Ford Figo review

THERE’S A NEW trend in SA’s auto industry. Ford is the second manufacturer this year to resurrect an older model, retouch the cosmetics and slap on a lower sticker price than the original.

Nothing wrong with that, you might say, as buyers are getting a quality product at an affordable price. And instead of skimping on the essentials, car makers are instead throwing out the finicky details that don’t matter so much to entry-level buyers. Or so the argument goes.

This is where Figo comes in. Like the Ikon it’s built in India where labour is cheaper. Still, it comes standard with ABS brakes and dual airbags, so there’s been no skimping on the safety front in order to drop the price. No doubt dads will breath a sigh of relief as their precious offspring roll out of the driveway on the way to university.

Two engines are on offer, a fairly sprightly 1.4-litre petrol putting out 62kW and 127Nm of torque, and a 1.4-litre turbodiesel offering 51kW and 160Nm. The revvy petrol is the better choice for around town driving despite the fuel savings offered by the diesel which is a bit gutless on the Highveld.

Ambiente and Trend are the two spec choices, though the higher Trend spec is limited to the petrol derivative and adds things like electric windows and mirrors, a height adjustable seat, remote key, fog lamps and alloy wheels.

It takes a keen eye to spot exterior differences between old Fiesta and new Figo, but in line with Ford’s kinetic design language which calls for everything to look like its moving while standing still, the headlights have been sharpened up and the rear bumper smoothed out by virtue of removing the reflectors. And, eerm, that’s it.

All the changes result in an extremely competitive price of R109 900 for the entry-level Ambiente, with the Trend spec and diesel-engined derivative both pitched at R125 000. Cost for cost against the rivals, Figo drives a hard bargain.