Ford Figo Concept preview

It's an Indian thing, but one with huge promise, is the sub 4-metre sedan. Now, we might not lap up larger, more spacious hatchbacks even though there's no doubt about their practicality, ease of usage or even interior room and boot space. But present us with a sedan at hatchback prices, and we go berserk. And by me, I mean the average Indian car buyer.

But, to get the pricing right, car makers have had to adapt. With our government regulations giving a substantial advantage to cars that measure less than 4-metres in excise duty benefit, and of course, our love for sedans, we now have a thriving new segment called compact sedans. Tata pioneered it, mind, with the Indigo CS, and reaped good benefits from it. But, with the advent of newer, more modern products in the same space, it began losing out.

Today, almost every car maker has a compact sedan - Maruti Suzuki has the Dzire, Honda has the Amaze and Mahindra has the Verito Vibe. Moreover, those who didn't, have one in the wings. Tata has showcased its modern take on the segment with the Zest and tomorrow Hyundai will launch the Grand i10 based sub 4- metre sedan. 

But, the one we are talking about today is the Ford Figo Concept. It will make production this year and it will come with both petrol and diesel engines. There will be a 5-speed manual gearbox and possibly an automatic as well. We can also tell you that the Figo Concept will be a spacious car having seen its interiors. It will come with a plethora of equipment from climate control to Ford's own Sync with voice commands and Bluetooth telephony. It will also get power ORVMs with electric fold and of course, ABS and airbags in its top of the line Titanium trim.

The Figo Concept will be a dynamically sorted car as well and we say this without even having driven the car because Ford might have got many things wrong in many of their products in the past, but it has never got the ride and handling balance wrong. Expect the Figo Concept or compact sedan then, to have class leading dynamic ability.

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In terms of design, the Figo Concept adapts Ford's new design philosophy, and it must be said, it looks so much better than the current Figo. The front grille, the swept back head lamps and the LED daytime running light which is part of the fog lamp outline, gives the car an air of modernity and class in equal measure. On the side, the pronounced shoulder line that starts at the front fender and finishes with the tail lamp give the Figo Concept character and style. It doesn't look odd either, which one would expect from a sub-4 metre sedan. 

At the rear, the tail lamps look edgy. These are LED units with turn indicators housed in the centre of the lamp console. But, overall the rear styling doesn't match  to the front mainly because the boot lid fails to stand out; it's just too conventional to gel with the rest oft he car's flamboyant styling.

There isn't much to say about the interior design as of now, as Ford says, the interiors are far from finished. But, the mockup of the dash hints at styling cues borrowed from the EcoSport. According to Ford, there's one thing it will get right when it comes to the production version of the Figo Concept, and that's the feeling of plushness and airiness inside the cabin. So, expect lighter coloured plastic and upholstery and hopefully, better quality plastic too, at least in areas relating to look and feel, and overall finish levels.

Ford is also clear about the Figo Concept's positioning. The company will get the Figo Concept at an affordable price point and it will make the car relatively cheap to own as well. The first step in this regard, is the Happy Pocket scheme that Ford has launched, not just for the Ford Concept but for all its cars which ensures the regular service costs of Fords will be among the least in their respective classes. 

So, what do we think about the Ford Concept? In totality, it should make for a wonderful product. If Ford can come good on its claims of affordable pricing, affordable running costs and a modern and sophisticated interior, the Figo Concept is bound to find a number of takers.