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25th January
#1 ( permalink)
2010, 08:25
Ford Figo : Test Drive & Review

GTO
Team-BHP
Support What you'll like:
• Robust build and con struction

• Interiors more comfortable than chief competitors i10 & Swift
• 1.4 Diesel's proven driveability and fuel efficiency. No turbolag
• Mature big-car-like ride quality
• Ford's DNA in the on-road behaviour and quick steering
• Class-topping 284 liter boot space
Join Date: Feb

2004 What you won't:
Location:
Bombay • Lacks the modern ity of recently launched hatchbacks
Posts: 20,888 • Either engine is lacking in outright performance. Neith er engine can exploit the car's dynamics
View My Garage
• No true top-end variant (tilt adjustable steering, rear power windows, MID etc.)
• Average backseat legroom. Not in the league of, say, an Indica Vista
• Ford's sub-par dealership experience
NOTE: Click any picture to open a larger higher-resolution version in a new window.
1 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
______ _________ ___

GTO
Work backward from your imagination, not forward from the past!
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25th January
#2 (permalink)
2010, 08:26
GTO
Team-BHP
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2004
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Posts: 20,888
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2 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
70% of the Indian automobile market consists of the small car. The question isn’t : Why small car? The real question
is : What took you so long, Ford? Con sider the case of the on ly two American car manufacturers in India, both of
whom entered our market aroun d 1996 - 1997. Ford primarily u ses its European products (either as is, or as a base
platform) for the In dian market. GM only turned around their Indian operations after tapping into its Korean expertise
(thanks to Daewoo buyouts). Ford’s average market share for the year 2009 was a mere 1.6% (total 29,452 cars sold
last year). The General’s average market share for ’09 was 3.8% (peaking at 5.5% in December) for a total of 68,808
cars sold. Th e primary difference : GM has a presence in the small car segment which Ford didn’t. That’s all about to
change with the Figo.
As the only American car manufacturer to post self sustainability (GM & Chrysler both declared bankruptcy and took
help from Uncle Sam) in 20 09, Ford is expanding its reach in one of the few markets to register healthy growth
numbers - India. The Figo is so important to Ford India that Ford President & CEO Alan Mulally himself unveiled the
car in Delh i (Link to Figo unveiling thread (Report and First Pics: Th e Ford Figo is HERE !! More info - Pg19)). From the
branding perspective, and I’m not sure if they realize this, Ford has a distinct advantage. See, it's easier to move from
a more expensive market segment to a lower one, than vice versa (just ask Maruti or Hyundai). Ford h as typically
been associated with 6 – 8 lakh rupee sedans in India. Throw in a 20 lakh SUV too. Now, they are laun ching a 4.5 lakh
rupee B segment hatchback. Ford cou ld very well use th is as a competitive advantage.
It’s obvious that the Figo has been benchmarked against the i1 0 and th e Swift. After all, the Swift & i10 are the
undisputed kings (sales & popularity) of the B+ hatchback segment. Size wise, the len gth of th e Figo is 35 mm more
than the Swift, the width of both cars n early identical (only a 10 mm differential), yet the Figo’s wheelbase is nearly
100 mm more than that of the Swift. That shows why th e backseat is better than the Swift / i1 0. In fact, the Figo’s
wheelbase is even longer than the Indica Vista's.
3 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Compared to a futuristic h atch like the recently lau nch ed Beat, that wears all types of cuts and curves (some
unnecessary), the Figo is a clean well-proportioned design. No quirkiness. However, without dou bt, many will find th e
Figo bland and lackin g in contemporariness. It’s after all based on the Mark V Fiesta platform, but more on that later.
