This is the second part of an earlier blog post.

After visiting the Ford India Engine Plant, the bloggers were showcased the company’s efforts to reduce the cost of owning Ford cars through its selection of child parts. These child parts reduce the cost of repairing or replacing spare parts by eliminating the need to replace large sections of the car. This is done by simplifying major assemblies into component-level parts. For example, a starter motor, which was previously replaced as a complete unit, has now been classified into several component-level parts such as the arm assembly, housing assembly, bushing, drive assembly and solenoid assembly. Similar child parts are also developed for engine components and transmission systems, to name a few.

“Ford has taken an awesome initiative to reduce costs at both the manufacturing as well as maintenance level. Owners of the Figo will experience very reasonable prices of spares. Add to that, the company has ensured that you don’t need to change the complete part should anything go wrong with a part being made of sub-parts and thus making it cheap to replace,” Faisal of Motorbeam wrote on his blog.

The last stop for the bloggers was the delivery yard, where the cars are stored when they are ready for delivery hundreds of Ford Figos stood waiting to be delivered to dealers. For the car-loving bloggers, it was a fascinating experience to watch the journey of a Ford car from bare metal to the finished product. It gave them all a glimpse into cutting-edge car manufacturing technology. Ford India is a 6-Sigma company, and every process and step is planned to perfection.

Who is smart and who is smarter? Men or women?

There’s never been an end to this raging debate between men and women, so we decided to settle the matter by bringing to life the concept of “smart and smarter” at the launch of the new Ford Figo in Delhi and Mumbai.

For this, we did the daring thing—we got a newly-married couple to slog it out in a live debate in front of the television, print and web media. The couple was Sandeep and Priya, who were smart and smarter, played by the vivacious Gul Panag and the witty Gaurav Kapur.

In this fun and engaging debate, the husband-wife duo took to the stage with India’s favourite quiz master Derek O’Brien. So while Priya said “smart” was great music, cool comfort, and vibrant colours in a car, Sandeep said “smarter” was phonebook and friends, excellent boot space, and enough leg room for his tall frame. As the couple battled on, Derek offered a solution—the Ford Figo with its smart and smarter features!

As we tweeted about the debate, Gul replied: “[I] loved it:) @gauravkapur was the perfect ‘husband’.”

After the debate, Derek asked Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India what he thought “smart” was. Michael responded: “Smart is cost of ownership!” To which Nigel Wark, executive director, marketing, sales and service added, “Smarter is the great pricing!”

We couldn’t agree more.

Soon after the Ford Figo rolled on to the stage, we asked Rahul Gautam, Ford Figo’s brand manager, about the idea behind this unique creative execution. “There are so many little nuggets in this car. The smart and smarter debate was a nice hook between the Figo and connect with consumers,” he said. Like in a relationship, Rahul explained, “It is not about one being better than the other, but how each can compliment the other to make a great couple.”

This debate was designed specially for the Figo’s launch, bringing the car’s features to life. “It drove home the first message about the smart and smarter features of the Figo,” Rahul said.

All those who saw the debate and experienced the Figo later said that the debate was an excellent out-of-the-box idea, and agreed that the car is a great buy. And they’re right—the Ford Figo is indeed a very cool car!

Early last week, the streets of sleepy Goa came alive as four brand new cars zipped across the beach state. For the lucky few who saw the cars, it was the first public glimpse of the new Ford Figo.

It all began when automotive journalists and bloggers from across India arrived to see, feel and drive the Figo. They got to mix with the who’s who at Ford—Michael Boneham (president and managing director, Ford India), Nigel Wark (executive director, marketing, sales and service), Anthony Hall(B-car vehicle engineering manager), Scott Strong (APA design director), Emily Lai (colour & materials design manager)and Sundar Sundarrajan (chief program engineer).

Just before dinner, it was time to get down to business. But it was Goa, after all, not the most business-like place. So Nigel gave us the reason for choosing Goa as the drive destination. He shared a video showcasing several Sandeeps, the Figo’s target customer. On being asked their favourite holiday destination, most of the young men had replied, “Goa!”

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason—for the Figo exploration had just begun. Anthony narrated behind-the-scenes Figo stories, replete with impossible cross-border shipping schedules and trans-national teamwork. He even showed a photograph of the Figo in an Australian plant—a “potentially sackable offence”, he said tongue-in-cheek.

Scott elaborated on the Figo’s fluid ‘tear drop’ silhouette and the kinetic design cues. The graphics he used to explain the car’s lines and curves made us realize that the photos could never completely convey the extreme ‘coolness’ of the cars.

Next, we discovered the philosophy behind the interiors, as Emily explained the four trim levels and what they indicated; like the red dot matrix seats meant precision and technological sophistication. And the brand-new Figo colours couldn’t be more creatively named—Colorado Red, Sea Grey, Chill and Squeeze!

In the final moment of truth that warm evening, Michael unveiled the Figo’s interiors. We sat in the Figo, checked out the seats, boot, dashboard, tyres and everything else. Only one thing was missing in the car—the key to drive it away, but that was for another day.

Coming soon: Driving the Figo