Ford Figo is currently offered with both petrol and diesel engine options paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard
Ford’s market share in India has declined substantially over the last few years due to slow sales and entry of multiple new competitors in the market. Therefore, despite an impressively well-rounded package, Ford cars haven’t been able to grab the attention of buyers as they should.
Lack of options has been another case where rival brands have pipped over the American carmaker. For instance, Figo is a very competent rival to Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10 Nios in every way but lacks the option of an automatic gearbox. However, Ford had plans to address this loophole, but launch got delayed due to Covid-19.
Engine Specs & Characteristics
Ford will soon launch an automatic transmission option on Figo, most likely this month. This gearbox will be offered with the 1.2-litre Dragon 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine and is the same six-speed transmission offered in EcoSport petrol automatic trim. This 1.2-litre petrol unit is good enough to produce 95 bhp and 119 Nm of peak torque.
This motor is known for its relatively strong mid-range and impressive high-end performance. Power deficits at low engine speeds are clearly evident, however, the torque converter should mask this up to some extent making it an excellent city commuter.
Figo is the first car with a 1.2-litre petrol unit to get an automatic option. Ford might later introduce this gearbox option in Aspire and Freestyle also as both models are powered by the same petrol mill. Select dealers have been notified and staff training is to start soon. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast amlmi_ for sharing this update. Ford India is expected to announce official launch update soon.
Expected Price
Figo is currently offered in three trims namely Ambiente, Titanium, and Titanium Blu with prices starting at Rs 5.85 lakh and going up to Rs 8.70 lakh for the top-spec diesel trim (both prices are ex-showroom). The automatic gearbox is likely to be offered with higher variants of Figo.
The entry-level hatch from the American brand is offered with features such as a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Ford Pass connected car tech, push-button start/stop, automatic headlamps, auto-dimming IRVM and rain-sensing wipers. In terms of safety, it is offered with up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors.
Ford had initially planned to launch the petrol automatic variant of Figo in the second quarter of last year but got deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the petrol unit paired with a manual gearbox returns an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency figure of 18.5 kmpl. The automatic version is likely to return a slightly lesser figure.