When viewed in person, it’s clear that the Figo wears un derstated cloth es. It will please all and excite none, there is no
wow factor and this small Ford comes across as a rather neutral design. It’s a trait that th e Figo shares with the Indian
Fiesta sedan too. On a positive note, th e Figo looks plan ted, well-proportioned and carries the Ford family look. It’s a
design th at suits my palette. The curvy large headlamps get your attention at first; the front is overall a nice design.
Look at the side profile and you’ll notice how the roof tapers steeply at the rear. I like how the wh eel arches are
integrated onto the design, they do bring some muscle to the stan ce. The Figo is noticeably lower than the
competition. Leave aside the tall boys, the Figo sits a full 103 mm lower th an the Swift! The low waist line (side
window sills) seems straight ou t of the nineties. The rear end looks like a mini-Fusion, but of course, with a shorter
stance. The untrain ed eye will in all probability dismiss the car off as a Fusion. Fusion resemblance aside, it’s a pretty
tight looking hatch from the rear three quarter. However, I do think that x’mas tree rear lights have gon e out of style.
Th e build quality is solid and pan el gaps consistent. Th ere is an absolute lack of the flimsiness th at we see in some of
its competitors.
4 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Th e Figo shares its platform with the Mark V European Fiesta (codenamed B256 for the 5 door varian t from 2003 ). You
on ly have to compare their profile pictu res side-by-side to gauge the level of similarity. The Indian Fiesta as well as
the Fusion are based on the Mark V platform. Even the wheelbase of all three cars is a near identical 2486 mm (Figo =
2489). A team of Indian & Australian engineers have thorough ly reskin ned the car. W hat’s new are the body panels,
doors, interiors, seats and dashboard etc. Reason? Cost, cost and only cost. The small car market in India is extremely
price-sen sitive. A competitive price can make a car, as much as an inflated price can break it (e.g. Honda Jazz). As
with most other recent small car lau nches, the Figo has a sub-4000 mm length and a 1.2 L petrol / 1.4 L diesel to avail
of excise benefits. Without meaning to sound clichéd, again, pricing is everyth ing to this car.
My prediction is that the Figo will be priced straight in the "hot" segment. That is, bang in the middle of the Swift / i10
territory. The top-end variant that we drove was not kitted with rear power windows, tilt-adjustable steering, alloy
wheels or climate control. Then, there's the cost savings from usin g the Mark V platform and parts sharing with the
Fiesta (in cluding th e engine). I'm willing to bet th at the price will be extremely competitive. What the top variant did
have was an ABS + EBD braking system, front airbags, front power win dows, driver's seat height adjustmen t, 4
speaker MP3 / AU X / Bluetooth sound system, electric mirrors, keyless entry an d rear wash & wipe.
EDIT in March 2 010 : As I predicted, Ford did eventually launch the Figo at an u ltra-competitive price. Link to Figo
Pricing Thread (SCOOP : Ford Figo's pricing *leaked*. EDIT : Officially announced (Page 18 onward).)
Notice the low stance, low-set front win dow sill and tapering roof (toward the rear) . Large windows lead to airy
interiors:
Fu sion anyone?
5 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Neat headlamp design. Su btle smoke effect:
6 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
175/6 5/R1 4 tyres on all variants (including base). No alloys on top-end. Fiesta wheelcaps:
I'm not a fan of the christmas tree light arrangement. They've gone out of style too:
Sweet wheel arches brin ging muscle to the side profile:
7 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Size relativity with the Ford Fiesta:
8 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
While the front is curvy, the rest of the car wears sharp lines.
9 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
______ _________ ___

