The Ford Figo has welcomed a new addition to its South African family, the Figo
Freestyle. Described as a small CUV, it’s based on the regular hatchback, to
which it has added a 16 mm higher ground clearance (for a total of 190
mm). The Figo Freestyle also brings revised looks including a sculpted
front bumper and exclusive 15-inch alloy wheels housed in the broader wheel
arches with black moldings.
It also features underbody protection at both
ends provided by skid plates, standard roof rails, as well as ‘Freestyle’
badging and decals applied to the lower sections of the doors. The new ‘Canyon
Ridge’ paint finish is exclusive to this model, which can also be ordered in
Diamond White, Smoke Grey, Ruby Red, Moondust Silver and White Gold.
The interior remains virtually untouched,
bar the exclusive upholstery and trim, soft-touch gearshift knob, scuff plates
and all-weather floor mats. These complement the standard gear offered in the
Trend spec, such as the Device Dock with Bluetooth, USB, AUX and smartphone
holder, remote central locking, electric windows and others. The Titanium adds
the Ford MyKey, 6.5-inch infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,
push-button start, automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers and
dusk-sensing headlamps.
Power still comes from the 1.5-liter
three-cylinder petrol engine found in the Figo hatchback, which makes 122 HP and 150 Nm of torque. Despite the elevated ground
clearance, the Figo Freestyle doesn’t feature an all-wheel drive system, as the
torque is channeled to the front wheels via the five-speed manual transmission.
Local pricing starts from the equivalent
of US$ 13,675 and goes up to US$ 14,930 for the better-equipped Titanium.
