Review Car

The Ford Figo Concept is Ford’s new global concept that was unveiled just before Delhi Auto Expo 2014. Unlike the current Figo, it is a compact sedan that will compete with the likes of the Honda Amaze, Suzuki Dzire and the Tata Zest. It will be less than four metres in length, but the concept car has good proportions. Elements like the headlamps, tail lamps, fog lamps, wheels and tyres will not make it as is to production because of the cost target involved. Things like the rear disc brakes will also not make it to production.
The Figo Concept aligns itself with Ford’s “One Ford” philosophy, which means it now looks a lot like the new Mondeo and Taurus. It is a bold new grille, and the headlamps complement the design nicely. The silhouette is pretty much the same as most of the other compact sedans, but the rear is slightly disappointing. Unlike most other cars from the segment, it doesn’t put the rear number plate on the bootlid, instead opting for a low mount on the bumper. This leaves the rear with a look that is a little too vertical despite the horizontal creases that try to alleviate the visual height.
The interior of the car wasn’t developed at the time of the unveiling, but we expect it to carry forward lessons from the Figo and the EcoSport. It should be a modern, futuristic interior with a quantum leap forward in connectivity – it will support a lot more apps, and maybe even run apps on your smartphone. At the same time we expect it to share parts from the EcoSport to keep costs down – the Classic will probably be the last model with hydraulic steering assist from the Blue Oval, provided the current Figo hatch is discontinued.
Ford hasn’t committed to a launch date beyond an enigmatic “soon”, so we expect it to be production-ready within a year’s time.