New Ford Figo twins to get new 1.2 petrol

While it was widely believed that next-generation Ford Figos would feature a derivative of Ford’s award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, sources within Ford have confirmed that the cars will come powered by a new 1.2-litre petrol engine instead. The EcoBoost was proving to be too expensive for what is considered a cost sensitive segment. The new 1.2-litre petrol engine will feature four valves per cylinder, and could also get variable valve timing.

The engine is expected to better the current Figo’s 1.2 unit on both power and efficiency. The other engine on offer will be Ford’s 1.5-litre DV5 turbo-diesel. Ford has started testing the new Figo in both hatchback and compact sedan forms in India.

Going by the spy pictures, the new Figos are likely to be available in trims that will be spaced out in a wide price bracket. While some of the cars — most likely the base trim — come with weedy, small tyres, a black grille and door handles, the other trim comes with alloys, chromed grille, and wing mirrors with turn indicators. The Figo compact sedan is due for launch first, and is expected to be here by around June this year. The car will take on the Tata Zest, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze and the Maruti Dzire, and will replace the Fiesta Classic in the American carmaker’s sedan portfolio here in India.

While Ford has officially confirmed that Indian markets will be getting the Figo hatchback and compact sedan, there have been sightings of the standard-length Figo sedan being tested as well. In all probability, it is likely that Ford will be exporting the sedan model from India too. It is already confirmed that the hatchback and compact sedan will be exported from here. Whether Ford eventually launches the sedan model here remains to be seen.

Both Figos will be rolled out of Ford’s new manufacturing plant at Sanand, Gujarat. The cars will be launched in India with a high level of local content, and this promises competitive pricing.

Comments

2018 Lamborghini Urus India review, test drive

On first introduction, it’s a recipe for intimidation. It’s claimed to be the fastest SUV in the world (0-100kph in 3.6sec and a top speed of 305kph puts it nearly in supercar territory), and it’s made by Lamborghini – creator of some of the most savage vehicles on the market. Things – as with any Lamborghini, for that matter – would be a lot less daunting if we were driving on a smooth European country road, a wide motorway, or even a race track. But today we’re driving the Urus on a narrow ghat road, as well as through some heavy Pune traffic. Perhaps the intention was to demonstrate that this is the first Lamborghini ever to go on sale in India that truly works in our conditions – but still, I doubt they accounted for rush hour. It’s requisitely mad to look at, employing as many ‘sporty’ design tropes to an SUV body style as possible – the only thing missing is a massive wing on the back; and somehow, it works. It’s ...

Skoda Vision RS concept previews new hatchback

Skoda has set the stage for its forthcoming Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus rival with the Vision RS, a concept car that features a performance plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Under the sporty details and concept flourishes, the Vision RS bears a close resemblance to the Rapid hatchback that will be introduced next year. The fact that it has been previewed in vRS form, complete with 245hp PHEV powertrain, shows how much further upmarket the new Rapid will go compared with the current value-led model. Skoda product marketing chief Björn Kroll said: “The current Rapid is too low-market. For this one, we have tried to balance it out.” Skoda will drop the slow-selling liftback version and concentrate on the Spaceback hatch for the new Rapid. At 4,356mm, the concept is just over 50mm longer than the current Rapid, and it has a 440-litre boot that's up by 25 litres. The concept retains some of the current Rapid’s des...

What to avoid during a car service

When it comes to getting their cars serviced at authorised outlets, owners usually go the whole hog. They want their cars coming out of service centres looking brand new, and are willing to pay for it. But do service centres take undue advantage of this? Yes, they do. Servicing may involve changing certain parts and oils after a set interval, but service centres will almost always try to plug in a few extras using technical jargon that a layman may not really understand. Certain processes are completely unnecessary, and customers end up paying extra as they are not aware of what's important and what's not. Also, most of the times, the service associate will throw you a hard sales pitch, and it's not always done with your best interests in mind. So what exactly are the things you don’t really need and should avoid? Engine flushing Flushing an engine simply means cleaning the impure oil and gunk that ...

Automobilestillnow

Search This Blog