GTO

Last edited by GTO : 12th March 2010 at 16:03.
25th January
#3 ( permalink)
2010, 08:26
GTO
Team-BHP
Support
Join Date: Feb

2004
Location:
Bombay
Posts: 20,888
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10 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
You don’t step into the Figo’s interiors as you do with some of its taller competitors. Rather, you sit “down” (refer to
my comment on the car's height in the previous post) inside. You'll see a lot of the Fiesta on the design fron t. The
overall look is functional an d, just like the exterior, rather straight forward. The optional clay red colour (top half of
the dashboard) is not to my taste at all. In fact, I’d go a step further and say its possibly on e of the worst colours that
could have been ch osen for the Figo's dash . Thankfully, potential owners can opt for a full black dashboard instead.
Th e rest of the interiors are predominantly black in colour with touches of silver. I’m just glad Ford didn’t give grey
interiors, though I miss beige as an available option. While on colour, I particular ly liked the seat fabric of the top-end
variant. Extremely classy choice and seems hard wearing. The red baseball stitchin g is a nice touch too. Plastics on
the in side are “Fiesta” grade which is not a bad thing at the expected price poin t of the Figo. Several parts are a
straight lift from the Fiesta bin. While all parts are hard to the tou ch, they seem fairly durable with a focus on
functionality. Fit and finish are good on the inside an d panel gaps fairly consisten t. It doesn ’t feel too cheap and is
ages ah ead of what say, an Indica Vista or Punto offer. The internal rubber door beading is of decent quality, and is
also fitted well. The parcel tray cover feels n ice. These small th ings are sometimes an indication of just how mu ch
skimpin g h as gone in to the car.
Space at the front is decent and the seats have a super long travel range. The fron t passenger, in particular, has
ou tstan ding knee and leg room. I’m 5’1 0” and could completely stretch my legs. Just like th e Ikon, the glovebox is
positioned further into the dash, releasing a substantial amoun t of kn ee room. Door armrests are perfectly positioned
an d are wide enough , all the better to rest your arms on. The low win dow sill helps in giving front occupan ts a super
side view and makes the Figo’s interiors feel really airy. The glass area, especially at the front, is gen erous. The
driving position is spot-on while th e driver's seat height adjustment makes things better for the shorter amongst us.
Th e low-set dashboard gives you a clean view of the road ahead (in a way, reminds me of the Ol’ Hon da City). Th e
steering is perfectly positioned and th e three-spoke unit is nice to hold. Th e Fiesta-sourced steering also has contours
to park your thumbs. Sorry, no leather cover here. The extended horn pad means you don’t need to stretch your
thumb too much to honk. It’s a siz e larger than you’d expect in a small h atch though . On the flip side, the top variant
Figo is not equipped with steering tilt adjustment, a clear cost cutting move. Further, I simply cannot u nderstand why
Ford is unable to give us control stalks in a right-hand-drive orientation. The indicators & h eadlamp flasher are on the
left, wh ile the wiper stalk is on the righ t. Headlamp controls are European style with a rotary switch on the RHS of
the dashboard.
Space at the rear can best be termed as adequate. Not what you'd call spacious, nor cramped, just okay. Things are
better than in a Swift or an i10 , but nowhere in the league of the Indica Vista. With a 5’10” driver behind th e wheel, I
could still sit on the rear seat, only just about. Shoulder room at the front and back is good. The car is wider, hence
you don’t “elbow” the fron t passenger wh en shifting gears (as in some other h atches). I had my concerns over the
slopin g roof eating away into rear headroom. Turned out to be a non-issue; I had about 2 .xx inches of space between
my head and the roof. Glass area at the back is better than in th e claustrophobic Swift (and Beat). And, just as at the
