some facts and figures of the latest 2019 Ford Figo:

Fuel	Petrol		Diesel
Engine	1,194cc	1,497cc	1,498cc
No. Of Cylinders	3	4	4
Power (bhp)	96	123	100
Torque (Nm)	120	150	215
Transmission	5-Speed MT	6-Speed AT	5-Speed MT
Fuel Efficiency (km/l)	20.4	16.3	25.5
Kerb Weight (kg)	1016 - 1026kg	1078kg	1046 - 1057kg

Variants, Mileage & Colours

The new Ford Figo is available in seven variants (four petrol and three diesel). The same is listed below along with their ex-showroom (Delhi) prices:

Petrol
Ambiente	Rs 5.15 Lakh
Titanium	Rs 6.39 Lakh
Titanium (1.5-Litre)	Rs 8.09 Lakh
Titanium Blu	Rs 6.94 Lakh
Diesel
Ambiente	Rs 5.95 Lakh
Titanium	Rs 7.19 Lakh
Titanium Blu	Rs 7.74 Lakh

The new Ford Figo offers excellent mileage figures on the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel offerings. The petrol returns a claimed fuel efficiency 20.5km/l while the diesel returns an even impressive 25.5km/l.

The 1.5-litre petrol-automatic powertrain, however, claims a certified mileage of 16.6km/l, which could be even less in real-world conditions.

The new Ford Figo (2019) is offered in a range of seven colour options for the Ambiente and Titanium variants - Oxford White, Moondust Silver, Smoke Grey, Deep Impact Blue, Ruby Red, White Gold and Absolute Black. Among them, only the first three paint schemes (White, Silver and Grey) are available on the top-spec Titanium Blu trim.

Safety & Key Features

For the price point, the new Ford Figo offers a host of features and safety equipment. It ticks most of the boxes, in terms of the features on offer (well almost!). Here are some of the features you can expect on the top-spec variant of the new Ford Figo:

7.0-inch Touchscreen Infotainment System
Embedded Navigation
Electric Door Lock
Electric Boot Release
Push-Button Start
Electrically-Adjustable & Folding ORVMs
Automatic Headlamps
Rain-Sensing Wipers

The new Ford Figo doesn't compromise on safety, offering a host of safety features and equipment:

Six-Airbags
ABS with EBD
Rear Seatbelts
Perimeter Alarm
Remote Keyless Entry
Rear Parking Camera
Engine Immobiliser

Accessories & Warranty

To further make the new Figo hatchback even more unique, customers can choose from a wide range of accessories on offer by Ford India. These include a range of accessories such as exterior and interior styling kits, sporty body wraps and decals, chrome packs for the exterior, luxury packs for the interiors, leather seats and much more. The entire range of accessories is available on Ford's official website.

Warranty Period

Best-in-class 5-years warranty*

*This includes 2-year factory warranty and an additional 3-year extended warranty periods

Scheduled Service Interval

1 year or 10,000 kilometres

Competition & Fact Check!

The new Ford Figo faces stiff competition in the hatchback segment in India. The new Figo competes against cars such as the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i10 Grand and the Tata Tiago.

Here is a brief fact check between the new Ford Figo and some of its direct rivals:

Model	Displacement (cc)	Power/Torque (bhp/Nm)	Starting Price
New Ford Figo	1194	96/120	Rs 5.15 Lakh
Tata Tiago	1199	84/114	Rs 4.21 Lakh
Maruti Suzuki Swift	1197	82/113	Rs 4.99 Lakh
Hyundai i10 Grand	1197	81/114	Rs 4.97 Lakh

Rahul Nagaraj Thinks!

The new Ford Figo is an absolute fun-to-drive hatchback, with the best-in-class power figures. Ford has done a brilliant job with the new Figo, offering the right balance between performance and fuel efficiency. It ticks most of the right boxes, for both the enthusiast and the family person in you.