Bucket Set: Ford Figo Freestyle

Yesterday Ford South Africa hosted their first online local launch, and it's quite a vehicle that had this unique introduction to the local market. It's the all-new Figo Freestyle which essentially is a crossover version of the much loved Figo. Ford felt the need to strengthen it's presence in the rapidly growing sub-B compact utility vehicle segment and what better way to do it than to introduce something that's familiar with market. The Figo Freestyle joins the likes of the EcoSport and and Kuga in their lifestyle orientated models along with the Everest which is the biggest in the range. 

"The all-new Figo Freestyle build's on Ford' reputation as one of the pioneers of the utility vehicle segment, with SUV-derived design cues, robust stand with increased groud clearance and commanding seating position, it has the credentials of an SUV in a compact package that is ideally suited to city driving during the week and escaping to the countryside on weekends." - Doreen Mashinini, General Manager Marketing at FMCSA.

The Figo Freestyle brings a much needed affordable option to those wanting something more robust but to suit their pockets. It will be offered in two models, with the Trend package and headliner Titanium series, both models are powered by Ford's eager 1.5L 3 cylinder Ti-VCT engine which powers the current Figo range. It's an impressive little motor punching out 91kW and 150Nm controlled by a five-speed manual gearbox.  Design on the Figo Freestyle is pretty funky, overall form is that of the Figo hatch but with higher ground clearance and the additions of some robust plastic accents around the wheel arches and front and back bumpers.  The interior is pretty much the same with all the bells and whistles with the Titanium model receiving a 6.5" floating dock with SYNC3 system. 

Pricing for the Figo Freestyle is as follows. 

Figo Freestyle 1.5 Trend Hatch R226 700

Figo Feestyle 1.5 Titanium R247 500

Bucket Seat: Ford Figo Sedan

It's been a while since we had a Ford to review but I'm glad we eventually got one, even though the Figo isn't much to write home about in terms of aesthetics and appeal, it still is a very important car for the brand and for the market in general. The Ford Figo has come a long way as a car, from being just a reboot of the old Fiesta to giving itself it's own identity in the market. With the local launch of the Figo taking place mid last year, I was finally given the opportunity to drive one, albeit the sedan and not the hatch, around for a week towards the end of the year and go to say, Ford have really "leveled up" with this one. 

DESIGN

The Figo was always an odd looking car but with this new model its finally coming into its own. I love the front of the Figo, that new grille with like a 3 dimensional design to it finished in brushed aluminum gives the car some level of elegance and dare I say, luxury appeal. The grille sits prominently but low and is the first thing that gets your attention of the car. The front bump is shaped well and its outlined by a splitter also finished in brushed aluminium that goes around the fog light housing, it just adds more dimension to the front end and really does like quite smart. The headlights have been redesigned and bares resemblance to the Fiesta a bit but has an elongated fin type finish to it. The general shape of the Figo is "bubble shaped" but works well unlike other models which tried this approach. The reason for it is to maximise space in the cabin. Moving along to the back, is where most budget hatch come sedan's tend to struggle with the addition of the boot. Most of them can be quite painful to look at but kudos to the design team at Ford because the boot flows quite well with the overall design of the car. The lines extend on the side profile upwards to the back and extends to the boot space. My only grip would be that the tail lights could have been finished better but that is just me. 

PERFORMANCE

The Figo comes powered with the 1.5TiVCT naturally aspirated 4 cylinder petrol engine. It's a strong motor from Ford and at the coast it performs exceptionally well. With 88kW and 150Nm of toque at its disposal, it makes easy meat of city travelling. The car is compact and light which helps the engine a lot in terms of performance, so even if you're on the open road, there really isn't a struggle to get the Figo up to speed. The 5 speed manual gear box is a treat and slotting it into gear is like slipping a hot knife into butter, this is helped by a smooth clutch. The combined fuel economy is listed in the brochure of being 5.7L per 100km, which is very achievable as I was hovering around the 6L mark with quite a variant of driving. The Figo isn't going to win you any drag races with its 0-100km/h time coming in at 11.8 seconds and its top speed capped at 175km/h but that's not what this car is made for and I'm guessing their target market knows that as well. 

