Come 2018 and Ford India will be the latest carmaker to join the hatchback-SUV crossover club with the Figo based crossover. The model has been in the works for a while now and was recently spied sans camouflage revealing the new offering. The Ford Figo Cross, as it might be called, is based on the current generation Figo hatchback but comes with additional body cladding, new features and an updated design too. The leaked images do show the model being ready for launch and could be showcased at the upcoming 2018 Auto Expo. The Figo Cross will lock horns against the Hyundai i20 Active, Toyota Etios Cross, Fiat Urban Cross and the likes in the segment.
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(You get split racing stripes on the Figo Cross along with roof rails)
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The new Ford Figo Cross is essentially a pumped up version of the Figo hatchback but gets noticeable upgrades in styling. The new hexagonal grille is inspired from the Mustang and looks sporty flanked by the sweptback headlamps. The bumper gets additional black body cladding including a faux bash plate. The black plastic inserts for the rugged appeal run across the sides as well, on the wheel arches and will be see on the rear bumper too. While there isn't an image of the rear, expect to see similar styling changes as the front. You also get split racing stripes on the Figo Cross along with roof rails. In that copper brown shade, the crossover does remind you of the Punto based Fiat Avventura. However, the Figo Cross does miss out on projector lens and LED DRLs, which are increasingly becoming common on smaller cars.
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Inside, the new Ford Figo Cross gets an updated dashboard, which will make it to the Figo/Aspire facelift as well. More prominently, there's a new and massive floating touchscreen infotainment system borrowed from the EcoSport facelift. The system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Ford's SYNC3 connectivity system. There's no auto climate control though.
(There's a new and massive floating touchscreen infotainment system borrowed from the EcoSport facelift)
Apart from the exterior and interior changes, the new Ford Figo Cross is expected to debut the automaker's all-new 1.2-litre petrol engine from the Dragon series. The motor is expected to belt out about 90 bhp and is said to be one of the most powerful in its class. The 1.5-litre TDCi diesel will continue to be on offer with about 100 bhp of power. Both engines will come paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. It's not clear if Ford will offer an automatic transmission on the Figo Cross.
Based on the standard Figo, the new Ford Figo Cross will command a slightly higher price tag than its sibling. It could also have fewer variants, strategy other carmakers choose to follow for crossover cars. Despite being lucrative offerings, the Figo and Aspire couldn't bring in the volumes that Ford anticipated. It will be interesting then to see if the Figo Cross is able to change that. More details on the new model is expected surface in the following days.
(Spy Images Source: Carwale.com)
