People who sell Ford (Showroom Owners), drive the same themselves. Same can't be said for Hyundai/Maruti, maybe those car's aren't good enough .. for them and so even for us !
Hi friends,
It’s been quite a while since I bought Figo (DIESEL) so got down to write initial review. Got the first three services done and odo reading is well over 16000Km.The day I drove Figo I knew this will be my Old Zen’s successor, diesel or petrol that wasn’t decided yet! Well I drove Figo petrol after driving GM Chevrolet Beat LS. I liked Figo very much due to its responsive engine, its simple low slung design and sublime handling. I don’t like tallboy boxy look of Wagon R/Estillo/Santro/I10/Beat which have little space inside and their roof height is exaggerated like low cost commercial vehicles in order to give illusion of more space. Let’s get started..
*INTERIORS
Interiors are of very high quality. The finish is even more upmarket. Now please don’t compare it with a POLO but it’s much better than Swift/Ritz/U-Va .*
The electronchandru021y adjustable mirrors work great but have to be folded/opened manually.
Stereo is great, dual din , Bluetooth car kit integrated, Bluetooth audio streaming supported, Sound output is much more then the stock speakers can handle !
Tachometer is somewhat misleading, it’s revv range is up to 7500 RPM while the engine will max out till 4500 (i haven’t tried it yet, just read in the booklet). I guess it’s borrowed from Petrol version.
I miss Temp Gauge but I guess temp warning light should glow well in time.*
The DTE , distance to empty indicator is provided which does quiet accurate calculations.
Space Inside is comparable to cars of higher price.
Boot Space is class leading, yes I said class leading. Its 284 Litres (Bigger than POLO/Indica VISTA) and there is boot light too, though a bit faint. Height adjust steering is not there in Indian version but steering position seems ok for my driving style, I am 5-10. Driver’s seat is height adjustable.
The low slug design isn’t there without its disadvantages, the roof at rear isn’t as high as the front but if you aren’t too tall, don’t bother.
Rear Seats don’t have a centre armrest, but provide good under thigh support (something inadequate in rear seats of Getz, Swift). Pocket is provided at rear of passenger’s seat. Door pockets for front seats provided which are big enough to hold bottles in addition to other stuff.
But NO chiller glove box/ambient or outside temp display/clutch footrest/rear power windows.
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
The Engine is borrowed from Fiesta Diesel /Fusion Diesel. Its 1.4 DV4 all aluminium (lighter, expensive and heat efficient) turbocharged unit with common rail system. 68 horses @ 4000 RPM and around 160Nm torque @ 2000 RPM.*
*The Turbo kicks in a bit below 2000 RPM. Buy won’t feel any turbo lag in car after the first service.
The Gear shift is smooth though, much smooth as compared to GM Beat an GM Aveo U VA ( outdated Daewoo Kalos). Gear travel is short as in all new cars and the gear position in also very comfortable. Clutch travel is abit less than Punto.*
*Gas Pedal is again "Drive by Wire" like in all new/expensive cars ( when you press the pedal, electric signal is first transmitted to the Electronic Control Module which then directs the fuel injectors according to current driving conditions) while in GM ( and other old/cheap cars ) there is some mechanical wire hooked to Gas pedal directly going to fuel supply / fuel injector. The Pedal is adaptive and compensates for loose/heavy right foot! You can reset it yourself if you think your car has been driven by drivers having different driving styles (will post the resetting trick only after testing it).
*PERFORMANCE AND FUEL EFFICIENCY
The power ratings suggest otherwise but the engine seems far more capable than what the meagre 68PS suggests. When in turbo range (you will be in this range most of time) tap your right foot a little and you will see all the traffic in rear mirror getting smaller and smaller. No wonder Fiesta Diesel was instant success.*
According to road test it does 0-100 in around 16.22 seconds but I suggest you forget figures and test yourself. I managed to do so under 16 seconds, with speedo error :)
Does steep uphill with AC without any issue. Engine noise enters the cabin when engine is not warmed up, after that you won’t notice it much.
Power Steering is Hydraulic and is not a numb one like Hyundai
Figo is a fifth generation global Fiesta hatch so I am not surprised that it beats much expensive cars in handling, seating comfort, high speed stability, torbo lag, etc. *I shifted to 195/65R14 from 175/65R14 for superior grip. Wider rubber well compliments its able chassis. Using stock rims as they were of wide 5.5 inch size and can be safely used.
Now the multimillion dollar question, Kitna Deti Hai ? Average Kya Hai? I mostly drive in City conditions and my driving style is not very relaxed, but somhow I manage 17Km/L with ac. With moderate right foot and Broad 195/65R14 soft compound GT Radials I get 22+ on Highways with moderate use of Ac, Was getting 14 in city before first service, major improvement was after third service.
*I first went to GM, drove Beat it was mmmmm... not bad, U-Va I have already driven a lot as my sister has it but I will never buy it ( U-Va is actually 2004 Daewoo Kalos T-200 platform ) which is ridiculously outdated by all means. I like Corsa but Opal is phased out by Chevrolet/Daewoo:( . After that drove Figo Petrol and liked it a lot. Came after 2 days and drove diesel and booked it for it's performance and refinement, so didn't even bothered to go to Hyundai, Fiat as most people who sell them never personally use them. Polo Petrol was tempting but there was big waiting period and not to mention its high price (car and spares as well)!
FIGO TDCi vs SWIFT DDiS** ( Old model)
Boot space 284L vs 213L
Weight 1115Kg vs 1075Kg
Engine material All Aluminum alloy ( lighter, handling not compromised ) vs Iron Block (cheap, less rate of heat dissipation )
Engine weight 98Kg ( car weight ratio not compromised ) vs 130 Kg ( expensive front shocks are required)
Engine oil Castrol Magnetic Pro A1 ( full synthetic ) vs Mobil Delvac super 1300 ( mineral, prone to sludge )
Coolant change interval 1, 00, 000Km (better formulated) vs 20, 000Km (expensive to maintain)
Gear oil Change interval NEVER ( filled for life ) vs 20, 000Km (expensive to maintain)
One of my friend who bought Swift diesel said it has stability issues on expressways, if you do emergency braking at speeds over 125Km then the car tends to bend towards front and rear wheels loose grip, straight line stability is compromised under braking. He uses 205 mm GT radials. It might be because Swift is light and its engine is much heavy. He said it’s not great for city also because of Turbo Lag. Car was sold within 11 months as it failed to live up the hype. I personally didn't got chance to verified this in his car but posted it anyway so that you guys check these issues yourself and not blindly go for a particular Brand name just because of its popularity.
Any suggestions for Figo or queries, feel free to contact/comment.
Update : Ford changed Front Discs and Power Steering Rack under warrenty as they were defective. Braking has improved a lot since then. Saticfied with Ford Service.
