2015 will be a busy year for Ford India, as the company has some very significant launches planned for the year. Riding high on the success of the EcoSport compact SUV, Ford will introduce the next generation Figo (Ka hatchback internationally) along with the Figo compact sedan (Ka+ internationally) in India that was unveiled a few days ago in Brazil. The third product to get launched will be the next generation Endeavour SUV that will be brought in as a CKD model in the country.
Both the Figo and the Figo compact sedan variants come with a similar styling, with the latter getting a boot tucked under the 4-metre mark. The Figo will be competing with the likes of the Hyundai Grand i10, Maruti Swift, Volkswagen Polo in the segment; while the Figo compact sedan will compete with the Maruti DZire, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze along with the upcoming launches in the compact sedan space. The car will be replacing the Fiesta Classic in Ford India’s line-up.
Both the models will come with the 1.0-litre ECOnetic 3-cylinder motor which is derivative of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that powers the EcoSport SUV. The engine also gets TiVCT technology and is capable of producing 85 HP of power and 105 Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine also powers the Brazilian spec models, but is a flex-fuel unit running on ethanol as well as petrol. The 1.5-litre TDCi from the Fiesta could also be used to power the Figo twins, albeit in a de-tuned state to offer more fuel efficiency from the same engine. Both the models will be produced at Ford’s upcoming plant in Sanand, Gujarat with the Figo sedan set to first go into production.
Coming to the Ford Endeavour, the SUV will finally see a generation change after ages. Based on the Ranger pickup, the next generation Endeavour (Everest internationally) will get a more updated and modern styling inspired from Ford’s Explorer SUV and F-150 pickup truck, while the cabin will be far more premium and loaded with equipment. The same 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre diesel motors are expected to power the next generation model as well and will be paired to 6-speed manual and automatic transmission options sending power to all four wheels.
The next generation Endeavour will also get the one-touch terrain management system on the top-end variant. Ford will phase out the current generation model early next year, and will launch the new Endeavour after the Figo twins make their debut. The Endeavour will be competing with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero, Hyundai Santa Fe in the segment. Expect the pricing to see a marginal rise as well.