COMFORT

As mentioned before that the overall shape is catered to increase the cabin space and it's pretty comfortable for four adults travelling in the Figo sedan. The car comes with cloth seats which are decent size and quite comfy, doesn't feel hard or rigid. Interior comfort is enhances with a manual air-conditioner. It has electric windows with a one touch power down for driver only. The in-car entertainment features a four speaker system with bluetooth and USB connectivity. Safety wise, the Figo comes fitted with two airbags, one for the driver and the front passenger and has anti-lock braking system. 

VERDICT

Overall the Ford Figo Trend is a great offering for the price tag it has, it's loaded with most of the essentials that one needs in a city car and the ride quality along with fuel economy just justifies its presence in the market as one of the better budget cars to get. While the car won't win any beauty contests, Ford have done a great job with the details on the Trend spec to make it look appealing. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L NA
Gear Box	5 Speed Manual
Power	88kW
Torque	150Nm
0-100	11.8 seconds
Economy	5.7 L/100km
Price	R 197,950

Bucket Seat: Ford Figo 1.5 Titanium

When I first got told I was scheduled the Ford Figo, I was a bit skeptical of it. I mean the only time you would catch me driving an A-Segment car is if I hired one. That's no disrespect to the segment, it simply doesn't appeal to me but that's just my preference. The A-Segment market has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and over the past year or two so some major advancements in terms of tech and options available for these cars. It's a market for a first time buyer or a student that needs something small to go around with, it was hardly what you would call a family car but after driving Ford's new Figo I may have to rethink my stance.

Style

I initially thought I was getting the hatch, but once it arrived I saw it was the sedan. The styling of the car seemed a bit weird for me. The hatch looks great but the sedan looks like the boot is an after thought which is mostly the case in these hatch come sedan cars. Previously Ford had their Ikon which this car will be replacing in the line up and that was a purpose made sedan so the lines flowed and complimented the car. While the Figo Sedan isn't an eyesore, the fact that it looks much better as a hatch would make the version with a boot seem a bit off. It's not horrendous by any chance but I feel they could have done a better job with the rear lights. The front half of the car looks really good. The new big chrome grill and big head lights really give this car a sense of presence even though it's a small car. 

Performance

Styling on cars like this isn't everything, performance is what matters the most the 1.5l Sigma petrol engine was nothing much than astonishing to me. Even with the 6 speed PowerShift automatic transmission, it was incredibly responsive and damn light on fuel! It incorporates Ford's "Drive Green" initiative which sees its CO2 emissions at 142g/km and tested fuel consumption of 6L/100km which I almost matched. Something that is very rare! Talking figures, the maximum power output is 82kW and maximum torque 136Nm which is quite impressive. While take off did seem a bit sluggish, compared to other cars in its segment, this is by far on of the strongest engines I've come across. 

Comfort

Whilst the car is small, it was extremely spacious, granted at my seating position an adult wouldn't be able to sit in the back seat, perhaps a child would but if at a squeeze you could get four adults in there. The ride is smooth and solid, which is aided by the 14" alloy wheels. The seats aren't leather but comfortable none the less. The cars interior is styled perfectly, taken from the previous generation Fiesta, the car see's the main center cluster follow the same design with the information screen located at the top. It displays everything from time and date, audio options, aircon settings and media. 

Tech

The car comes with Ford's SYNC Bluetooth and voice control system. It's great that they've kept this standard across all their models. It's really easy to set up and the voice control activated menu is a great alternative to manually searching for things or making calls. It helps driver concentration and improves your driving experience. The audio system has 4 speakers with an auxiliary port and the deck has CD/MP3 playing capabilities. It has  

Storage

Small car, small boot right? Nope, somehow Ford managed to get this right with remarkably spacious boot. You can get at least 3 full size luggage bags in there with space for smaller items. The car has a cubby for the front passenger and a center compartment for other items. The cup holders and of a decent size and there is a tray below the climate control aircon for additional items needed for storage. 

