Ford Figo gears for March launch, priced between Rs3.5 and Rs4.5 lakhs

Ford India is gearing up to launch its first small car Ford Figo, the carmakers new subcompact automobile in India in March in the price range of Rs3.5 and Rs4.5 lakhs, but is expected to face competition from a plethora of cars in the small car segment.

The Ford Figo, which was unveiled in New Delhi in September 2009 (See: Ford's global CEO unveils Ford Figo in Delhi) will have to compete with of small cars from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Tata Motors, Fiat, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Honda, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the new vehicle market.

The Ford Figo uses the carmaker's small-car platform architecture, sharing underlying technology with the Ford Fiesta, already familiar to Indian consumers.

The Figo comes in both petrol and diesel models in six variants, where the petrol version will have the new 1.2L engine with 70 bhp-75 bhp power, while the diesel version will have Ford's popular 1.4L, Duratorq diesel engine, with a maximum horsepower of 68bhp.

From its modern headlamps, grille shapes and sculpted bonnet of its distinctive face to the subtle integrated spoiler and chamfered window shape at the rear, the Figo is filled with kinetic design touches.

The model will come in seven bright colours of which three are regular colors while four colours will be new scintillating colors to give a variety of colour choices to the Indian consumer.

Ford, which produces cars at its modern integrated manufacturing facility, at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai will be selling the Figo in Asia  and Africa.