Introduction

The Ford Figo Aspire sedan has certainly raised our expectations from the next generation Figo hatchback. The B-Segment compact car from Ford takes on two of the most successful models in the Indian market, while the overall package seems appealing we pit it against the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Grand i10, to get a better perspective.

Looks

There is no dearth of good looking hatchbacks in India. The Swift is a good looking car, so is the Grand i10, even the new Tata Bolt looks decent while the Hyundai Elite i20 has set new benchmarks for the whole industry. The Ford Figo hatchback is then another addition to this list.

The front of the car has Aston-Martin styled grille with chrome slats. The overall design is identical to that of the Aspire sedan sans with the separate box for the boot. The rear profile looks pretty simple with the horizontally stacked tail lamps that extend into the side profile.

The Swift with its sweptback headlamps and aggressive face has wooed a lot of customers. The hatchback has very European styling with a large bonnet and sloping roof that makes the car look sporty. The Maruti hatchback also has one of the best rear profiles among the hatchbacks and the angular tail lamps look very upmarket. The only problem with the Swift is that the design hasn’t changed in a long while and probably needs a facelift to get back some novelty factor.

Based on the fluidic design sculpt, the Hyundai Grand i10 is an extremely pretty car. The hexagonal grille at the front, well-designed headlamps and black inserts for the air dam and fog lamps makes for a nice visual treat. The thick body cladding and diamond cut alloys may be unconventional but only improve the aesthetic appeal. The tail section might not be as exciting but overall leaves a very positive impression.

Among the three hatchbacks, it is very difficult to choose one over the other, all three look very different and also very pretty in their own way. Looks are subjective and we will leave it on you to decide the best among the three.

Interior

The Figo hatchback will have a spacious interior if the Aspire sedan is anything to go by. There are a few changes, though, instead of beige, Ford has used an all-black theme for the hatchback interior. The layout is stylish; a modern music system and angular AC vents are surrounded by silver accents and the upholstery gets blue texture to improve the getup. The car is spacious and can comfortably accommodate three at the back, at least for a city ride. The features list on the Figo does not seem so great, there is an up-to-date music system, steering mounted controls and an automatic AC. The rest of the features are part of the accessories that can be picked up from the dealership. However, Ford has worked a lot on the safety front and the Figo is now the only car in the segment to offer six airbags.

The Swift is one of the older cars and the interior design shows the age. The music system is cluttered with a small display while the instrument cluster still uses the old orange lights. The Swift also gets a black interior, though the quality seems arguable. The Swift is not one of the most spacious cars in the segment as there isn’t enough legroom or headroom for the rear passengers. The features are similar to that of the Figo, but there is no special attention to safety. The higher versions get ABS-EBD and twin airbags.

Hyundai, on the other hand, is known for offering plenty of features and the Grand i10 sets the benchmark for its segment. The car gets an engine start button, the music system comes with 1GB memory space, the cabin mirror has auto dimming and a screen for the rear camera. Also, this is the only car in the segment to offer AC vents for the rear seat passengers. The cabin space in the Hyundai hatchback is decent, there is space at the back but probably not as much as that in the Figo. It also comes with standard safety features.

The Figo should win in terms of cabin space while there is no comparison for Hyundai in terms of features. If we have to select a definitive winner for the interior we will go with the Figo; firstly for the added safety and the secondly for the fact that features can be upgraded later but keep in mind one cannot create the additional space.

Performance

The Figo will be available with two petrol and one diesel engine option. The 1.2-litre gasoline unit is refined but seems underpowered with a 87bhp and 112Nm output. The 1.5-litre petrol, on the other hand, is the most powerful in the segment with the power figures of 110bhp and 136Nm. The smaller of the two comes with the five-speed manual while the larger capacity engine uses six-speed dual clutch transmission. The 1.5-litre diesel is also one of the most powerful B-Segment hatchbacks with 99bhp and 215Nm available on tap.

The Swift gets a peppy 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine tuned to produce 83bhp and 114Nm. The power figures might seem lower, but the Swift is a light car and gearing of the five-speed manual is managed pretty well to provide decent performance. The diesel version uses the 1.3-litre Fiat multijet developing 74bhp and 190Nm of torque. This is a good set up though the turbo lag is pretty evident.

The smallest of three engines available with the Grand i10 is the 1.0-litre VTVT petrol unit coupled with LPG for extra efficiency. The engine can deliver 66bhp and 90Nm, which are too less for the hatchback. The diesel 1.1-litre CRDi engine isn’t any better, with an output of 70bhp and 160Nm the car has just about enough power to move comfortably in the cities. Out on the highway, the car feels underpowered. The 1.2-litre VTVT petrol is the most powerful engine in the Grand i10 lineup, it is tuned to produce 81bhp and 114Nm and gives decent performance for this segment. While the smaller engines are available only with the five-speed manual, this one also gets a four-speed automatic.

The Figo seems like the best bet in terms of engine performance. It has the most powerful engines in the segment and also the best technology in the form of the dual-clutch transmission.

Summary

Ford has got a very balanced package, in the Figo hatchback. It looks good, has decent space and also great performance. Both its competitors lack at least in one of the departments; where the Swift has limited space in the cabin, the Hyundai is weak on performance. Of course, both the cars also have their advantages, nothing can beat Maruti in resale value and ownership cost while the Hyundai has the best features.

Ford does stand a chance of creating space for itself with the Figo in this highly competitive segment, provided it gets the pricing right.