Ford Figo Ships to South Africa

American manufacturer Ford began this week shipping its Indian Figo model to South Africa, with the first 1,200 units to reach local dealerships later this month. This is the first batch of Figo models to be exported, with the car expected to be at least as big of a hit in South Africa as it proved to be in India.

"In addition to being a sales chart topper, the Figo is the first small car to be produced and exported by Ford India and today's consignment of 1,200 to South Africa is a new, exciting development for us," Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India, said according to just-auto.com.

"Given the rising demand worldwide for compact vehicles, we plan to accelerate our export strategy to not only enhance our business growth but also to further embellish India's reputation as a major regional auto manufacturing hub."

The Figo comes packing Ford's 1.4l Duratorq common rail diesel engine, as well as a 1.2l petrol SEFI one purpose-built for the Figo. The diesel outputs 69 PS at 4,000 rpm, while the petrol engine develops 71 PS at 6,250 rpm. Both come equipped with a 5 speed manual transmission.

Priced at Rs. 3,49,900 (approx. $7,695) in India, the car has already been ordered by some 24,000 people in the country, a figure which helped boost Ford's local sales numbers to 7,269 units in June 2010. South Africa is expected to follow suit.

"Just as the Figo has taken the Indian market by storm, we are confident that it will have a similar impact in South Africa and we hope to export 5,000 vehicles to the country by the end of the year," Boneham added.