There's nothing like buying a car with a heritage - think VW New Beetle, Citi Golf and Vivo. The forebears were great, the offspring mere shades of the originals and intended to keep body presses and production lines running longer while ostensibly providing "affordable" motoring for the masses.
Which, to be fair, the latter two did.
Now Ford has cottoned on to the VW scheme of things and is saving much on production costs by recycling the sixth (previous) generation of the spunky Fiesta in Chennai, India where perhaps the wekkers don't earn quite as much in dollar terms as those in other countries. Such as South Africa.
The four-door hatchback car is called the Figo (various sources translate it into English as either 'joy' or 'cool') and South Africa has been chosen as the first export market - I've read that as many as 5000 units are either here already or on the way but whatever Ford SA is looking at selling around 700 a month - perhaps 1000.
Other export markets could include South America and Mexico, which tells us a lot about their intended buyers.
Whatever, the Figo has come ashore from across the Indian Ocean (wonder if the Indians call it the African Ocean?) with a choice of 1.4-litre 62kW/127Nm Duratec petrol or 51kW/160Nm Duratorq diesel engine, the petrol in either lesser Ambiente or upper Trend specification and the turbodiesel as an Ambiente.
Here are the prices - each has a five-speed manual gearbox from the still current in SA Ikon and no auto version or further models are expected in the foreseeable future. The cars were launched in India in March, 2010.
Figo 1.4i Ambiente - R109 900 (exactly the same as the VW Vivo)
Figo 1.4i Trend - R125 000
Figo 1.4 TDCi Ambiente - R125 000 (it costs the equivalent of R87 000 in India but then SA has import and other duties to add on).
While the prices might be challenged by VW, Ford points out that its cars' specs include items that are optional on the VW Vivo to the tune of at least R15 500 - such as power windows, aircon and audio systems.
Ford SA says that while the Figo is based on the prevous Fiesta the models for South Africa have been tuned and re-specced for our conditions and arrive with many specification changes to make them superior to those sold in India.
The current Fiesta launched in South Africa in October 2008.
"The Ford Figo is an exciting new introduction to the South African market," Ford SA's marketing manager Ben Pillay said at the local launch in Sandton, Gauteng. "It offers style and practicality at an affordable price and is small enough to weave through city traffic but big enough to accommodate a family."
SOME COMPETITORS...
No argument there, except the "family" had better very young because rear-seat legroom on the bench seat is minimal. Which might not prove important because Ford SA sees the car as attracting younger, independent buyers who probably don't intend to reproduce for a few years.
Pillary, however, contradicted this by saying buyers would include those in their forties. He also said the Figo would go up against (apart from the VW Vivo) the Toyota Yaris, Suzukis, Hyundai i10, Chevy Spark Lite. Add to that the Tata Indigo and a number of other entry level small cars.
Which begs the question: "So, how does the Figo compare?" Frankly, damn well. The diesel model is a bit sluggish up on the Highveld, the petrol much spunkier. I tried - and liked - both on the launch this week; the Ford heritage is obvious and, subjectively, I though the cabin features and finish were better than its competitors.
The ride is firm and resilient, road and wind noise muted and the cars have the indefinable solidness that define a car as well-built. There's no shortage of big-car feature; the Figo has substantial technology that includes MP3/iPod connectivity, two front crahs bags, anti-lock brakes and Ford's long-running passive anti-theft system.
AMBIENTE IS ENTRY-LEVEL
The Figo has been tested worldwide (including in South Africa) comes with a four-year or 120 000km fully comprehensive warranty and a five-year no rust-through warranty. Service intervals are 20 000km for petrol derivatives and 15 000km for diesel.
The Ambiente is the entry option, Trend the fancier. Both have a rev counter and a "distance to empty" gauge (which, really, does exactly the same as a normal fuel gauge) along with the usual warning lights. Each has a 12-volt power socket,central locking (keyless on the Trend).
The Trend also adds driver's seat height adjustment, body colour exterior mirrors, front fog lights, chromed finishes on the grille and tailgate and 175/65 alloy rims.
All three models have an AM/FM radio with CD/MP3 capability, station identification and connectivity for iPods through a socket on the radio's face.