Verdict

I was quite surprised by this car, it's small, it's nippy and a pleasure to drive. While finishes might not be of that of a luxury sedan, for it's price it isn't bad at all. The car is comfortable, spacious and offers a lot that many of it's competitors don't. Taking all of this into consideration, it is not only a perfect car for first time buyers or students but also small family's. It has sufficient space, it's safety record is second to none with drive and front passenger airbags with side curtains, it has ABS, ESP and hill launch assist which prevents the car from rolling on an incline from a standing stand. 

Specifications

• 1.5 litre Sigma Petrol 
• 6 speed PowerShift automatic gear box
• 82kW
• 136Nm torque
• Consumption: 6ltr/ 100km
• Price: R209,900

Bucket Seat: Ford Go Further Africa

This past Tuesday I was part of many local motoring journalists that attended the Ford "Go Further" conference which was held in Sandton at the International Convention Centre. For those who aren't familiar with what it is all about, well it's Ford's very own showcase of what they have in store for the upcoming year in terms of new models, projected figures, past year figures and have a party. Basically it's their very own motor show. Besides the local media, there was international media, local and other dealers from Sub Sarahan Africa as well as key clients of the company in attendance. So you can only imagine the magnitude of something like this. 

The conference kicked off with an exhibition with some of the current models in the Ford fleet, with passenger cars like the Fiesta, Fusion, Focus and the commercial line up as well. Guests had time to have an up close look at these vehicles while having a light lunch before moving onto the main exhibition hall where the main event was being held. 

The show kicked off with Ford's CEO for Sub Saharan Africa, Jeff Nemeth addressing the thousands in attendance about the past year in figures for the company, and then highlighting the way forward for Ford RSA and Africa as a whole. At last years Go Further event it was announced that Ford would release 17 new models over 2 years and so far 11 of those have been brought to the market, the following 6 were due to be unveiled at this years event which left many eager with anticipation over what they could be. 

First up in the small passenger segment was the Ford Figo, a well priced small hatch which now comes in sedan form as well. Lot of characteristics are form the current fiesta with the same stylish interior and front headlights baring a slight resemblance as well. Moving up a segment to the next release was Ford's all new B-Max who's launch coincided with the Go Further Expo, I will be doing a separate review of this vehicle on the blog soon. 

Next up was the big boys, Ford's past Everest model wasn't the best looking product from their stable but in terms of sales it didn't do too badly but couldn't compete with the ever popular models in the same segment from other manufacturers, however with the new look Everest baring the same design style of the new Ford Ranger, this one is looking mighty fine and can see it coming in as a strong contention to rival those from the east who seem to have dominated the SUV market over the years. 

Ford's Ranger has been a sensation in SA, it was the highest selling vehicle in SA at the beginning of the year, yes, vehicle not bakkie. Ford have built over 250,000 of them in South Africa and are planning on expanding operations outside the borders with a new plant being planned for Nigeria. South Africa will still play a pivotal role in supplying the plant with panels for the vehicles and thus will see more job creation in the SA market by the company. The new spec Ford Ranger was unveiled which see's the entire front and cabin being upgraded, making the van look more masculine with a bigger grille, square head lights and bulkier look. It's sure to break more record sales for a van when released. 

It was then time to see what Ford's Performance range had to offer, the big one last year was news that the Mustang was finally considered for the SA market with the product due to hit our shores before December, all orders have officially been open around the country but no indication of pricing yet which seems strange? This year it was announced that Ford will also be bringing down the topless version of the car as well. Having a chance to see the car up close, it really is an impressive machine and if priced well, will do very well in South Africa given not only it's incredible heritage but also the look and feel of the car. 

Like all major shows, it has to end with a bang and that was adequately brought by Ford's all new Focus RS. The hot hatch which is powered by Ford's 2.3 ltr EcoBoost engine produced 257kW of raw power. This is the 3rd generation of the RS model and the all wheel drive car features dynamic torque vectoring for class leading cornering speed and at-limit handling as said by the company. Lots of words but for this car it's all about what it can do on the tarmac. It sounds superb and looks the part with aggressive styling and a massive rear wing. It will be available in 4 colours, one of which is exclusive to the RS and will be hitting our market early next year.