To boost their dwindling sales, Ford is set to launch a Figo with higher ground clearance and plastic cladding, it is called Ford Freestyle.
Ahead of that, we try to assess how this new offering will compete against the best in the segment, WRV and i20 Active. Here is a detailed comparo.
Exterior and Interior Features
Ford Freestyle will be seen with a hexagonal mesh grill, a well sculpted bumper, blacked out lower segment and bumper mounted fog lamps. It gets roof rails with blacked out wing mirrors and all round cladding.
Its interiors will follow the same design elements seen on the Ford EcoSport. It gets a floating 6.5” touchscreen display, infotainment system supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto besides Ford SYNC3 connectivity system. In terms of safety, it gets dual airbags in the front and ABS which will be a standard fitment.
Honda WR-V is a sub 4 meter car based on the Honda Jazz. It also borrows design elements from the Honda BR-V with a decked up bonnet, rectangular swept back headlamps, thick chrome grille, roof rails and peripheral cladding.
Interiors sport the same layout as seen on the Jazz with a similar dashboard and dials along with its central console and steering wheel design. The WR-V receives an electrically operated sunroof which is only on offer on the top end variant.
Hyundai i20 Active, based on the Elite i20 share the same platform. It however gets a new fluidic design as seen on all new Hyundai cars. It gets a new front grille, restyled fog lamps and swept back projector headlamps. It also receives distinctive body cladding, new alloy wheels and roof rails. New tail lamps are seen at the rear along with a tail gate mounted spare wheel.
Interiors are upgraded with a dual tone upholstery of tangerine orange and aqua blue with black accents. It gets a new instrument cluster with gearshift indicator and three spoke steering wheel. It comes in with Bluetooth controls and integrated audio, height adjustable driver seat, 2 DIN audio system with 1 GB internal memory and climate control. Safety features include cruise control, reverse parking assist and clutch lock.
Dimensions
| Length | Width | Height | WB | GC | Boot | Wt | FT | |
| WRV | 3999 | 1734 | 1601 | 2555 | 188 | 363 | 1204 | 40 |
| Freestyle | 3954 | 1737 | 1570 | 2490 | 190 | 257 | 1026 | 40 |
| i20 Active | 3995 | 1760 | 1555 | 2570 | 190 | 285 | 1200 | 45 |
* WB = Wheelbase, GC = Ground Clearance, FT = Fuel Tank
Ford Freestyle measures 3,954mm in length, 1,737mm in width and 1,570mm in height. It has a 2,490mm wheelbase and gets ground clearance of 190mm along with kerb weight of 1,026 kgs.
Honda WR-V measures 3,999mm in length, 1,734 mm in width and 1,601mm in height. It has a 2,555mm long wheelbase and ground clearance of 188mm. It weighs a total of 1,204 kgs.
Hyundai i20 Active measures 3,995mm in length, 1,760mm in width and 1,555mm in height. It has a 2,570mm long wheelbase and ground clearance of 190mm along with kerb weight of 1,200 kgs.
Engine Specifications
| Petrol | Engine | Cyl | P | T | GB | FE |
| WRV | 1.2L | 4 | 90 | 100 | 5MT | 17.5 |
| Freestyle | 1.2 | 3 | 96 | 120 | 5MT | 19 |
| i20 Active | 1.2 | 4 | 83 | 115 | 5MT | 17.2 |
* P = Power PS, T = Torque Nm, GB = Gearbox, FE = Fuel Efficiency in kmpl
Ford Freestyle is powered by a 1.2 liter, three cylinder petrol engine from the Dragon family and a 1.5 liter diesel engine. The 1.2 liter petrol engine offers 96 hp power and 120 Nm torque. The 1.5 liter diesel engine will be capable of 100 PS power and 210 Nm torque with both engines mated to a standard 5 speed manual transmission.
Honda WR-V gets the same engine options as seen on the Jazz. The 1.2 ltier i-VTEC petrol engine offers 90 hp power and 100 Nm torque. The 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel engine 100 hp power and 200 Nm torque mated to a 5 speed manual transmission.
| Diesel | Engine | Cyl | P | T | GB | FE |
| WRV | 1.5 | 4 | 100 | 200 | 5MT | 25.5 |
| Freestyle | 1.5 | 4 | 100 | 215 | 5MT | 24.4 |
| i20 Active | 1.4 | 4 | 90 | 220 | 6MT | 21.2 |
Hyundai i20 Active engine are not as powerful as those seen on the Freestyle and WR-V. The 1.2 liter Kappa petrol engine offers 82 bhp power and 114 Nm torque. The 1.4 liter CRDi diesel engine produces 89 bhp power and 220 Nm torque mated to 5 speed manual and 6 speed manual gearbox.
In terms of fuel efficiency, the Ford Freestyle is the highest offers 19 kmpl and 24.4 kmpl from its petrol and diesel engines respectively. Honda WR-V engines are capable of 17.5 kmpl and 25.5 kmpl while the Hyundai i20 Active engines offer 17.25 kmph and 2.19 kmpl respectively.
Price
| Price | Petrol | Diesel |
| WRV | 7.91 – 9.14 | 8.95 – 10.09 |
| Freestyle | NA | NA |
| i20 Active | 6.84 – 8.67 | 8.99 – 10.05 |
Ford Freestyle, set for launch later this week, is open for bookings at a down payment of INR 11,000. Though the company has not confirmed pricing as on date, it is expected to come in priced between INR 6-8 lakhs much lower than its two competitors. Honda WR-V is priced between INR 7.9-10 lakhs and the Hyundai i20 Active is priced between INR 6.99-10 lakhs.
