Ford has quietly introduced ABS and EBD on the lower variants of the Figo siblings in India. Previously only available on the top Titanium and Titanium+ trims, ABS is now also being offered on the mid-level Trend variants as per the company’s website. This change, however, isn't mentioned in the online brochure available on the website.
Ford is the latest manufacturer to offer ABS on lower variants of its volume segment cars, though unlike automakers such as Toyota, Skoda and more recently VW, the company is yet to make ABS standard across its entire line-up.
While Ford has introduced the system on the Trend variants of both cars, the base Ambiente trim on the Figo Aspire continues to offer only dual airbags as standard. On the other hand, the base variant of the Figo hatchback only gets a single driver-side airbag, while the next-in-line Ambiente trim gets the addition of a passenger airbag to the equipment list.
The Indian automotive industry is expected to bring in more stringent safety regulations by making dual airbags, ABS, speed warning system and seat belt reminders mandatory on all cars in the coming years.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
