[aaggoswami]

Some new confusion on what is it based.
Here is one article.

Link : 2010 Ford Figo Revealed in India

Article :

Ford made a major announcement when company CEO Alan Mulally told the world about its new small car. The vehicle is called the Figo and it will be manufactured at Ford's plant in Chennai, India. Furthermore the country is set to become a major regional small-car hub for the blue oval after undergoing a US$500 million transformation, thereby increasing its annual capacity to 200,000 units. The plant will be geared to produce diesel and petrol engines, both for the domestic vehicle market and for export within Ford's Asia Pacific and Africa region.

"Our exciting new Ford Figo shows how serious we are about India," said Mulally. "It reflects our commitment to compete with great products in all segments of this car market. We are confident the Ford Figo will be a product that Indian consumers really want and value."

Based on the fifth generation 2008 Fiesta, the Figo is targeted to the small car B-segment which in India accounts for 70 percent of the new vehicle market.

Its design philosophy follows the brand's new kinetic language. From the front grille to the sculptured lines the styling is modern and reflective of current models like the Mondeo and the Fiesta. The latter also shares some technologies with the Figo.

What ever it be, at 3.5 lakh this car would be good, but at the same time maintenance cost should not be very high. A.S & S. remains to be seen.

[sidindica]

Figo VS MK6 Fiesta

pictorial comparision

[svsantosh]

Ford unveils the Figo, new small car for India

The U.S. automaker gets serious about the lucrative Indian car market with this latest model.


Last Updated: September 23, 2009: 1:57 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor Company unveiled a new small car at a press conference in Delhi, India on Wednesday. The subcompact, which is called the Figo, will be produced in India for the Indian market, as well as for export to other Asian countries and Africa.

The Figo's launch "signals Ford's intention to compete in India's largest and most important small-car market segment," the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker said in an announcement.
A little over 1 million passenger cars are sold in India each year, according to Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer. The automaker expects India to become the third largest market for small cars, behind the U.S. and China, by 2030.

India-based Tata Motors and Japan's Suzuki Motors are currently among the country's biggest-selling carmakers.

Ford has invested $500 million in its factory near Chennai, India, to prepare it for high-volume production of the Figo, the automaker said, doubling the plant's capacity to 200,000 units per year.

The Figo was designed and engineered in India, Ford said, but it's based on the existing small-car engineering platform that's already used for the Ford Fiesta.

Ford currently sells a version of the Fiesta in India, as well as three of its other car models. While all of these Ford models would be considered small cars in the U.S., they're each bigger than the Figo, which is about the size of a Honda Fit.

According to Ford, small cars like these makes up about 70% of the Indian car market. "[That's] where the meat of the Indian market is," Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer said of the Figo.

No additional details about the car -- such as what size engine it will use, its fuel economy or its price -- were revealed.

"We're confident that the new Ford Figo will be extremely attractive to Indian car buyers," said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. "It's going to be very competitive withthe current market leaders and offer a tremendous value story for our consumers. We believe Ford Figo is a big game-changer for Ford that will help transform our brand into a volume player in India."

The car represents a major shift in Ford's India strategy, the automaker said in its announcement. India will now become Ford's "regional center of excellence" for small car engineering and production.

For the past several years, Ford Motor Co. has been moving toward a global structure in which different facilities around the world become "centers of excellence" for different types of vehicles, responsible for engineering that is shared throughout the company. Australia, for instance, is a "center of excellence" for rear-wheel-drive cars, while U.S. engineers concentrate on trucks.

The Figo will go on sale in early 2010. Ford has not announced any plans to sell the car outside markets in Asia and Africa.

[Dippy]

Nice pictorial comparison sid. The two cars are very similar. I wonder why Mr. John Parker said that the Figo is not based on the Fiesta. Maybe the next Fiesta is part of the global platform which he mentioned at the event.

[GTO]

Superb event report, Dippy.

Here is my take on the Figo:

- THIS is the product that Ford India needs. Ford has a pretty dismal market share after being present in India for a decade. Primarily because they haven't had anything other than a C segment sedan to bring in the numbers. The Mondeo tanked & the Endeavour with its 20 lakh price would only do a couple of hundred units monthly.

- I LIKE the Figo's styling. Everyone knows how clean proportionate designs appeal to me. It's not as modern as say an i20, nor eye catching like the Swift, but it will do the job.

- The engines : 1.2L petrol better be a torquey unit (Ford petrols usually are). They'd do well with using the ultra-fuel efficient Fiesta / Ikon 1.4 TDCi, and giving the Fiesta a 1.6 diesel. The 1.4 gives 14 - 15 kpl in the Fiesta, probably 16 - 17 in a smaller lighter car.

- Pricing : KEY to the Figo's success. This is uncharted territory for Ford. I hope they don't follow the typical "launch at a high price, cash in, and then bring in the discounts & specials month after month 2 years later". C'mon Ford, price it right from day one.

- Dealer & service network : Will need a massive upgrade. Capability to handle numbers will be key.

- Ride & handling : Ford's Euro-derived cars have been masters of ride & handling balance. Just ask the Ikon, Fiesta & Mondeo owners.

Originally Posted by Dippy

it was known that Alan Mulallay, the President and CEO of Ford Motor Company was making a quick trip to India, it had to be something big.