front, the arm rests are perfectly positioned. Good thing that the backrest is n ot too upright eith er; the seatback has
just the right angle.
11 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Th e front seat's lateral support is excellent (bolsterin g h olds you in place), upper back satisfactory, th e lower back is
poor. It n eeds some more padding arou nd th at area (currently too flat). In fact, the Figo's rear bench offers better
lower back support than at th e front; the rear seat supports the entire spine. The r ear seat is short though, the
non-adjustable headrests only run ning up until my shoulders. There’s a decent number of storage spots. A cubicle
behind the handbrake, another spot right below the han dbrake, th ree dedicated spots near the gearlever an d all 4
door armrests h ave a cu bicle each. Even the door pockets h ave inbuilt partitions. The glove box is mediu m siz ed. The
depth is good and width par for the segment. However, th ere is only on e seat back pocket offered. Th e boot is
amongst the biggest from the B segment at 284 liters! That’s substantially larger than the Swift (232 liters), i10 (225
liters) and even the Indica Vista (23 6 liters). Fu rther, the rear seat can en tirely fold away for when you want to move
home. No, it does not split into a 50 :50.
I must make a special mention of th e air-conditioner. It’s an absolute CHILLER! The day was fairly hot, but within 5
minutes, the interiors were comfortable. I jumped onto th e backseat and after about 20 minutes of driving, th ings
were getting pretty cold at th e back. Note that the blower speed was on position “2” at this time.
Picture of an all-black dashboard (Thanks to Craz y Driver for the PS job on this pic). Looks so much classier than the
optional red-top:
Nice steering wheel. A tad larger than you’d expect in a hatch, yet good to h old. I think the Ford Ikon ’s small meaty
steering would have been a perfect match here:
12 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Strange is the placemen t of the fuel gauge. It’s where you’d expect the odometer to be (and vice versa). A change for
the sake of change perhaps? Only one tripmeter and a distan ce to empty indicator. Instru ment console feels built-
to-cost. No redline markin g:
4 speaker sound system is, well, just like any other OEM sound system. Th e mid-range and treble are alrigh t, albeit
bass is flat. MP3 & AUX ready, no USB (can be added as an accessory). Blu etooth + cell phone compatibility are
standard on the top en d varian t:
13 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Th e positioning of the ORVM control works well. As does that of th e electric boot release bu tton. ORVM control feels
rich to use:
14 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Rotary headlamp on/off switch is typical of European cars:
Lateral support excellent, upper back good and lower back poor. Classy choice of seat fabric:
Driver's seat has height adjustment:
15 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Rear legroom better than Swift, comparable to Punto:
Rear windows roll down to only about the 60% level:
16 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Lock / unlock is standard Ford fare. Push the door lever in to lock, and pull to unlock. Notice only two power window
switches. Armrest has a storage spot. Door pockets cannot hold a bottle vertically; a 1 liter bottle sleeps horizontally
instead:
Ch unky handbrake lever. Storage cubicle behind the handbrake, and under it as well:
17 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Storage compartmen ts ahead of the gear lever:
Glove box size is par for the segment:
Th e accelerator and brake pedal are positioned close to each other. Heel / toe practice anyon e? No dead pedal:
18 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
A deep Sigh to the colour choice. Again:
Big 284 liter boot. Obstruction from wheel well / suspension is more than in some other h atches:
19 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Rear seat can entirely fold away, for when you want to move house:
______ _________ ___

