2019 Ford Figo Facelift Review: Hits & Misses of this Maruti Suzuki Swift Rival

It has been 10 years since the Ford Figo was launched in India and Ford India has now decided to launch the 2019 Ford Figo range, which comes with the top variant named Blu. The Figo has always been known to offer good driving dynamics and safety and these are areas that the new Figo builds further upon. It also features updates in other areas such as interior and powertrain. That said, the car has some stiff competition in the form of the Maruti Suzuki Swift. Whether the new 2019 Ford Figo is good enough to make space for itself in this segment and who should buy it is what we found out in Jodhpur last week.

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The most important change in the new 2019 Ford Figo is the inclusion of the 1.2 LitreDragon series petrol engine. This engine develops 96 ps of power making it the most powerful petrol car in its segment with the exception of the Tata JTP models. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and there’s an option of a six-speed automatic gearbox too but only with a 1.5 litre petrol motor developing 126 ps. The engine is refined and doesn’t show much lag even when moving from a standstill. The motor feels punchy from the word go and delivers its best once past about 3,500 rpm. The gearbox is mated well to the engine and hence it delivers satisfactory performance in both traffic and highway conditions.

Apart from these two engines, the 2019 Ford Figo also comes with the tried and tested 1.5 litre TDCi turbocharged diesel engine. The unit develops 100 ps and 250 Nm of torque and is paired to a new manual gearbox. The engine’s performance is impressive as ever and the new gearbox feels more refined and smooth to use. NVH too is well-controlled and as a result sound intrusion into the cabin isn’t at uncomfortable levels.

2019 Ford Figo Exterior & Interior Changes

The exterior design of the 2019 Ford Figo has been given a minor update with a new cellular grille finished in black. This does a good job of accentuating the Figo’s sporty appeal. The Blu edition gets blue inserts around the fog lamps along with decals on the side and rear signifying the same. Other updates include a dual colour roof and larger 15-inch alloy wheels, which go well with the car’s dynamic character.

On the inside too, one can easily spot the blue inserts in the door panels, which I found quite nice looking. The seat covers also feature the ‘Blu’ badging and a new design to signify the Blu edition. The biggest change though is the inclusion of a new 7-inch colour touch screen. The infotainment system features Bluetooth, Aux-in and USB connectivity along with in-built navigation. Surprisingly, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are missing at a time when even the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R and Hyundai Santro offer it. Ford also decided to drop the SYNC 3, which left us a bit puzzled about the packaging. That said, the screen is quite responsive and visibility under sunlight is also good. It also looks the part and adds to the premium quotient of the cabin.

Rear legroom is decent and headroom too is fine but not the segment best. Also, there are no rear AC vents and the rear doors don’t get any pockets to keep stuff like bottles. Hence, the interior is definitely better than the outgoing Figo but missing out on some crucial connectivity features is something Ford should try and address soon.

2019 Ford Figo Ride & Handling

The Figo is known for its impressive handling and that hasn’t changed thankfully in the new model. The car is still sharp around corners and even through a series of fast corners, the chassis doesn’t show any reluctance. Body roll is always under control and steering feedback too is quite nice helping the driver push the car to its limits. In a straight line, the Figo has no problems whatsoever with hard braking from triple-digit speeds or sudden high-speed lane change inputs.

While one might expect a sporty car to have a stiff ride quality that isn’t the case here. Figo’s suspension offers a good balance between practicality and handling. Being slightly inclined towards the stiff side low-speed undulations do tend to get through to the cabin a bit but at higher speeds, the ride improves and that is precisely what one would want from a Ford hatchback. Overall, the new Ford Figo retains the sporty character of its predecessor without sacrificing comfort and practicality. With punchy engines and good handling the Figo is one of the most fun-to-drive cars in its segment today!

2019 Ford Figo Safety

It was the Figo that originally introduced six airbags in its segment in the country starting a new safety trend. I’m happy to report that the 2019 Ford Figo maintains that legacy and delivers well on the safety front. Base variants come with dual front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard. Top variants get six airbags and there’s a reverse parking camera too with static guidelines. If you opt for the 1.5 litre petrol variant then traction control and Hill Start assist are also thrown into the mix, adding further to the safety package.

2019 Ford Figo Conclusion

The 2019 Ford Figo doesn’t come across as a significant change from the outside but Ford claims that about 1200 parts are new, translating into about 50% of the car being new. It features excellent engines and is great fun to drive. It also looks slightly better and is among the segment best in terms of safety. However, the Figo does leave room for improvement in the interiors and the things it misses out on are things most of its buyers would want to have.

That said, making a strong case for the Figo is the fact that it is claimed to offer the lowest maintenance cost in its segment. Service cost is claimed to be just Rs 1500 for the first year and even the fifth year service costs just Rs 3500. Add to it the fact that one can opt for a five years warranty and you get a car that promises to offer hassle-free and low-cost maintenance in the long-term. It’s crucial that Ford dealerships sell this fact to potential customers to offset the missing features. In case they don’t they still have the option of the Ford Freestyle, which is going to be the biggest challenge for the new Figo and doesn’t miss out on any features that the new Figo does.

Check out the variant wise prices of the new 2019 Ford Figo facelift:

Also, here is a look at the 2019 Ford Figo facelift spec sheet: