2018 Ford Figo Facelift CNG Spied Testing In India

Expect the updated version of the Figo twins to launch in India in 2018

Latest spy image of the Ford Figo facelift has revealed that Ford might introduce a CNG-powered Figo (even Aspire, maybe) in India soon. The Figo in the spied image gets the updated rear bumper which we’ll get to see in the facelift and the rear windshield has a CNG sticker on it.

A CNG version of the Figo facelift is not surprising. Over 80 new cities have recently been granted CNG distribution licence. Until now, CNG was primarily available in Delhi and parts of Maharashtra. With the CNG filling station network expected to expand in the country soon, carmakers might offer CNG option in their petrol-powered vehicles. At present, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai offer factory-fitted CNG vehicles in India.

CNG may not appear to be the fuel of choice in the present, especially in the passenger vehicle space. But with diesel cars getting significantly more expensive than petrol post 2020 when BSVI norms kick in, CNG as automotive fuel might make a stronger case for itself. Since CNG-powered vehicles also score high on fuel efficiency, the fuel might also have a bigger role to play in 2023 when CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) norms are applied in the country.

Both the Figo and Aspire facelift will draw power from new 1.2-litre petrol engine that also powers the Freestyle in India. The engine makes 96PS of maximum power in the Freestyle. It will replace the older 1.2-litre petrol engine which makes 88PS of maximum power. On the Freestyle, the new petrol engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission only. We expect Ford to offer the convenience of automatic transmission with the updated Figo twins but there’s no official word on it yet.

Related: We took the Freestyle out for some off-road action. Full report here

The outgoing version of the hatchback and the sub-4m sedan offer a dual-clutch automatic transmission with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. This powertrain was also available in the pre-facelift EcoSport and Ford replaced it with a new 1.5-litre Dragon series petrol engine and a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission in the EcoSport facelift. It remains to be seen if Ford will offer the same powertrain as the EcoSport with the Figo and Aspire facelift or not. Since the new 1.2-litre petrol engine is a downsized version of the EcoSport’s 1.5-litre unit, Ford has an option to introduce the 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission with the 1.2-litre as well in the upcoming Figo and Aspire facelift.

The diesel engine, on the other hand, is expected to be the same 1,5-litre unit that the pre-facelift Figo twins get. It will be paired with a 5-speed manual transmission.

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The Figo twins will get a cosmetic update in the form of redesigned front and rear bumpers and a new front grille. Expect the updated version to be more feature-rich than the current one and take inspiration from the Freestyle as far as interior design is concerned. We expect Ford to launch the Figo and Aspire facelift in India by the 2018 festive season. The carmaker has already launched the updated versions of the Figo twins overseas.

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