After a few months of not driving anywhere, we know everyone’s keen to get out and hit the road. Today, Ford just exacerbated that need by hosting a virtual launch event for its new Figo Freestyle compact utility vehicle. Or CUV, but it’s basically what you get if an SUV and a hatch has a baby.

The small albeit bulky (in a good way) Freestyle will come in two flavours, the 1.5 Trend coming in at R226 700 and the 1.5 Titanium priced at R247 500. Both of these line up with current Figo prices, which makes it a great contender in the young-family market. Both of the models look far more buff than their hatch siblings, featuring meaner grilles, roof rails and sleek lines on the sides.

Beefed up Figo

It’s no doubt got a number of SUV-inspired exterior design features, including redesigned bumpers with skid plates and wheel arch mouldings in addition to the features we mentioned above.

Both models are powered by the familiar 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine (91kW and 150Nm) you’d find in the hatch, as well as a five-speed manual transmission. The base Trend model ships with manual air-con, a Bluetooth audio system, remote central locking, reverse parking aid, electric windows and mirrors, dual front airbags, ABS brakes and 15-in alloy wheels.

The fancier big-bro, Titanium variant gets all of the above plus automatic climate control, Ford’s Sync3 touchscreen infotainment system, automatic headlights and wipers, keyless start and curtain airbags.

Both of ‘em come with a four-year/60 000km service plan and four-year/120 000km warranty. This new sub-genre of CUV cars are perfect for South Africans, and we’re happy to see more affordable models enter the space.