By: Denis Droppa
Johannesburg - As carmakers stuff their budget cars with ever more spec and safety, the ‘budget’ part of the equation isn’t quite what it used to be.
The new Ford Figo has just landed in South Africa with a starting price of R158 900, a major leap over the outgoing baseline Figo which sold for R144 900, while the more fancily-appointed Figos now have pricetags over 200 grand. More features and higher pricetags are symptomatic of what’s happening throughout this so-called sub B-segment, although that said it’s still possible to buy rival products like a VW Polo Vivo for under R150 000, and a Renault Sandero or Toyota Etios for under 140 grand.
The new second-generation Figo may not seem as attractive a value proposition as its predecessor, which made its South African debut in 2010 and went on to be a popular seller with around a 15% share of its segment, but it is a lot more car with improved technology, styling and power.
The new Figo range also comes standard with a 2-year/40 000km service plan which was formerly an extra-cost option.
A more modern new design sees the Figo adopting the signature trepezoidal grille familiar from the Fusion and Focus, along with bold elongated headlamps and a raked bonnet, with the hatch wearing a sporty rear spoiler. The interior is also completely new, with improved finishes and attention to detail, in a more modern and welcoming cabin that offers more space and improved safety
ROOMY CABIN
For the first time the Figo is available in two body styles, comprising the familiar five-door hatchback as well as a new four-door sedan.
The cabin’s reasonably roomy for a sub B-segment car, and three adults are able to sit in the rear seats without suffering deep vein thrombosis. The hatchback’s boot has shrunk from 284 to 257 litres compared to the previous Figo, but there’s a full-sized spare in the floor. The sedan offers a much larger 445 litre boot, and in both body styles you’re able to flip down the rear seats to increase cargo space.
Oddments space in the cabin is plentiful and includes two bottle holders in each front door, a glove compartment big enough for a laptop, cupholders galore, and a storage bin for rear passengers situated at the back of the centre console.
GUTSIER ENGINES
The old Figo’s 62kW/127Nm 1.4 petrol engine has been replaced by a gutsier 82kW/136Nm 1.5-litre unit.
The petrol engine is complemented by a 1.5-litre TDCi, making the Figo the only car in its segment to be offered in diesel. The oilburner delivers 74kW and 215Nm (also a big hike over the previous 1.4 diesel Figo) and burns a claimed 4.9 litres per 100km while the petrol is rated at 5.9l/100km, according to the factory.
Transmission duty is carried out by a five-speed manual, while the petrol versions of the upper-spec Titanium models – both sedan and hatch – are also available with a six-speed dual-clutch Powershift automatic.
THREE TRIM LEVELS
The cars are offered in a choice of three trim levels: Ambiente, Trend and Titanium. The entry-level Ambiente comes standard with dual front airbags, ABS brakes, manual aircon, trip computer, and a CD audio system with a device dock.
The latter allows you to dock your smartphone or music player in a nook atop the dash and connect your music through aux or usb or Bluetooth. When not in use, the dock can be closed out of sight.
The Trend adds 14” alloy wheels in place of the Ambiente’s steel rims, front fog lamps, power front and rear windows, electric mirrors, and comprehensive instrumentation that includes a rev counter and gearshift indicator.
The range-topping Titanium on top of that gets electronic climate control, six airbags and, on auto-transmission variants, an electronic stability program with hill hold.
Titanium versions also come with Ford’s MyKey, which allows the key to be programmed for different drivers. For instance, when you loan the car to your teenager you can set a maximum speed limit, or a persistent seatbelt reminder that mutes the audio system volume.
ON THE ROAD
On the media launch I first drove the diesel manual hatch which moved along with respectable pace and smoothness, ably delivered through a slick-shifting five-speed gearbox that makes the car easy to drive in busy urban traffic.
On the open road it had good legs too and cruised happily at the national speed limit. Fuel consumption wasn’t quite as low as Ford’s claim with the onboard computer showing around 6.5 litres per 100km.
Next up I drove the automatic petrol which delivered decent commuting power but seemed to hunt for gears more than necessary, and the auto gearbox wasn’t as refined as some small-engined autos out there, particularly the Renault Clio.
FORD FIGO PRICES
Hatch
1.5 Ambiente - R158 900
1.5 Trend - R167 900
1.5 Titanium - R181 900
1.5 Titanium auto - R203 900
1.5 TDCi Ambiente - R189 900
1.5 TDCi Trend - R199 900
Sedan
1.5 Ambiente - R160 900
1.5 Trend - 169 900
1.5 Titanium auto - R205 900
These include a four-year/120 000km warranty and a two-year/40 000km service plan.