The most economical hatchback in India. Review on Ford Figo

I write this review on my Ford Figo after completing 3500 KM & over with my first service. I waited this long so that my review can be as close to reality as possible. So here I go.

My budget for the new car was around 5.5 lac and I was looking for a car that truly delivers the max for my bucks. My daily driving is approx 60 km. The topmost criteria were fuel economy, drivability, sturdiness & less maintenance. With this in mind I zeroed in the following: Swift Dzire (P); Ritz (Petrol & Diesel); Figo (D); Beat (P); Polo (P); Indica Vista (D); Aveo (CNG); Hyundai i20 (P).

Of the above, Maruti cars voted themselves out due to insane waiting periods of 4-6 months! Though certain Maruti dealers were willing to provide the car if I pay them certain "black" money - utter rubbish in today's time.

Beat was outdone because of space constraints. And anyways I already have a Spark with me, so no point in going for a similar car. Though Spark is a great city car.

Polo was outclassed was the Volkswagen dealership - they are too snobbish if you go asking them about Polo. They are only interested if you ask them about Jetta and Passat!

Aveo was on the expensive side for me and also ride quality was not that great at its asking price. Plus who would want to wait for 30-40 mins in a CNG queue!

Indica Vista though a good product gets bogged down by its first name - Tata & its not so great after sales and image as a cab.

Of the above, Maruti & Tata did not even have a test car ready for a test drive! They only want to sell on their names. Of course, there are people who would do it but not me :)

So here I was with Ford Figo & Hyundai i20. I test drove both cars & then compared them. No doubt i20 with great interiors; good drive & stylish design had the oomph factor but the point that clinched the deal for Figo was the price at which I was getting a loaded version and that too in Diesel. Simply put - no other car in India offers so much at that price point. At the price of a regular petrol car, here I was getting a proven diesel engine. Fully loaded Figo ZXI Diesel cost me Rs 5.5 on the road. So Figo it was for me.

Now to its ownership experience: I have Zxi Diesel model and the fuel economy has gradually increased from 18 for the first full tank to 25 now after 1st service without AC as its winters here. With AC has given me a max of 22.5 so far. The mode of calculating fuel average is via the tank full method as it gives the best calculation.

My driving is mostly city with some stretches on highways (NH-8 & NH-1). The driving and handling is superb and the car feels firmly planted on road even on high speeds unlike some other competitors. The most common grouse in diesel can be the turbo lag but in this case there is almost neglible turbo lag and any diesel aficionado would love driving it. Even though its listed at 79 BHP but you can feel so much latent power in the car - all at your disposal whenever you want to call upon it. Even though the overall design is conservative but I have worked on making it as stylish as possible and have been successful so far with number of people admiring the overall combo.

The trunk space is HUGE with 1 large and 1 medium bag easily sliding in & still space for some small tidbits. Even though diesel in Ford is bound to make more noise than the Fiat diesel in Maruti & Vista & Fiat but the engine compartment is well insulated which prevents the too much noise. The AC can be very chilling and I have not had it turned to max so far.

This car has one of the best (if not the best) in-built music system in its category or even above that. Bass and treble are just right and I love playing the music on it. The in-built bluetooth is great feature and I also plug in my iPod when I want to (wow) :) The speakers are on the doors and it gives a good home theater style feel.

The only thing I miss here is the rear power windows (dont know why they cant put it there).The rear legroom could have been better - not that its bad but could have been better.

The dealership experience has been good so far right from the test drive to the first service & the maintenance. The first service cost me Rs 1300 which I hear is a very small amount for servicing a diesel engine. Now that the initial 2500Km is over and 1st service done, I am experiencing much smoother driving, lesser noise and better fuel average.

Another thing to note - when driving in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear & moving slowly in traffic, you dont have to keep your foot on accelerator. This car comes with sort of cruise control whereby it will be in "auto drive" mode. Time for some rest for your foot :)

The indicator and light controls can be tricky for newbies but since I am already used to Spark (which has similar controls), so its not a problem for me.

For changing gears, please ensure that you are in 1500+ rpm range. This will get you smoother gear shift and better fuel average.

Overall - I would recommend this car to anybody who loves driving, doesn't want to worry much on fuel bills or maintenance, wants a good in-built music system, a hatchback with loads of luggage space & sturdiness when driving on highways along with those buses & monster trucks.