Ford Figo 2.0 focuses on safety

American car maker Ford today launched its new generation Ford Figo on Wednesday, the car that helped it break into the Indian market four years ago. With its base model priced at Rs 4.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the hatchback is at least Rs 35,000 cheaper than rival, Maruti Suzuki Swift priced at Rs 4.46 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The new Ford Figo has stayed true to the parent company's emphasis on safety and has several attractive features to help its consumers avert loss of life. Safety of automobiles has recently become a talking point in the country. At least 382 Indians die every day because of road accidents and 1,39,671 lives were lost due to road mishaps in 2014 alone. "Safety is part of the Ford DNA. We introduced seat belts for the first time in the US," said Nigel Harris, managing director and president, Ford India. "There is always an argument about how much an Indian consumer is ready to pay for safety. But reaching the destination safely has to be top priority."

The higher variants of the car offer six airbags along with a driver airbag that is standard inclusion. The 'Ford MyKey' feature allows the car speed and audio limit to be locked, thereby encouraging responsible driving. The music system, for instance, gets muted if seat belts are not worn. "As a parent this is the feature that excites me the most. With the speed limit set, who ever is in the driver's seat cannot tamper with it," said Anurag Mehrotra, executive director, marketing, sales and service, Ford India. The company has also  recently launched its sedan, Ford Aspire, and is looking to introduce the new version of Endeavour in this calendar year.