If you think that the Ford Figo missed a golden opportunity to greet the Auto Expo crowd – think again. Being a revamped Ford Fiesta hatchback, which was recently phased out in Europe, it wouldn’t really have turned eye balls, despite having some of Ford’s ‘kinetic’ design cues.

Depending mostly on what Ford’s design team did earlier in this decade in some other parts of the world, I expected the Figo to have outdated interiors, irrelevant equipment and an uncomfortable ride as my flight landed in Goa. When I returned to the airport after experiencing the Figo inside-out, I felt like an idiot – an idiot with a smile on his face.

The design could be old, but the engine isn’t. The new 1.2-liter Duratec petrol engine is a scaled down version of the hugely popular engine on the Fiesta. Churning out 70 horsepower, the Figo is no torque monster. It has enough power for the Indian roads, but the soundtrack at high RPM makes you feel like you’re sitting in the Fiesta Group N rally car. And the gear shift action doesn’t get much better than this either. Being small – visibly much like the Ritz’s shifter – the gearbox and shift linkage works very well. Plus, the tension of the clutch pedal engages you from the moment you shift out of neutral.

The seating posture is comfortable with the seats offering comfort – both in the form of good headrests and decent thigh support, as well as safety with thick bolsters, and great all-round visibility. You sit low in the car, which is a true sign of a sporty car designed around the drivers’ seat. For the first time buyer, the big hand brake could be misunderstood for a complimentary baseball bat. The steering wheel is good to grip, and offered great feedback on the narrow and twisty lanes of Goa.

The 1.4-litre Duratorq diesel is the reason why many customers picked the Fiesta. The engine on the diesel Figo offered consistent power – after the initial turbo lag that is. It was slightly noisy, and, due to the BS4 emission norm requirements, it gets noisier at certain speeds. It has far more torque than the petrol, so if you’re in the right gear, you could even overtake a space shuttle transporter on the highway without anxiety.

The Figo’s ride quality is the best you can find in small cars today. It feels very stable at high speeds, without any pitching and rolling. Inside the city, you get the same feeling. Once you negotiate a speed bump, the effects quickly fade away. It runs on tires that give it good grip, and road noise doesn’t enter the cabin like it does on the bigger and costlier Ikon.

The Figo could have a longer wheelbase than its competition, but that doesn’t really translate into interior space for passengers. While there are no complaints for the front passenger, who can push his or her seat a long way back, it’s the rear passengers who’ll complain. The lack of suitable knee-room, and height adjustable headrests make the Figo’s rear seat suitable only for the black sheep of the family. There is, however, ample lighting – thanks to a large glass area and rear quarter glass, so if its kids who belong there, it won’t be an issue for them.

The compromise in passenger space is understood the moment you open the Figo’s boot. You could seemingly fit the entire universe in there. As the car sits relatively low, loading and unloading is also very easy.

The Figo offers just what a young professional is looking to purchase. Apart from a comfortable seat for his wife, large boot space for her shopping, engines that suit his tight budget, and a very effective air conditioner to keep his grandparents cozy, it also offers an adrenaline boost with a suspension setup that encourages him to attack a corner once in a while, and an engine that could bring back the rush from his university biking days. I think the Figo could jolt the competition when it’s launched post March this year, and even manage to pip the Maruti Suzuki Swift if priced correctly.