Ford India has upgraded the Figo with additional features. The American automaker has added a new variant EXI (O), taking the total variants number of the Figo to ten. This new variant get Bluetooth audio system, whereas the ZXI variant now gets tilt steering and USB port for the audio system. However, the ZXi variant loses driver seat height adjuster. The Titanium variant of the Figo gets both new features of the ZXi along with alloy wheels. The price hike on the ZXi variant is Rs. 6000/- while the Titanium variant is now dearer by Rs. 17,200/- Although the Figo upgrade has made the car dearer by a few thousand rupees, we feel the additional equipment comes at a bargain. OEM alloy wheels for Rs. 11,000/- is quite a steal, actually!

Ford Figo Bharat Yatra drive successfully completed in Jalandhar, Kochi and Bhubaneshwar yesterday. The pan-India drive covered 1000 towns across 20 states across India in a just 100 days. The Yatra saw prospective customers take over 17,000 test drives. The Ford Figo Bharat Yatra was kicked off in July 2011 to celebrate the success of the Figo. The Ford Figo Bharat Yatra road show helped consumers get a firsthand experience of the car’s features.

“Impressive number of enquiries, on-spot bookings and thousands of test drives conducted during this Yatra clearly suggest that Figo’s value proposition of being a value-for-money vehicle continues to find resonance in the market. We are trying to get closer to our customers and ensure a better service experience by rapidly growing our sales and service network” Sriram Padmanabhan – General Manager (Marketing), Ford India, said.

Ford India is back again with its Discover Smart Drive campaign- Season 2. Last year, the season 1 that took place was a runaway hit with the public. The Discover Smart Drive is a unique kind of campaign organized every year where selected participants have to cover a distance of 2500 kms in 25 days. This was conceptualized to appeal to the fun loving and adventurous couples and 4 lucky ones got the chance to experience it. These couples drove the “Discover Smart” themed Figo across India exploring scenic wonders and attractions across various cities. Enroute, the couples shared their experiences through Figo drive website, communities across Facebook, Orkut, Twitter and Driving Ford blog.

This year it is not going to be only couples but friends, couples and siblings. In total 4 teams will be shortlisted from all the applicants and they will get a chance to explore India in 4 different routes. One selected team from each region (north/south/east/west) will represent and explore the region while performing tasks in search of clues to solve a puzzle. The winning team will be decided based on the scores obtained and the maximum social media followership. Ford India will sponsor the winning team along with their favorite fan to an all paid trip to explore Nepal and the majestic Himalayas. So, if you are interested, then don’t waste any time, just head over here and start participating. To participate, all you have to do is send them a video along with their friend or co-driver introducing yourselves, telling what you are passionate about and why you should be a part of the Discover Smart Drive. Hurry, the contest closes on 24th October 2011.

Ford India is celebrating the sale of 1 lakh units of the Figo and has embarked on a road show. The Ford Figo ‘Bharat Yatra’ will see the car going to 1000 cities across India. People will get a chance to look at the car, which is a very innovative method to promote the Figo to prospective buyers. The Ford Figo ‘Bharat Yatra’ kicked off in Kolkata on June 29, and will continue through the states of West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Beginning next week, another two convoys will depart from Pune and Bangalore. The three Ford Figo convoys will visit 1,000 Indian towns, covering 18 Indian states, over the next 100 days. The company is also offering special finance scheme through HDFC Bank and discounts on monsoon care as part of the celebration.

“We are proud to have attracted 100,000 Figo customers in just 15 months. Through our 100-day road show, the Ford Figo ‘Bharat Yatra’, we will introduce the vehicle to even more Indian drivers, enabling them to see, first hand, what the buzz is all about,” Nigel Wark, executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford India, said.

Ford has re-entered Sri Lanka, just days after the Tata Nano went on sale in the country. The American automaker will sell the Figo, exported from India, through its exclusive dealer Future Automobiles. The company is very bullish on the island country as it looks to grow its exports significantly in the Asia Pacific region. But the Figo is not the only car which will go on sale, as the company will launch the Everest (our Endeavour), Ranger Pickup, Fiesta and the Focus. The government levies huge import duties due to which, the Focus has been priced at an astronomical Rs. 40 lakhs.

Earlier this week, we had speculated the possibility of a bigger Ford Figo, probably with the 2011 Fiesta’s engine. Now Ford has hinted that it could be a reality. When asked about the huge gap between the Figo and the Fiesta Classic, the company responded by telling us that they are working on something to fit it between them. Could it be the Figo 1.5 Diesel with 90hp of power and 204Nm of torque?

Ford has adopted 1500cc engines for the new 2011 Fiesta. This makes us speculate whether the Figo could make do with these new powertrains. Since the launch of the Figo last year, enthusiasts have been crying loud for a 1.6 liter Figo. Ford even exports 1.6 AT versions of its popular small car to South Africa. So what is stopping them to launch it in India? Pricing, as the 1.6 liter petrol Figo would attract duties similar to those of larger cars. But now since Ford has started producing 1.5 liter diesel engines for the new Fiesta, could the company strap them on the Figo? This would make high economic sense as well. Or Ford could just have a limited edition run of these variants to gauge customer response. Imagine the Figo diesel having 90hp of power and 204Nm of torque. Factor in the 23.5 kmpl mileage on the Fiesta and the lighter Figo is bound to give more. Do you want a more powerful Figo anytime soon?

Ford India has rolled out the 1,00,000th Figo from its Chennai plant. The rollout of the Colarado Red Figo (the 1 lakhth car) was celebrated by the company’s body and Paint shops and Trim, Chassis and Final (TCF) teams during two days that saw senior managers praise the great work of plant employees. Ford India’s MD Michael Boneham cut a ceremonial ribbon to mark the occassion. Employees managed to reduce paint usage from 134 to 47 litres per car, as well as lower power consumption rates, which has helped in boosting productivity for the automaker.

Ford India has joined other car makers by hiking the price of the Figo by 1%. The reason for the hike has been attributed to rising commodity prices.