Ford imports Ka/New-Figo hatchbacks for testing on Indian roads

Ford India has imported a couple of Ka/Figo hatchbacks from Brazil. The cars imported will be put on the testing circuit ahead of the new Figo’s launch next year. The cars that have been imported feature the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder Ti-VCT petrol engine that is also found on the likes of the new Ford Fiesta and the EcoSport crossover sold in India.

The 2014 Ford Ka hatchback, slated to go on sale in Brazil from later this year,  and will be sold as the replacement to the Figo B+ segment hatchback in India. Ford India has plans of manufacturing the Ka (next-generation Figo) hatchback and compact sedan models at its Sanand factory that is currently under construction.

The India-spec version of the Ka hatchback are likely to feature a non-turbo version of the EcoBoost 1 liter-3 cylinder engine and the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder, TDCI turbo diesel motor. The same engine line up is likely to be offered on the compact sedan based on the 2014 Ford Figo/Ka.

Ford India showcased the Ka based compact sedan at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo and the car will be launched in India next year, alongside the new Figo hatchback. While the new Figo will continue to sit in the B+ hatchback segment, the compact sedan will replace the Classic sedan and be Ford’s rival to the likes of the Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze and the Hyundai Xcent.

Click here to know more about the next-generation Ford Figo/Ka based compact sedan.

Currently, both the Figo hatchback and the Classic sedan are long in the tooth, especially with the competition taking massive strides in terms of technology on offer and design. Hyundai will unleash the all-new i20 later this year while Honda will ring in the new Jazz next year.

On a similar note, the compact sedan segment will soon see the arrival of the Tata Zest while the Hyundai Xcent has just been launched in India.  So, 2015 is the year when Ford has to launch the new Ka-based Figo hatchback and compact sedan to move away from being a one product (EcoSport) wonder.

Via Zauba