Next generation Ford Figo to use an updated platform

According to a new report, the 2015 Ford Figo/Ka, codenamed the B562, could be launched in the UK market early next year. While the India debut is expected to happen at the 2014 Auto Expo in February. The report also reveals that the Figo is based on a modified version of the last generation Fiesta and Ford intends to continue using the same platform for its next generation car, but with slight modifications.

Ford India’s sales figures were once buoyed by the Figo and with the new generation Figo the company hopes to resurrect its favourite brand. India, as a matter of fact, exports the vehicle to a lot of countries. Only recently was the Figo upstaged by the Ford EcoSport but now with the new avtaar Figo coming, Ford hopes the sales figures also double. Interestingly, the stylish hatchback will be the first product to roll out from the American automaker’s Greenfield factory in Gujarat.

This is being seen as strategy to keep the costs low. Ford’s Head of Petrol Engine Development, Andrew Fraser, has said that shortening the old Fiesta’s platform and employing thinner-gauge steel would enable the manufacturer to lower the platform’s weight, which implies that the next gen Figo would be lighter than the current model. The same platform will also spawn a sub 4-metre sedan that Ford is looking at, which will compete with the Honda Amaze and Maruti Dzire and a larger sedan that would eventually replace the Ford Classic in India.

With regards to the oily bits, the car will be sold in turbocharged petrol and diesel options. The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol engine and the 1.5-litre TDCI turbo diesel engine are the two motors likely to be offered here along with several features such as Start/Stop button, PowerShift, and more.

We have already had sightings of the test mules of 2015 Ka/Figo testing in Brazil and other places. The spy pics suggest that the car could be similar to the new 2014 Hyundai i10 in dimensions. The front of the car has Ford’s new styling in place with a more toned down hexagonal-shaped grille. The large swept-back headlamps too are broader. The car will continue to have a large wheelbase as is seen from the pictures, which means that the 2015 Figo will continue to deliver good passenger space. At the rear, the tail lamps have been moved from the pillars to the fenders. The number plate moves from the boot-hatch to the bumper.

The potential Ford Figo replacement will enter production in Brazil in March 2014. In case of India, an early entry into the Indian market along with other developed markets for hatchbacks could ensure better sales and production planning for Ford. The Figo will be pitted against the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Grand i10.

Source:Team-Bhp

Image source:Motoroids