[nitinhegde]

Originally Posted by nikipedia87

that for the Aspire AT is 16.3 kmpl. For the Figo it should be marginally better.

The New Figo brochure is quoting the same as Aspire 16.3 kmpl

[sansvk]

Saw an Ad in today's Deccan Herald paper regarding the facelift. There was no mention of the AT, that clearly summarises Ford's intention.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Called up the Ford showrooms again today about the Figo AT. Similar responses here too in Calcutta. Could make out the frustration of the sales people when thy realised that an almost certain sale was slipping away.

Re. Fords not really wanting to sell the Figo AT - wondering if the Figo AT had really bad fuel consumption figures, and Ford does not want all Figos to be labelled gas guzzlers. What are the corresponding figures for the EcoSport and the Aspire?

I think I'll go for the Ignis MT.

Regards
Sutripta

My guess is that they are busy exporting the autobox Figo's and not really bothered about the domestic market.

That is a wrong move by them if it is the case since the market is warming up to the autobox models and with a capable car with a powerful engine, they can market it and get some increase in sales.

[Sutripta]

Was wanting the real world figures for MT vs AT for the various Ford models.

Regards
Sutripta

[drjkonline]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Did you test drive the Aspire AT? Do it and then probably you would have an answer

Since Figo AT test car ain't available, test drove the Aspire AT now. Phew!!! Mad mad car. The pull is awesome. Whole 30 mins I had a grin plastered on my face. Tried in b2b traffic and open road as well. The TC box combo with the 1.5L is beautifully done.

Test drove the Aspire AT a few days ago and I completely agree!!! The Figo 1.5 AT would be the perfect hatch for me for city use. No paddle shifters. However, the D mode is pure bliss. Coming from manual cars, the slight delay in shifting when you floor the pedal on seeing a completely empty road will take some adjusting to. The high price because of the 1.5 liter engine is the only drawback, but also one needs to understand that the car is so good to drive mainly because the TC is mated to the bigger engine. I am now planning a test drive of the manual and see if the new gearbox and the smaller 3 pot combo is good enough for me, as the premium for the automatic is a little too high to pay for a second car at home I felt.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

...
I think I'll go for the Ignis MT....

Sirjee, typo or actually considering MT?

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Sirjee, typo or actually considering MT?

As a replacement for my 17 year old M800 the Ignis MT was at the top of my list.
Jaggu seems to be satisfied with the Ignis AMT. Maybe I'll try it out again.

I can't remember the last time I 'booked' a vehicle.

Or maybe I'll succumb to babudom and allow myself to be chauffeured around. Solves both my problems - knee and hip pain, and parking.

A word to those who are enamored of paddle shifters. Have a Civic AT with paddles. The first few months I almost exclusively drove in M using paddles. Then discovered 'D' wasn't too bad. Have almost never used M after that.

Regards
Sutripta

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Solves both my problems - knee and hip pain, and parking.

Frankly, I don't find my knee or back too comfortable over long drives in my Figo as against other cars. Couldn't yet find a sweet spot of the driving position even after 17k kms.

The driver seat bottom part is much slanted towards the back so that the buttocks sit in a well with good under thigh support though it hurts the back. I'm 5' 7".

You may want to check this in a Figo or Aspire MT before thinking of an AT.

[Sutripta]

^^^
Thanks for the tip. But if I choose to be chauffeured around, won't buy a car just for that.
The Figo would have been just for self drive city use.

Regards
Sutripta

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Mu009

Please do share your experience in detail...

Finally managed to TD Aspire AT today. Here's a short assessment:

Powertrain:

D-mode is smooth, and effortless to drive in traffic. Crawls in both Drive(D) & Reverse(R) without accelerator input, is smooth and non-aggressive, so maneuvering in/out of tight spots should be a breeze (did a 3-point U-turn on a 30-ft road to check). Shift quality is good, kick-down has a slight delay when flooring throttle, but not enough to be annoying. D-Mode is perfect for city driving and relaxed highway cruising. 100kmph comes up somewhere in the low-mid 2000 RPM range. Lots of traffic on NICE road during TD so couldn't get a stable number, but the engine seemed relaxed with a lot of grunt on tap if needed.

S-Mode is a lot of fun, shifts eagerly but kick-downs are aggressive and can catch one out with the slight shift delay and sudden surge in power before one feels the shove in the seat as the car propels forward. Best used on the highway.

Tiptronic mode works seamlessly in S-mode, and provides decent gearing control when driving through twisties. Tried it in city too, and I was able to move to S4 (4th cog on 6-speed TC autobox) while moving at 30-40 kmph without lugging the engine.

Verdict: Powerful motor, competent gearbox Better than any automatic in that budget range, and good fun-to-drive in S-Mode. My ranked preference in ATs around 10L range would be VW DSG > Ford TC > All others.


Ride/Handling:

Let's be clear, this is no 1st-gen Figo, or the current-gen Figo S, keep that in mind to not be disappointed.

Ride is compliant at city speeds, but larger bumps transfer into the cabin if driven over at speed. Car feels stable at legal speeds in a straight line, but doesn't have the on-rails feeling of the two cars mentioned earlier when cornering. With three people in the car, it didn't scrape or bottom out on Bangalore's moonscape, so ground-clearance shouldn't be an issue.

There's some body roll, felt esp. when cornering hard in S-mode or weaving through highway traffic, but nothing alarming. Rear can get bouncy over undulations (should improve with rear loading), and is easy to make it step out in S-mode.

Verdict: Comfortable ride and decent handling, but not a corner carver.


