The new Ford Figo sedan will be launched first in the country, followed by the hatchback and will get the new 1.2-litre TiVCT petrol, as well as the 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engines under the hood.
Ford India is expected to have an action packed 2015 with its new Sanand facility commencing operations next month along with three all new products scheduled for launch in the following months. The company is planning an offensive with the new generation Figo hatchback and compact sedan launches which will be competing in the extremely popular and volume centric segments that are expected to generate massive profits for the American auto giant.
While we know that Ford is extensively testing the new Figo twins courtesy of the spy shots, details on the new engines have now emerged and has surely gotten us excited. For the petrol versions, the existing 1.2-litre petrol will be replaced by the same but enhanced 1.2-litre unit that is equipped with Ford’s TiVCT (variable cam timing) technology and will be tuned to offer more power and higher fuel efficiency. While the current unit makes around 75 PS of power, the new engine is expected to produce close to 85 PS and will pit the hatchback directly against the Maruti Swift, Hyundai Grand i10, Tata Bolt and the likes in the segment.
The existing 1.4-litre DuraTorq diesel engine will be exhausted on the new Figo twins in favour of the 1.5-litre TDCi unit that is currently seen on the Fiesta and EcoSport models in Ford’s lineup. While the motor generates 91 PS on the Fiesta and EcoSport, we could see the power trimmed down a little in the interest of fuel efficiency. It is also believed that the company has tuned the new diesel engine to be more responsive on highways after receiving customer feedback for the sluggish nature of the existing unit.
Ford has also been testing the Figo full-length sedan in the country (Ka sedan in Brazil) extensively and it has been spotted on a number of occasions. The full-length sedan, however, will be restricted to exports alone and will be manufactured at Ford’s new Sanand facility. The Indian market will get the sub 4-metre version that meets the small car criteria and will thereby avail the excise benefits competing against the Maruti Suzuki DZire, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze and Tata Zest in the same space. The company will also launch the next generation Endeavour in India in the last quarter of the year.
Source – Team-BHP.com & IndianAutosBlog.com