The good news first: if your needs extend to a diesel-powered light hatchback and your budget is around R200 000, the Ford Figo 1,5 TDCi has no true rival in the local market. With the previous-generation Figo 1,4 TDCi now discontinued, theoretically at least, Ford South Africa has those buyers locked in to buy its new city car.
The bad news? There are sound reasons why other manufacturers don’t bother offering such a configuration in the South African market, but the main consideration is pricing. At this end of the market, naturally aspirated petrol engines are the norm. They are less complex, therefore less expensive to manufacture, and that cost saving is, of course, passed to buyers in a segment that favours value for money above all else.
The Figo is a case in point. This flagship diesel model is offered in Trend specification and (at the time of publishing online) retails for R203 900. Its petrol equivalent, the 82 kW/136 N.m 1,5 Trend, costs a whopping R30 000 less. That level of pricing makes the Figo TDCi vulnerable to larger, more sophisticated B-segment hatchbacks with either cutting-edge engine technology (Polo 1,2 TSI) or big-car standard features (Mazda2 1,5). There is a plethora of other B-segment hatches available for less (Corsa 1,0 EcoFlex) or a few rands more in monthly repayment (Fiesta 1,0 EcoBoost).
It’s off to a shaky start… But, judging a vehicle by on-paper figures is ultimately an imbalanced assessment. What that doesn’t convey is that the Figo’s engine is a little marvel. Developing a stout 215 N.m from just 1 750 r/min and tasked with propelling just 1 048 kg, the diesel is a wonderfully flexible powertrain at pedestrian and highway speeds. There’s virtually no lag – and therefore no evidence of the customary dead spot that plagues many small diesels below 2 000 r/min – and, once past 1 500 r/min, the Figo flies.
Competitive as the figure is with petrol-powered rivals, ignore the 11,37-second 0-100 km/h sprint time; the Figo’s real triumph is in the flexibility of its engine between the gears. The sprint from 40-80 km/h takes just 5,47 seconds (the 1,5 Titanium we tested in January 2016 needed 8,28 seconds), while this Figo accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h in fourth gear in a brief 8,54 seconds (versus 14,33 seconds for the petrol).
All the while, the 1,5 exhibits a mostly vibration-free thrum, which is more audible than we would have preferred, but blame lies with insufficient cabin sound insulation rather than an inherently noisy powertrain, and the gearing through the slick five-speed manual ‘box is perfectly judged to keep the engine in the meat of its power band. The other advantage of a turbodiesel engine, aside from its satisfying operation during daily commuting duties, is of course fuel consumption. Ford claims a remarkable combined consumption figure of just 4,1 L/100 km. That’s unrealistic, but we achieved a still excellent average of 5,4 L/100 km on our standardised fuel route that includes gridlocked city driving and open stretches of highway.
Elsewhere, the new Figo impresses with excellent space utilisation in the cabin. There’s enough room for two adults’ knees and scalps when they’re seated on the rear bench, and build quality is solid despite the basic nature of the materials employed. Trend models use a simpler centre console design than top-spec Titanium petrol models and a number of testers commented favourably on the design and clarity of the audio-system interface and air-conditioning controls. Praise also went to the comfort of the front seats and the light, direct action of the electrically assisted power-steering system, but testers lamented the lack of a clutch rest for your left foot.
On the move, the Figo demonstrates most of the dynamic traits we love about modern Fords. There’s a delicacy to the controls that makes the vehicle easy to place, but they’re not vague, nor shorn of feel. Similarly, the ride is composed and absorbent, imbuing the vehicle with a mature air. The flipside is moderate amounts of body-lean during cornering, but that’s hardly cause for concern with a budget car. That said, the Figo betrays its basic roots on the move, where high levels of wind- and road-noise compete with the four-speaker audio system that boasts Bluetooth and a USB port as standard. The safety offering consists of two airbags and ABS, and this diesel model braked well in our punishing 10-stop emergency test, posting an average 100‑0 km/h time of 3,1 seconds.