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