The 1.4-litre petrol engine is already being manufactured by Ford India for the Figo that is exported to South Africa. Hence it makes more sense to plonk this engine into the Indian Figo’s engine bay. The 1.6-litre engine, which also powers the Fiesta sedan, uses components that are imported, which makes that engine a rather expensive affair. Plonking that engine into the Indian Figo will sky rocket the prices of this highly economical small brand and will create a huge void between the 1.2-litre and the speculated 1.6-litre variant. The 1.4-litre on the other hand will not only be economical but will also be more practical since the market for a 1.6-litre hot hatch isn’t all that big in India.
The 1.4-litre petrol engine produces a healthy 84PS @ 6,000 rpm with 127Nm of turning force dialed in at 4000 revs. Expect the better power to weight figure to translate into a 15-odd kmpl overall fuel efficiency for the Figo 1.4. With its 45-litre fuel tank capacity, expect the Figo 1.4 to give you a driving range of 700+ kms on the highway.
As far as the features go, we are expecting Ford to throw in a set of fog lamps (front and back) as standard. The ZXi and Titanium variants on the Figo could also get rear power windows since the lack of this feature is one of the most ridiculed aspects of the current Figo twins. Expect the new 1.4-litre variant to be approximately Rs. 30-50,000 dearer than the equivalent 1.2-litre variants. The car is expected to go on sale by Diwali 2010 , but given the current backlog of the Figo 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel variants, we won’t be surprised if the 1.4-litre petrol Figo’s launch is postponed till early 2011. Watch this space for more info…
Pics: swiftnfurious via Team-Bhp