GTO

Last edited by Dippy : 30th January 2010 at 13:12. Reason: Adding PS line to dash pic
25th January
#4 ( permalink)
2010, 08:26
20 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
GTO
Team-BHP
Support
Join Date: Feb

2004
Location:
Bombay
Posts: 20,888
View My Garage
Th e Fiesta's 1.4 TDCi diesel finds its way into the Figo and is currently the engine of choice (over the 1.2 L petrol).
Th is Du ratorq unit is rated for 68 BHP (@ 4000 rpm) and 160 NM of torque (@ 2000 rpm). A key advantage of the
1.4 diesel is that, it does NOT have th e turbo-lag of the Fiat 1.3 MJD (aka our national en gine) used in several other
hatchbacks. Actually, the TDCi doesn’t seem to have turbolag at all. I even attempted driving as an amateur who has
experienced only naturally-aspirated engin es. Despite releasing th e clutch pedal carelessly, I did not stall the diesel.
Th is absence of turbo-lag makes city drivin g in th e Figo diesel substantially more convenient than in its 1.3 MJD
competitors. Low end throttle response is excellent, making the Figo diesel well suited to our urban driving condition s.
Th e engine is immensely tractable and the driveability of a high order. The 2n d gear can pull clean from as low as 10
kph, an d all the way to a notch below 80 kph. Mid-range performance is good, bu t th e 1 .4 doesn't h ave an y top end
to speak of. The 1.4 TDCi revvs freely to 4,0 00 rpms. If you insist, the engine will revv on to 4 ,900 rpms. However,
it’s best to work the torque and upshift earlier, even when drivin g spiritedly. You can feel it running out of breath
after 4,000 rpms. Again, the top-end is unimpressive. This engin e will do well within the city, but expect dull
performance on the highway. NVH levels on the inside are just about average. The diesel is thankfully refined and
21 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
doesn ’t really intrude with un necessary vibration, including at idle. On the other han d, it can get fairly audible when
being worked. Ford says they have used double insulation on the diesel's doors. Maybe they need a triple?
Th e less impressive en gine is the 1.2L 16V DOHC petrol. It's an all aluminium unit, derived off the Fiesta's 1.4 petrol.
It's easy to tell what family the engine is from. The unit soun ds exactly like th e other Ford petrols we’ve had in India.
Th e Duratec petrol is rated for 70 BHP (@ 6250 rpms) and 102 NM of max torque (4,000 rpm). Both, the ou tright
power an d torque ratings are lower than competition . The Ritz K series is rated @ 84 BHP / 112 NM of torqu e (soon to
arrive in the Swift), while the i10 1.2 Kappa churns out 79 BHP / 112 NM torque. Expectedly, outrigh t performance is
strictly average. One advan tage, relative to the competition, is the low end th rottle response (typical of Ford petrols).
In thick traffic, it does not need to be revved as much as say, the 1.2 Kappa unit. The 2nd gear can work right from
10 kph itself. Thu s, after crossing a speedbreaker, you can drive off in 2nd (no need to downshift to 1st). The third
on ly at 30 kph and above. Within the city, I don’t expect you to downshift from 2nd to 1 st as often as you will from
3rd to 2nd. Throttle response is decent, its n ot overtly sharp but n either is it too dull. Thanks to the power ratings,
an d the Figo's E uropean build, there isn't a doubt that you need to work this en gine to make progress on the road.
It's relatively free-revving up until 5,500 rpms, progress is rather slow afterward. You can stretch h igher to over
6,000 rpms, but I wouldn’t bother. Good thing that the en gine doesn’t feel coarse after 4,000 rpms. Ford claims a 0 –
100 kph timing of 15.5 secon ds for th e petrol and 15 .8 for th e diesel. If I were to rank the 1.2 L petrols in order of
competency, it would go thus : Ritz 1.2 > i10 Kappa > Figo > Pu nto > Fabia (3 cylinder). Either engine uses the same
(IB5 Ikon) gearbox with sligh tly different final drive ratios. The gearshift h as reasonably short throws and the shift
action is positive. The unit is a sure-slotting one an d you won’t choose th e wrong gear erroneously. N ote that it isn't
an ultra-slick Japanese box and does require a little effort.
A USP of nearly all Ford cars sold in India has been that they are amaz in g to drive. Ford's DNA boasts of amazing
handling with an acceptable (not plush, acceptable) ride. This trait completely extends to the Figo. The suspension
behaviour is very mature, classic Eu ropean stuff, and similar to the Fiesta. The ride quality is compliant; it’s n ot
plush, nor is it uncomfortably stiff. Th e correct terms would be “complian t” and “composed”. We drove rather
spiritedly on Goa’s internal roads, some of which have all kinds of undu lations. The rear stays planted. It’s not bouncy
like the tall boys, n or is there un necessary vertical movement. The suspension damping is perfect with the Figo’s
suspension staying composed even on un even tarmac. Of course, the firmness will make those super large poth oles
harsh on the inside. Unsurprisingly, the ride is much like that of the Fiesta. The driving experience starts with the
steering : No electric steering rubbish here, the u nit is pure hydraulic and the steering unbelievably direct. You can
chuck the car in and out of gaps with a mere flick of the steering. The PS is very quick making the Figo one of the
rare cars that you can have fun driving at <80 kph speeds. This Ford feels extremely agile. Body roll is well controlled
too & the tight ch assis a genius. As if to take the “driving experience” message further, the accelerator and brake
pedals are positioned close to each other (heel / toe anyone?). Unfortunately, this time around, we didn’t have a
chance to test the car extensively at high speed. Most of our driving was within tight roads, some with moderate
traffic. This is probably where 95 % of the Figos out there will spend 95% of their time. I'll let the soon-to-come
ownership reviews speak more on high speed stability. If th e Fiesta is anything to go by, I have absolutely n o cause of
worry on that front. After a long time, I am driving a Ford with good brakes. The ABS + E BD brakes are good (8 / 10
rating) and will do the job. No complain ts. For the record, the ABS-equipped Figo we drove comes with larger front
discs (258 mm) and rear drums (203 mm), compared to 2 39 mm / 180 mm for the non-ABS models. A grou nd
clearance of 168 mm, combin ed with a firm suspension, is sufficient for Indian roads. We didn’t scrape th e u nderbelly
an ywhere, even on the speedbreakers that we missed spottin g
Th e steering requires distinctly lesser effort than the Fiesta's at 0 kph parking speed. Within the city, the steering is
sufficiently light. Not feather light like an i10s, yet no one will complain of the effort required. The clutch action is
light too. This combined with a positive gear shift and good low en d respon se (from either engine) makes the Figo
well suited to In dian cities. I know for a fact that the 1.6 100 BHP Fiesta engine will make its way into th e Figo
sometime in the futu re. Wh en it does, the lineup is complete. A fu el-efficient diesel for the mileage con sciou s and a
100 BHP petrol stonker for us en thu siasts.
______ _________ ___
GTO

