Ford India launches Figo, Figo Aspire Sports editions

Ford India today launched limited edition Ford Figo S and Aspire S models. The two cars, which have yet to pick up market pace since their launch in 2015, saw a slight decline in their domestic sales in FY16-17, with a combined 36,141 units (-3.54%). Exports, however, saw a dramatic jump of 192.01 percent, with a total of 78,930 units.

Now, Ford is trying to spice things up by resurrecting the ‘S’ (Sports) trim, which used to be a popular choice amongst enthusiasts, when it was first offered in the now discontinued Fiesta sedan. The Figo S and Aspire S are based on the Titanium trim and offer both aesthetic as well as mechanical updates, mainly pertaining to the suspension setup, which has now been re-tuned, to offer better driving dynamics.

The Figo S has been priced between Rs 631,900 and Rs 721,600, while the Aspire S comes priced from Rs 650,900 to Rs 760,600 (both ex-showroom, Delhi).  Compared to the standard Titanium models, Figo S dearer by up to Rs 50,000 while the Aspire S costs around Rs 34,000 more. 

Externally, the Figo S get a new black mesh grille upfront, while the Aspire continues with the regular grille, albeit with black-painted bars. The headlamps now get smoked treatment. There are a set of new 15-inch alloy wheels, which come painted black on the Figo S, while remain silver-finished in the Aspire S. The tyre size has also been upped to 195/55/R15.

Also in store is a dual-tone contrast theme on the Figo S, which has been brought in the form of a black painted roof, as well as blacked out ORVMs. While both cars feature a side body decal with the ‘S’ bade, the Figo S also gets a tailgate-mounted spoiler.

On the inside, the cars offer an all-black theme, with contrasting red stitching on the seats to enhance the overall sportier feel. On the safety front, the cars get dual airbags, ABS and EBD.

The Ford Figo S and Aspire S continue to come powered by the regular 1.5-litre diesel motor, which produces 100bhp and 215 Nm of torque, and the 1.2-litre petrol engine, which develops 88bhp of power and 112 Nm of peak torque. The Sports Edition comes with the 5-speed manual gearbox option with either of the engines, thus, skipping the DCT automatic unit, available only with the 1.5-litre petrol motor.

Commenting on the launch, Anurag Mehrotra, executive director (Marketing, Sales & Service), Ford India, said, “Since their launch, both the Figo and Aspire have set new benchmarks in the segment – from the maximum airbags-on-offer to lowest cost of service. The launch of Sports Editions is yet another stride in our commitment to introduce products that customers want and value and will help us further strengthen our position in in the segment and industry at large.”

Ford India, which closed FY2016-17 with sales of 91,405 units, up 15 percent YoY, currently has a share of three percent in the domestic passenger vehicle market.