After looking out at many options for the second family car I was on the verge of booking a Ford Figo 1.4 Diesel ZXI model. But.. But.. What I bought? Here is the story –
Already have a Santro GLS 1.1 Petrol. Was looking at an upgrade and here is what I was looking for in the new car.
1) Power, power and lots of power.. Yes, I frequent Bangalore Hyderabad Highway a lot and those who have driven on that marvellous piece of engineering would feel underpowered on anything that is less than 150 km/hr. I managed consistent 120-140 km/hr speeds in the Santro but, after 120 the engine was strained and I don’t want that car to die soon! Its 40K on the odo right now.
2) Ownership cost of vehicle. Vehicle cost + Fuel cost + Insurance premium cost + Maintenance cost
3) I don’t want to go to SVC even for free services. Lack time Big Time! Bought Yamaha Fazer sometime back and didn’t go for any free service after 2nd. Warranty goes for a toss.
After lots of research, concluded Ford Figo Zxi (diesel) suits me well.
The drawbacks of Figo that I had to live with:
1) No rear power windows
2) Diesel engine sound
3) Very high 0-60 km/hr time (underpowered in 0-60 to my Santro), would not be a very good option in city driving (I keep high engine rpms even in the city)
4) Onroad 6.4 L in Hyderabad (made me think whats wrong with Chevrolet Sail Sedan then!)
Made up my mind to get the Figo within a month.. But, found an ad on the company’s classified portal. Someone was leaving town and selling Hyundai i10, Kappa 1.2, Magna, 25K on odo, 2009 Model for 3.4 L.
Initial response – 100 cc more than the Santro – No upgrade!
Researched more – Found out that the mill generates 80 bhp and weighs 860 kgs… That is 93 bhp/ton. It’s the most powerful hatch, much more than Swift! (I am not considering 1.6 L petrol hatchs here)
It’s a perfect car for me but 25 kms on odo.. And I don’t want to visit SVC every now and then. Let’s try a Test Drive (another day wasted at max.)
Test Drive – 0-60 impressed, 0-100 (in fourth gear) impressed (owner didn’t allow to lug it further)
Features in the car – Fully loaded USB Sony Stereo, under body Teflon coated, Serviced 6 months back – Complete service record available (Left doors were repainted as per records due to some sideway scratches). All four power windows.
Extremely silent engine, even at high speeds. The gear lever was also exceptionally easy to handle and slots were very receptive. The power steering was EPS (Electronic), would be very good feature for my wife for city driving but not a good feature for my highway drives.. I prefer Hydraulic PS on the highway. Would not call for frequent SVC visits for the next 2 years as per my experience with Hyundai Cars.
Overall cost comparison Pre-owned i10 vs New Figo Diesel
(This section would be of great help to ppl considering Diesel vehicles)
1) 3.2L (After negotiation) vs 6.4 L
2) Rs. 6.3 / km vs Rs. 3.0 / km (huge difference but let’s calculate further)
3) Rs. 3000 / service vs Rs. XXXX / service (would be close to each other, but diesel’s would be more in the long run)
4) Rs. 6500 Annual Insurance Premium vs Rs 15, 000 AIP (Now that’s a issue)
5) An extra loan of 3.2 Lakhs means lots and lots!!!
6) Extra costs in the i10 – Tyres would call for replacement after 10K i.e 35K on the ODO (cost – 15, 000), AC, Clutch and other maintenance would be around Rs. 10, 000 in the next 20K kms.
If I run 10K kms in this car / year i.e 28 km/day (being very optimistic keeping in mind the number of vehicles we own)
The fuel cost/year would be - Rs. 65, 000 in comparison to Rs. 32, 500 in the Figo 1.4
All in all, a much better deal than the Figo. Would recommend a less driven, slightly overpriced, first/second hand petrol car over new diesel to anyone having less than 30 km / day running.
And if you are not coming out of city in the car, a CNG/LPG vehicle is best.
Now the review (Hyundai i10, Kappa 1.2, Magna, 2008-2010 Model (Some features in the post 2010 model would be different, tilt steering is absent in the new model etc etc. Please check the list of the features in the new vehicle before opting)
Positives
1) Power – 0-60, 0-100, 0-140 are all better than most hatches in town, 93 bhp/ton!
2) Good AC
3) Nice shocks (In comparison to Santro, Don’t compare it with Etios or Beat).
4) Built Quality.
5) Engine’s Design – Very modern 16V engine, aluminium body, DOHC!
6) Nice interiors.
7) All four Power windows.
8) EPS (Positive or Negative is subjective).
9) Tilt adjustable steering.
10) Wow Gearbox!
Negatives
1) Tyre profile – 155/80 – 13”. Though not a problem, but could have been 165-175 easily.
2) Mileage would be 11-12 in city! Not calculated, but that’s what my research says.
3) Lacks distance to empty on display.
4) Standard boot space – Figo outperforms in this department.
5) Poorest horn in all the horns I have heard!! Additional horn of 500 Rs. yet to be installed. Its not age of the horn but the specification of the horn. It’s the problem with all i10 1.2 I have seen.
