What makes the Figo such a ‘cool’-looking and dynamic car? Who better to tell us than the design team itself, led by Scott Strong, APA design director.

We had a chat with Scott Strong (SS), Scott Ferrier (SF), design manager, and Emily Lai (EL), Colours & Materials design manager, recently. They spoke candidly about the Figo’s kinetic design elements, its aesthetics and the small car’s big personality.

In Scott Ferrier’s words, here’s the 10-cent tour of the car. Enjoy!

What was the starting point of the Figo?

SS: We got a phone call in September 2007, and they asked us, “How would you guys like to help us design a small car for India?” That was the starting point, and with a spectacular outcome!

The design team responded enthusiastically to this project?

SS: Absolutely! We love to design cars.  If we don’t get a white piece of paper we try to make one!

How did you get from the initial thoughts to the final outcome ?

SS: It was quite a journey for us, really. But as the doors opened, the opportunities became apparent that we thought, gosh, we can make an affordable entry-level car that we’ll be proud of.

EL: What was interesting was the India marketing team saying they wanted more from the car, and we said, yeah, we want more too. So we worked together to create this ‘more’ factor.

On to the Figo itself. First impressions?

SF: It’s a very cohesive piece of design. Everything has a function and aesthetically every element works in harmony with the others.

There are a lot of lines and graphics on this car that help the eye move around. In the front there’s the crease on the hood, which runs down the front around the

Vijaya is a very busy woman—even a 16-hour work day is not enough for her. Meeting deadlines, leading a team, building and launching a car in the shortest possible time, it’s all in a day’s work.

Vijaya is passionate about cars (absolutely loves the Fiesta), is motivated and very focused. This and her decade-long experience at Ford make her the right person for some very demanding roles, including Product Development (PD) launch manager for Figo.

Meet Vijaya Vijayalakshmi, currently general manager, Plant Vehicle Team, and a role model for women in the automotive business.

We recently had a chat with Vijaya about being a woman in the car industry, why she is a ring leader, and her thoughts about the forthcoming Figo.

A woman passionate about cars – some might find that a rarity!

I don’t think it’s such a rare phenomenon. Women like cars too, you know! Cars were my passion right from college days.

So what is it like to work as a woman in a man’s world?

I’ve never felt uncomfortable or out of place. Maybe it’s because I’m friendly, or because from my college days I was in the automotive field. I have travelled to several Ford markets across the world, and met many people. I have always been respected and treated as part of the team.

Did you begin your career at Ford on the management side?

No, I started with engineering; handling power train first on the engineering side, later as part of management. I took up the position of Figo PD launch manager because it was a wonderful opportunity to see the bigger picture behind development, and my current profile is just as thrilling.

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