Figo wins Indian COTY The Ford Figo arrived on South African shores without too much fanfare besides an unremarkable advertising campaign and a sponsorship appearance on SA Idols, with the usual promise of down-to-earth, reliable Ford motoring. Upon inspection, the usual aspects of decent build quality, adequate (and some unexpected) features and overall affordability made it a good choice for practical motorists looking for honest motoring with a fun, value-for-money feel. With this market and goal in mind, Ford have ploughed great effort into the massively expanding Indian market in order to revive sales figures out of the recession, which has worked extremely well, increasing its 2010 figures by 185% up to almost 80 000 units. As a testament to this phenomenal success, and echoing a nation’s desire for such honest, fun yet sensible motoring, the Ford Figo was selected as Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2011 recently, earning the country’s top automotive award in the fiercely competitive and rapidly growing Indian market.
Now in its sixth year, the ICOTY is awarded to a new vehicle after comprehensive testing by a jury of leading Indian automobile journalists. The winner is determined by a multi-point voting system modeled on the selection process used by the European Car of the Year jury. “We knew Ford had a potential winner on its hands even as we lined up the contenders. The Figo’s crisp driving dynamics, two fuel-efficient engine options, cheerful styling and interiors and, of course, it’s terrific pricing, simply