Now that the likes of the Corsa Lite, VW CitiGolf and Toyota Tazz have departed the scene, car shopping in the budget segment is no longer the equivalent of automotive antiquing. Despite its recent arrival, Volkswagen’s latest offering, the Polo Vivo, has already stamped its authority on the segment thanks to a combination of affordability and brand cachet. Can the upcoming Ford Figo break the Polo Vivo’s vice-like grip on the wallet-friendly end of the market?
Much like the Polo Vivo, Figo is not so much an all-new model but more a careful rework of a previous-generation model. In the Ford’s case it entails adding some of the company’s “Kinetic Design” elements, namely swept-back headlamps and a trapezoidal lower air dam, to the nose of the previous “box-shaped” Fiesta. It’s a look that the Figo wears well, being both youthful and gender-neutral. Interior appointments, such as the pod-like air vents, will get a nod of recognition from those who’ve piloted the previous-gen Fiesta and while there is none of the soft-touch accents featured on the Polo Vivo’s facia the overall fit and finish are good. The Figo is built in India and is underpinned by a lightly modified version of Ford’s Global-B platform, which affords it marginally more legroom and about 50 dm³ more bootspace than the Vivo.
Two engines will be available for local Figos. First up will be a 1,4-litre Duratec petrol unit that develops 62 kW and 127 N.m of torque – not far off the 63 kW and 132 N.m served up by the more powerful of the Vivo’s 1,4-litre powerplants. The other engine, which I had a chance to sample on the car’s launch in India, was the 1,4-litre Duratorq turbodiesel. This unit is a heavily revised version of the TDCi unit found in the current Ford Ikon, and while it returns identical outputs (50 kW/160 N.m of torque) it sounds considerably less agricultural than it does in the Ikon. Although it didn’t possess the mid-range punch that would have made threading through lorry-ridden traffic outside Jaipur a less harrowing affair, it delivers its power in a smooth fashion and doesn’t baulk when a downshift is required.
Fuel consumption figures are yet to be officially announced, but judging by the smidgen of southward movement that the fuel guage needle exhibited during the varied driving conditions on the launch, it’s fair to say that the diesel is not a heavy drinker.
Ford didn’t provide official performance figures for the Figo when I sampled it, but it’s fair to say that the diesel doesn’t feel especially brisk. The handling also reflects this trait, with the car exhibiting a bit of body roll when pressing on and the odd bit of nose-dip under hard braking. On the plus-side, the ride is supple, the steering light and precise and the gearbox has a slick action. Although I’ve driven both the Vivo and Figo it’s difficult to make an accurate judgement on which has the dynamic edge without driving them back-to-back. At a push, I’d say that the Vivo is marginally more composed than the Figo, but not quite as involving to drive.
One area where the Vivo could potentially feel the pinch from Figo is specifications, where the Volkswagen’s low base price is often eroded when one starts ticking the options boxes. SA-bound cars will be offered with a choice of three trim levels; Ambiente, Ambiente with additional safety pack and Trend. Even in its base guise, the Figo offers air-conditioning – an option that adds R7 950 to all of the Vivo models – electric front windows and power steering as standard. The Figo’s main omissions at base-level spec, however, are airbags, which are standard fitment across the Vivo range. The safety pack ushers in the airbags and ABS, as well as a sound system. Trend adds alloy wheels, remote central locking and electric windows all-round.
Although local Figo pricing has yet to be confirmed, it looks as though it will be very much in the Vivo bracket – early indications suggest that the petrol-engined Ambiente model will sit at around the R100 000 to R110 000 mark, while the diesel will go for around R130 000.
So does the Figo have what it takes to give Vivo sleepless nights? Well, that’s a question for the ages… or at least a question that will be more articulately answered when we get hold of a test unit later this year.
On the face of it, these two budget offerings run one another closely. The Vivo has the brand catchet, a slightly more upmarket ambiance, airbags as standard, and the choice of a 1,6-litre petrol engine as well as a saloon variant. The Figo counters with slightly more involving dynamics, a bit more space, slightly better base-level specification (bar safety equipment) and the choice of a diesel – an option that the Vivo, and other rivals such as the Renault Sandero and Hyundai i10, lack.
It looks as though car shopping on budget is about to get very interesting…