Just goes to show that there is a lot riding on the Figo. I believe its slang for "cool" in Italian (read it in a news daily).

The car is built on a Ford world platform and NOT the one of the existing Fiesta.

But what is this world platform derived from? As Ajmat posted, an earlier Fiesta?

The Figo will come with a 1.2 petrol and a 1.5 diesel engine.

Existing 1.4 diesel would be beneficial.

An AT model of the Figo is definately on the cards.

As a firm believer of automatic transmissions, and the value they offer in our stop-go-stop-go traffic, this can be a key differentiator.

Apart from new cars, Ford will be getting into commercial vehicles as well.

Again, Ford India needs volumes. Utility vehicles perhaps?

[shubhodeepdas@g]

Originally Posted by Dippy

Nice pictorial comparison sid. The two cars are very similar. I wonder why Mr. John Parker said that the Figo is not based on the Fiesta. Maybe the next Fiesta is part of the global platform which he mentioned at the event.

He probably meant that it's not based on the current Fiesta, but its a sure match to the last model with cosmetic changes and cues borrowed from the present model.

Originally Posted by Dippy

Attachment 196965[*] No word on pricing yet. That will only be known at the launch in March 2010. It is expected to be in the 5-6 lakh bracket.

At this price range, it will be difficult for Ford to compete with the rest unless it comes with all the other goodies built in, namely the bluetooth enabled ICE unit, Airbags, ABS, Fog Lamps (all 4) and Alloys. If the artist's rendition is any clue to the ICE, I would say it bears a striking resemblance to the European Fusion's ICE (in terms of its shape).

[Dippy]

Originally Posted by GTO

Superb event report, Dippy.

But what is this world platform derived from? As Ajmat posted, an earlier Fiesta?

Good question and that is exactly what I asked him. However John did not let out any details on that front.

[bond_bhai]

Thats a good looking car! I am sure Ford's Petrol Hatch will be a pleasure to ride. Only concern is the A*S, if they are able to make an effort to improve this they have a customer ready!

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by Zappo

If one looks at the grill at the bottom covering the radiator I think it looks el-cheapo. Almost like a wire-grill. They should have done it better. Such big gaping holes in the grill may also be dangerous for the radiator if a largish stone kicks up and manages to shoot through one of those holes and hits the radiator.

Gaping holes in the grill look normal or rather look similar to other vehicles. Compare front grill from G2HC or G3HC as an example.

[jasher26]

since shaman is out of ford dealership it just does not make sense for someone in south mumbai to buy a ford. the closest service center is kalina at santacruz which is almost 20 kms away.

If Ford is so serious about India why didnt they get another dealer in south mumbai before shaman closed down? Needless to say the sales are dismal atleast in Mumbai.

I hope they get their act together before they launch the Figo.

[rajtheindian]

5-6 L for a 7 year OLD model (read it as it is based on the 2002-2009 fiesta in Europe), How can they justify this price, where there is very low R&D cost, only the front grill and bonnet is redesigned.

The only way to win the competition is to price it against Swift,

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by Zappo

If one looks at the grill at the bottom covering the radiator I think it looks el-cheapo. Almost like a wire-grill. They should have done it better. Such big gaping holes in the grill may also be dangerous for the radiator if a largish stone kicks up and manages to shoot through one of those holes and hits the radiator.

Somehow, to me the rear still looks acceptable. It's the front that I do not care much for.

I too like the rear and side view more than the front view---the radiator grill looks too narrow, like in the new Ikon. While reducing the height of the upper grill has worked wonders on the frontal appearance of the Fiesta, it has spoilt the looks of the Ikon, IMO.

As regards the lower part of the grill, you have a point there regarding lack of protection to the radiator, Zappo. But it evoked curiosity in me , so I took a walk to our office parking lot, and found similar structure in most of the cars there--be it the old Zen, Indigo, WagonR, Swift or i10. Even the ANHC, Fiesta,Accent and the NHC have a horizontal louvre that runs all across, while the Swift and Indigo have 2 or 3 of those. The best protection seems to be offered by the lower grill or the Fabia.
Thought of sharing this info, though a bit OT

[anekho]

I wish they had just sold the mazda 2 here - re-badged as a ford. It is one awesome looking car!

[Dippy]

Originally Posted by shubhodeepdas@g

At this price range, it will be difficult for Ford to compete with the rest unless it comes with all the other goodies built in, namely the bluetooth enabled ICE unit, Airbags, ABS, Fog Lamps (all 4) and Alloys. If the artist's rendition is any clue to the ICE, I would say it bears a striking resemblance to the European Fusion's ICE (in terms of its shape).

Since there will be three variants, the trim levels will vary. I hope airbags and ABS are standard across all models. The cars displayed were the Titanium variants and as you see in the pictures, no alloys.

[Glifford]

Originally Posted by sidindica

Figo VS MK6 Fiesta

pictorial comparision

Nice comparison Sid!

What I really like about the new design is the way the side repeater indicator kinda falls neatly in place (giving a logical end/start) to the centre crease running along the doors. Kinda like an arrow head or comet/bullet leaving a trail.

Not normally seen in cars at this price! Verna has it, but this one is better.