Last edited by GTO : 28th January 2010 at 17:42.
25th January 2010, 08:27 #5 ( permalink)
GTO
Team-BHP Support
Other Points:
• Figo means “cool” in Italian. Ford has rights to the name “Splash ” in India (Maruti wanted it for th e
Ritz). Wh y wasn ’t that name chosen?
• Standard warranty = 2 years / 100,000 kms.
• Interestingly, Ford will give Figo customers the option of a 5 year extended service plan. It will
Join Date: Feb 2004 cover all consumables & labour for 60 months / 100,000 kms. Branded as the “Ford Schedu led
Location: Bombay
Service Plan”. Note that this plan does not cover wear & tear items (clutch, brake pads), tyres or
Posts: 20,888
22 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
mechanical / electrical failures.

View My Garage
• Ford’s absence from th e Auto Expo (Mid-January 201 0) is inexplicable. I mean, what better
opportu nity to showcase your new small car to the masses in person?
• Service interval = 10,00 0 kms.
• Fuel tank capacity = 45 liters. Low fuel indicator goes on when distance to empty is less than 80
kms.
• Kerb weigh ts : 1040 (Petrol) and 1090 (Diesel).
• Light controls, chuckable nature and good low end response (either engine) makes the Figo well
suited to the city. Turning radius = 4.9 meters.
• Actu ally, this is Ford’s second hatch for India. The Fusion was the first. Problem was, everyone
including Ford was confu sed whether the Fusion is a hatch, or an SUV or…..No wonder the Fu sion was
lovingly called “CONfusion” on Team-BHP.
• Ford claims that the petrol fuel filter has a life of 60,000 kms (same for diesel is 30,000 kms).
Timing belt change at 1,20,000 kms. Engin e coolant life is 1,00,000 kms. Factory fill transmission oil
will last the lifetime of the vehicle.
• I MISS th e temperature gauge (link to related thread (Good 'ol Temperature Gauge : Yes or No?)) .
• Request to Ford : Dump the 1.6L Fiesta 100 BHP into the Figo's engine bay for th e enthusiasts.
They intentionally won ’t at th e moment as 1.6 L powerful petrols can give th e h atch a reputation of a
fuel guzzler (just ask Mr.Palio). It will come eventually. Even the speedometer is 1.6S ready (marked
optimistically to 2 20 kph ).
• Doors lock automatically once the speedo crosses 7 kph.
• Un der an emergency braking condition (at 60 mph / 96 kph an d above), the parkin g lights will
automatically start blinkin g to warn traffic at the back.
• Lane change indicators are usefu l, especially on the expressway / highway. Simply tap the indicator
stalk an d the turn indicator blinks 3 - 4 times only. No need to push the indicator back into place
after completing your lane change manoeu vre.
• What Ford needs to do is expand its distribution network. Maruti (and to a lesser extent Hyundai’s)
dealership coverage is unmatched. Ford has 111 dealers spanning India at the moment. This number
has in creased by about a third in the recent past. 7 more expected soon. @ South Bombayites : Yes,
a new dealership to cover the area has been finaliz ed too.
EDIT on 17/02 /2010 : Ford inaugurated 28 new dealerships on a single day. Link to Team-BHP
Report
• Pricing strategy has become even more important after Chevy set the cat amongst the pigeons with
the Beat’s VFM price tag! Note to Ford : Price it right from day one. Don’t go the Escort / Fiesta way
wh ere you start h igh, then massively discount, brin g in special editions one after another and dilute
the brand.
• Reason for the chiller air-conditioner = A 154 cc compressor (some hatches use 80 – 90 cc
compressors). I did feel th at the diesel’s air-conditioner is punchier th an th e petrols.
• Low stance may make in gress / egress incon venien t to the elderly (relative to tallboy hatchbacks).
• Like most other European cars, the front seats have a long travel range. Useful.
• 1.4 TDCi = completely take your foot off the accelerator in 3rd gear, and the car will chug along
happily at 22 kph. Slot the car in 4th gear at 40 kph and it still doesn’t labour. No vibration s at all.
• I don’t know which wise guy thought of this control, but he’s gotten it all wron g. If you leave the
RHS wiper stalk where normal cars have the low beam headlamp mode, the rear wiper starts doing its
job. To switch it off, you have to leave the RHS stalk push ed beh in d (where other cars h ave their high
beam position). Expect to see a good number of Figo’s run nin g their rear wipers on perfectly dry
days.
• Even though the interiors are all black, it’s certainly not as gloomy as the Beat. Reason? Th e
generous glass area. Even at the back, you have the large windows as well as the qu arter glasses
bringing light in.
• If it matters, you can wheel spin away to glory in the 1.2. We tried
• Ford equips th e Figo with starter crank protection. When the engine is ru nning, the key will not
23 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
move furth er.
• Official ARAI fuel efficiency numbers are 15.6 kpl (petrol) and 20.0 kpl (diesel).
• The same team that worked on the Fiesta 1.6S and Ikon Diesel has been in charge of th e Figo.
• Control stalks (wiper, turn indicator) don’t have a satisfactory feel. Their operation is more rubbery
than positive.
• Ford’s pumped $500 million into the Chennai plant and has expanded capacity to 200,000 un its per
year. It’s all about the numbers really. The upgraded Chennai plant will also serve as an export hub
to serve the needs of Asia-Pacific & Africa.
• The Figo starts with a 75% (approximate) level of localisation.
• If you shut both the center air-con vents, irrespective of wheth er th e side vents are open or not,
they make a whistling sou nd.
• It’s been a long time coming, and no better opportun ity Ford. With your hatch now running a 1.4
liter diesel, time to upgrade the Fiesta diesel to a 1.6 ? Or will it happen only wh en the all new Fiesta
arrives in India (expected toward the end of 2010 ).
• The 1.4 TDCi engine weighs only 98 kilos.
• All gauges are backlight in red colou r.
• Bluetooth pairing with your cell ph one. Can redial, read your phon e book and recent calls.
• Where’s the Automatic transmission, Ford? Explore that USP. There i s a ready market for automatic
hatchbacks, especially those powered by a diesel engin e.
• When I saw the dash colour, I wen t “What was Ford th in king”? You’d actually have to try to choose
a worse colour. The negative impact is 3X when matched to the green exterior sh ade. Absolute Gujju
(Note, I am a Gujarati myself). A single positive of the clay red dash is that th ere is no dashboard
reflection .
• The 1.4 TDCi Figo does everything that you would expect of a B segment diesel hatch. The steerin g
& mature road behaviour are a bonus. Importan tly, the Figo diesel does not have any single major
flaw. Th e 1 .2L is less impressive, for obvious reasons.
• Disclaimer : Ford invited Team-BHP for th e Figo test-drive. They covered all the expenses for this
driving event.
______ ________ ____
GTO
Work backward from your imagin ation, not forward from the past!