Cabin setup & Features:

This is where most deal-breakers would probably reside.

Cabin feels average, both in materials used and overall ambiance. No top-end AT available, so one needs to compromise on additional safety kit and the SYNC3 ICE for the convenience of the autobox. Single USB port too, beside an AUX-IN.

Seat height adjustment has a healthy range. Only tilt-adjustable steering but finding my preferred driving position was easy. I'm 5'7" and prefer a laid-back driving position, I can still fit in the rear with a few inches of knee-room (tried on a showroom Figo on launch day). Front seats lack lumbar support, and will probably need an accessory for long drives. Rearward visibility is average due to thick C-pillars, front corners can cause blind-spots (not as bad as the Ecosport's tree-trunk A-pillars) for those preferring a low-slung seating position.

A/C is a chiller, probably the best one can find in the segment. Cooled a car parked in the sun within 5-7 mins, enough for us to turn the blower to levels 1-2.

Fly Audio ICE is average, touchscreen slightly laggy, and it didn't recognize my Moto Turbo XT1225 via USB at all (paired reasonably quickly over Bluetooth).

Integrated maps are laggy and useless, not a patch on G-Maps. Audio quality is acceptable at low volumes, gets boomy and distorted as one goes higher. Limited equalizer presets available, and one can move the sound-stage too.

Verdict: Decent cabin but lacks features vis a vis competition. Titanium variant loses out on extra airbags but gains Hill Launch Assist (HLA), Traction Control (TC) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Does not get the Freestyle's rollover protection (ARP). All safety features mentioned are specific to AT.


Overall Verdict:
If AT is a must-have, there isn't a better powertrain available in this budget/segment, except the TSI/DSG combo. TC boxes are known to be robust and reliable, which can't be said about the superior VW DSG.

Cabin is ergonomically spot-on for average height/built persons, but the par-for-the-course ambiance and lack of features is unmistakable. Nobody will buy this car for anything except the 1.5 AT option, given Ford's recent variant distribution removing even more features. Lack of SYNC3 is a glaring miss.

All said and done, if you prefer a fun-to-drive experience over creature comforts (there's no missing the lack of them) and are willing to pay ~10L OTR, get this car.

If you want a fully loaded Ford petrol hatch but can live with MT, the Freestyle petrol would be a better option. If diesel isn't a deal-breaker, the 1.5 TDCi motor is proven and capable, and the top-end variant can be had for a nearly-identical price.

What would I buy? I'm swinging between the Figo AT and Freestyle TDCi MT. Will TD the second and decide.

[myavu]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Finally managed to TD Aspire AT today.

What would I buy? I'm swinging between the Figo AT and Freestyle TDCi MT. Will TD the second and decide.

But then the cons might be little bit more prominent in New Figo AT due to 14 inch wheels and thinner rubber. The only saving grace might be a little bit more fuel efficient.

If you can live with that brown dash then the best pick would be Freestyle TDCi Titanium+. 6 Airbags, HLA, ESP, TCS and obviously butter smooth Sync 3 with Apple Carplay

Cheers!

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by myavu

But then the cons might be little bit more prominent in New Figo AT due to 14 inch wheels and thinner rubber.

Of all the flies in the ointment, wheels/tires are the easiest ones to chuck. Not a deal-breaker.

If you can live with that brown dash then the best pick would be Freestyle TDCi Titanium+. 6 Airbags, HLA, ESP, TCS and obviously butter smooth Sync 3 with Apple Carplay

Cheers!

Should be digestible in a black car.

I'm tempted and have booked a test drive for the weekend. If I compromise on the AT, I can get a really capable tourer for the same price, plus all the goodies you mention.

Tough decisions!

[myavu]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Tough decisions!

If Figo Titanium Blu TDCi was available with Sync 3, it should have been my next car, period. At least Ford India should have provided Sync 3 as an option. Ready to pay extra for it

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

What would I buy? I'm swinging between the Figo AT and Freestyle TDCi MT. Will TD the second and decide.

If you are agnostic towards the future prospects of diesel vehicles in India and would place present satisfaction over future return on investment, you can blindly go for the diesel. Of course, the petrol automatic would provide you with a more hassle free ride and possibly better resale value a few years down the line when the market shifts further toward automatic transmissions.

When I drove the petrol auto (in the Ecosport, though) I found the refinement to be less than satisfactory. No matter what one says about the Dragon series of engines being refined for a 3 cylinder, the difference with creamier 4 cylinder units is easily discernible and a little uncomfortable for me, given that I was upgrading from the Suzuki K series 1.2 engine. For me, the the pick between the two engines would definitely be the diesel. More smiles per mile, both from the power as well as the pocket- impact perspective.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

If you are agnostic towards the future prospects of diesel vehicles in India and would place present satisfaction over future return on investment.....

We tend to keep our cars long enough that resale value difference is negated. The gearbox is the prime consideration, considering driving conditions.

...the difference with creamier 4 cylinder units is easily discernible and a little uncomfortable for me, given that I was upgrading from the Suzuki K series 1.2 engine.

You're comparing to a refinement benchmark, of course you found it lacking! The K12 is hands down the best small petrol motor in India in my opinion, alongside the Honda 1.5 iVTEC. You've gone from one to another, refinement guaranteed.

For me, the the pick between the two engines would definitely be the diesel. More smiles per mile, both from the power as well as the pocket- impact perspective.

I'm conflicted between the two, and I'll be honest long-distance touring would be a lot easier on the pocket. Will decide after TD.