After launching the BS6-compliant (Bharat Stage 6) EcoSport range last month, Ford India has now done the same with three more models – Figo, Aspire and Freestyle. Apart from equipping them with upgraded powertrains, Ford has also made some changes to their portfolios. Before digging deep into those changes, here’s the complete price list:

Most would agree that the table above seems incorrect at first. Some might point at the decreased prices of upgraded variants. Others could have an issue understanding why prices of all Figo variants have gone up but not for the Freestyle and Aspire. Both wonderings are valid. But the simple matter of the fact is Ford India has taken a different route to enter the BS6 era. More on that in a bit.

All three cars here have the same engine-transmission options. A 5-speed manual transmission is available with either a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine or with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel. The former produces 95bhp/119Nm (1Nm less than before), whereas the latter pumps out 99bhp/215Nm. Courtesy of the upgraded hardware and software, mileage figures have dropped. Here’s the comparison:

With the numbers game out of the picture, time now to understand Ford India’s strategy. To balance out the increase in costs due to BS6-compliant powertrains, the company has made some changes to the list of features in all three models. For instance, the Titanium trim of the Aspire, Freestyle and Figo have lost gizmos like automatic climate control, front fog lamps and a rear defogger. Ford has also taken away rear wiper and washer from the Figo and Freestyle (Titanium). Furthermore, the Aspire and the Freestyle are not available with the goodness of Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system anymore. Also, Figo’s Titanium trim loses out on the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

To counter some of the loss, Ford has equipped lower-end trim levels with some additional features. The Trend and Ambiente derivatives of all three cars now come with one-touch up & down operation of the driver’s power window. Ford has also added the convenience of a tachometer in the Ambiente trim level of the Figo and Aspire.

Can you see what Ford has tried to do here? Where others are keeping the package of their BS6-ready cars intact and passing-on the BS6 costs to the customers, Ford’s mantra is to strike a balance between the two. And as a bonus, it has also upped the standard warranty to 3 years/1,00,000km from 2 years/1,00,000km. Do you think Ford has taken the correct path?