Freestyling with the latest Ford Figo

Ford has added some crossover appeal to its affordable car range, broadening its Figo range with two new Freestyle derivatives

Although the Ford Figo platform and technical details remain unchanged, the Freestyle has an elevated ride height and some styling upgrades.

Model-specific branding, decals, roof rails, and a reshaped grille distinguish the Freestyle from other Figos. The Freestyle offers two trim levels: Trend and Titanium.

At R226 700, the Figo Freestyle Trend features rear parking sensors and wheel arch cladding. This protects its paint from stone chips.

Prospective owners who can stretch their spend to R247 500 gain quite a few additional features with the Freestyle Titanium.

It has rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, keyless start, and a reversing camera for dexterous manoeuvring out of crowded parking areas.

The Titanium grade also added superior digitisation, with a 6.5-inch infotainment screen and both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality.

Powering the Ford Figo Freestyle is a 1.5-liter petrol engine, which is not turbocharged. It delivers 91kW and 150Nm, which Ford claims is good enough for 0-100kph in 11.8 seconds and a top speed of 175kph.

The budget crossover segment has specific relevance to South African buyers thanks to the country’s vast network of gravel roads. With a 16mm ride height increase, the Figo Freestyle has a 190mm of ground clearance. While this certainly doesn’t make its an all-conquering 4×4, it allows for ease of passage on mild gravel routes.

Although it is only available with a five-speed manual gearbox, lacking a sixth cruising gear, fuel consumption is an entirely reasonable 5.5l/100km (at highway speed under ideal conditions).

Feature image: Ford