Last edited by GTO : 12th March 2010 at 16:10. Reason: Since its launched, now updating with some specs that were
previously unavailable
25th January
#6 ( permalink)
2010, 08:27
GTO
Team-BHP
Support The Smaller but Significant things:
Long key. Boot release bu tton too. Th ese type of soft-plastic buttons break after 2+ years of use (based on my
experience of using a similar key in the Benz). Dedicated hard plastic buttons are better on durability:
Join Date: Feb

2004
Location:
Bombay
Posts: 20,888
View My Garage
24 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
In case you go "no bottle holders?", door pockets are even marked “one liter” with an image of a bottle and th e
direction it should sleep in:
25 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Fairly unrestricted front air dam:
Bonnet release positioned on the passenger side. Not cool:
Nice circular air-vents that swivel, thus you can adju st the airflow anyway you want. You can also shut any particu lar
airvent, though some amou nt of air still flows through. Notice storage spot right behin d on top of the dashboard:
26 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Th ick rear pillars. Medium siz ed rear windscreen and side glasses help matters whilst reversing:
When was the last time you saw felt lin in g on the door insu lation? Sweet:
27 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Th e feel of the air-con switches is pretty rudimentary. They feel “economy segment” to use:
Rear hatch has a useful grab handle on the inside:
28 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
No rear power windows. Door armrest has a storage spot:
Front foglamps:
Medium-sized ORVMs. Convex mirrors cover the road well.
29 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Top end variant = Titanium:
30 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
An other look at the bu lging wh eel arches and the uniquely styled tu rn indicator light:
Have I spoken enough on what I think of the dash colour? Or should I start again .....A view from the passen ger's side:
______ _________ ___

GTO

31 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
ajmat
Team-BHP Support
Great review
My perspective is that Ford have clearly taken the middle road in terms of price and performance.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bangalore The 1.6 will be a cracker. I took a driver training course in a 1.25 zetec version. it was pretty good
Posts: 6,754
and handled well. Even a bloke with an EVO VII thou ght it was good.
View My Garage
Fron t doors are the same as a Fiesta
That Ford key has a bad reputation for wearing out quickly.
______ ________ ____
Rice is cheaper than German Potato's
ghodlur
BHPian
@GTO,
As expected right on target. Bang. What a review. Cou ld have come from GTO only. Crispy and to the
point. Hats off to you . Will expect more such reviews with so many cars to be lauched in 2010.
Finally Ford has come to its senses in launching the hatch which was so much missing in its Indian
Armoury. What was Ford thin king when designing the dash with Clay red. Eeeks . That really pu ts
Join Date: Sep 2009
off the seating experience. Cou ple of good featu re which I feel of Figo are 1) Starter crank prevention
Location: Thane
Posts: 156 wh en engine is running. 2 ) Parking ligh ts comin g ON when emergency braking.
View My Garage What about the pricing and colour variants?? Hope Ford does a good job in this section .
______ ________ ____
Live Life King size
Ford Fiesta 1 .6 ZXi 2009 -
Santro Xing XO 2005-20 09
Maruti 80 0 2003-2005
theexperthand
BHPian
Su perb Review, GTO! thanks for the low down.
I think Ford have played it safe, but for the dash color. As you have pointed out, I have not seen a
worse color combo than the Green car color - red dash board.
Hope they will plonk the 1.6 sometime down the line. The car looks good, an d should go well with the
Join Date: Oct 2008 Indian family - and I think that is the segment Ford is gunning for.
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 106 The parking breaks blinking u nder h ard breaking is a nice feature. Hope th ey price the car sensibly
______ ________ ____
View My Garage
When the road en ds, I make my own road
1984 Ambassador (Sold)/Indica Vista TDi/Bullet STD 350/Unicorn/FireFox Fusion
Last edited by theexperthand : 25th January 2010 at 08:51.
Guna
BHPian
An other superb review @GTO
Join Date: Nov 2007 The car itself is rather disapointing. No steerin g tilt adjustment and power window for th e rear
Location: Bangalore pasengers, while competion offers ABS/air bags on their top end variants these days. That means
Posts: 847
Figo top end competes with i10 Era (almost base version)
Most of the factors like tall seating poition, good GC, good performance, that made the Fusion a very
practical car have gone. This is n o mini Fusion , eventhough it looks like on e.
GTO
Team-BHP Support
Quote:
32 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Originally Posted by ajmat

My perspective is that Ford have clearly taken the middle road in terms of price and
performance. The 1.6 will be a cracker.
True. Ford has played a conservative card. The car itself does all you'd expect of it and has NO single
(major) flaw. Fun to drive too.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bombay The 1.6 will come, I know it. They are only waiting for the 1.2 P / 1.4 D to give the Figo the
Posts: 20,888 repu tation of being fuel efficien t. An d then, there's the 10 0 BHP for us petrolheads.
View My Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghodlur

What about the pricing and colour varian ts?? Hope Ford does a good job in this section.
6 colours on offer. The green you see here, a red, silver, white, dark grey and black.
Expected price : Bang in the Swift / i10 territory (if not slightly lower).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guna

No steering tilt adjustmen t and power window for the rear pasen gers, while competion offers
ABS/air bags on their top end variants these days.
The version I drove is equ ipped with ABS an d airbags.

