American car-maker Ford had recently unveiled its new concept sedan based on Ford Figo hatchback platform at the recently ended Auto Expo 2014 event in Delhi. Ehab Kaoud, chief designer, Ford North America, lead designer for the Ford Figo Concept, said, “The Figo Concept represents our vision of a refined, no-compromise approach to designing a compact car. So often in this segment you see designs based on current trends and fashions that quickly look dated. We wanted instead to create a premium, long-lasting design that is clean and elegant, and which conveys a sense of precision, efficiency and sophistication.” The Indian car-maker Tata had generated quite some amount of curiosity in auto market with the showcase of the Bolt hatchback and the Zest sedan during the same event held in the country. Tata motors has also been creating some ripples in the International market with the Zest sedan that was just recently showcased at the Geneva Motor show.
The new sedan is expected to powered by Ford’s existing 1.2-litre petrol engine, 1.5-litre petrol or the 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol. Sources have also stated a possibility of 1.5-litre DV5 turbo-diesel engine finding its spot underneath the car's hood. The Figo sedan was unveiled by Dave Schoch, Group VP, Ford Motors and Nigel Harris, Ford president. It is also said that the car may feature a 1.0 Litre engine that may churn out about 80 bhp. Nigel Harris, Ford India President, said, “Consumers are more demanding than ever, wanting and expecting more from their cars, even if they are first time buyers. They expect and demand great fuel efficiency and low cost-of-ownership from the initial price throughout the life of the vehicle. The Ford Figo Concept offers all of this, and more, with sophistication, fresh design, world-class quality, a roomy interior, and innovative smart and safe technology.”
The Zest sedan from Tata shall be powered by a 1.2 Litre MPFI Turbocharged petrol Revotron engine that generates about 83bhp of power with 140Nm of torque. The sedan shall also be available in a diesel variant and shall be powered by a VGT 1.3-litre multijet diesel engine that generates about 89 Bhp. Both the engines have been mated to a 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission gearbox. Tata Zest has been made a reality owing to valuable design inputs received from three Tata Motors design studios located in Coventry (UK), Turin (Italy) and Pune (India). The Drivenext philosophy features F-Tronic Automated manual transmission technology. The car is loaded with safety features like feature ABS, EPAS, speed sensitive power steering and Active Return function. The car shall also get next generation Harman infotainment system that lets you access your entire collection of videos, music and more on the 5 inch touchscreen.