______ ________ ____
GTO

AkMar
BHPian
Excellent review. To the point. Figo looks like a very competent car. Will Figo be the first car to have
Join Date: Apr 2007 ABS + Airbags but no rear power windows?
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 167
superveloce
BHPian
Great review! Amazing an d i do agree with you that the 1.6 would have made sense but then again
the trend n ow is the 1.2 mill. A lil more power to match the other 1.2l options in the market would
have done though.
When will this h atch hit the showrooms?
An d why no power windows on even the top end variant?
Join Date: Jul 2009

Location: Mumbai
Posts: 73
View My Garage
SS-Travell er
Senior - BHPian
Great review, GTO.
Just one query: Is Ford going to persist with just the awfu l pink colour on the dashboard, or are they
planning to colour-match th e dash with body colours? Wonder if you r test car was a full production
model, or just for the test - which might explain a pink dash on a green car...
Join Date: Jan 2009 ______ ________ ____
33 of 35 3/18/2010 1:06 AM
Location: New Delhi Two roads diverged in a woods,

Posts: 1,726 An d I -- I took the one less travelled by,
View My Garage An d that has made all th e difference. ~ Robert Frost
GTO
Team-BHP Support
Quote:
Originally Posted by AkMar

but no rear power windows?
Quote:
Originally Posted by superveloce

Join Date: Feb 2004 And why no power windows on even the top end variant?
Location: Bombay
Posts: 20,888
On a lighter note : refer to picture n o. 10 from th e interiors post. Rear window doesn't go down more
View My Garage than 55 - 60% an yways, what's th e point of having power windows
Quote:
Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Just on e query: Is Ford going to persist with just the awful pink colour on the dashboard, or
are they planning to colour-match the dash with body colours?
Luckily, that pin k / red dash colour is optional. You can ch oose a full black dash.
______ ________ ____
GTO

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Ford Figo : Test Drive & Review

• Robust build and con struction

Join Date: Feb

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Join Date: Feb

Neat headlamp design. Su btle smoke effect:

Sweet wheel arches brin ging muscle to the side profile:

Size relativity with the Ford Fiesta:

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Last edited by GTO : 12th March 2010 at 16:03.

Join Date: Feb

Rotary headlamp on/off switch is typical of European cars:

Driver's seat has height adjustment:

Rear legroom better than Swift, comparable to Punto:

Rear windows roll down to only about the 60% level:

Storage compartmen ts ahead of the gear lever:

Glove box size is par for the segment:

A deep Sigh to the colour choice. Again:

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Join Date: Feb

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Last edited by GTO : 28th January 2010 at 17:42.

25th January 2010, 08:27 #5 ( permalink)

• Standard warranty = 2 years / 100,000 kms.

mechanical / electrical failures.

• Service interval = 10,00 0 kms.

• Kerb weigh ts : 1040 (Petrol) and 1090 (Diesel).

• Doors lock automatically once the speedo crosses 7 kph.

move furth er.

• The Figo starts with a 75% (approximate) level of localisation.

• The 1.4 TDCi engine weighs only 98 kilos.

• All gauges are backlight in red colou r.

Please don't PM for su pport. Use the Contact Form instead.

Join Date: Feb

Fairly unrestricted front air dam:

Bonnet release positioned on the passenger side. Not cool:

Rear hatch has a useful grab handle on the inside:

No rear power windows. Door armrest has a storage spot:

Medium-sized ORVMs. Convex mirrors cover the road well.

Top end variant = Titanium:

______ _________ ___

Please don't PM for su pport. Use the Contact Form instead.

25th January 2010, 08:43 #7 ( permalink)

25th January 2010, 08:47 #8 ( permalink)

25th January 2010, 08:49 #9 ( permalink)

25th January 2010, 08:52 #10 ( permalink)

25th January 2010, 09:02 #11 ( permalink)

Originally Posted by ajmat

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Originally Posted by Guna

The version I drove is equ ipped with ABS an d airbags.

Please don't PM for su pport. Use the Contact Form instead.

25th January 2010, 09:05 #12 ( permalink)

25th January 2010, 09:05 #13 ( permalink)

Join Date: Jul 2009

25th January 2010, 09:09 #14 ( permalink)

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