11th January 2015, 22:58
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| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Pune
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| My Black Panther Ford Figo: 2 years & 40,000 kms! Figo thread? Now? When Dec 2014 dispatches were paltry 150?  These might be the questions surfacing in your mind after reading the title. Well, it's my first ownership thread on T-BHP. I thought as we are bidding adieu to Figo and welcoming Ka (Is that a proper noun? I hope Ford finds a better name), it's the time to kindle the memories! Figo deserves a special place in my heart as it's "MY" first car! In past we owned M800, and Dad's current ride is WagonR.  "You are in love when you park your car and walk away staring at her. You are in love when you catch her glimpse through window for no reason!"    Background: I was happily riding my CBR250R to the places. Taking her to office daily, long drives to nearby places like lonavla, mahabaleshwar, malshej ghat etc, night outs with friends i.e. EVERYWHERE I took her. I was and am incomplete without my baby ceeber!  But soon I lost my bachelorhood. As every MAN has to go through rather suffer from getting married; I was not an exception! I got married in 2012. Things changed. We had to shift to a place from where my office is 60 kms to and fro. That was the time when we decided to buy a car as travelling on CBR in Hinjewadi’s traffic is as good as taking revenge on your body! As daily running was quite high it has to be either diesel or CNG. Lack of CNG infrastructure in Pune discouraged me from buying a CNG car. I was inclined to buy a diesel car where as my better half wanted a CNG due to the price difference. Had it been in a city like Mumbai; my wife would have straight away zeroed in on Alto 800 CNG. But thanks to T-BHP; I convinced her to buy a safe car with at least ABS and Airbags. After I saw my dad’s M800 condition facing not so serious accident, I was irked to see the body getting crushed like a tin can. Thankfully my dad and sister came out with minor injuries in that accident. I am sceptical about Maruti cars since then. My requirements were:
After much reading on T-Bhp and discussions we test drove below cars: 1. i20: Both of us loved the styling, space and features. Luxurious inside out and jaw dropping diesel engine power! But after taking a long test drive I realized the steering lacks feedback and doesn't inspire confidence. It is dead till turbo kicks in. It was out of my budget too (top end Asta). 2. Beat: Funky looks and great interiors. But cramped inside out. I am 5’10”. My knees were getting waxed by the dashboard while driving! Also diesel engine on this car is underpowered than the competition. 3. Punto: Sexy looking lady! Love the Italian designers for the way they build a car! It exudes craft, beauty and art. I loved Punto’s steering and dynamics. Ride was on a stiffer side. Robust and great build. Suffers from turbo lag at low speeds. My wife and I didn't like Punto’s interiors though. They didn't study ergonomics it seems. We felt it is fly in the ointment for otherwise beautiful car. 4. Indica Vista: Space! Space! Space! I was blown away by the back seat comfort and space. Driver’s seat was also very spacious and accommodating. Gives a commanding view of the road ahead. After getting to know the prices, Vista felt so much value for money. Ride was the best part of this car. Very comfortable and absorbent. But turbo lag was prominent and I felt vibrations on the clutch pedal and gear lever. Engine feels dead till turbo kicks in. 5. Figo: You sit pretty low in Figo. First thing I noticed was lack of turbo lag. Absolutely tractable engine. As I stepped on gas and the car responded beautifully. The steering inspired heck of confidence. Ride and suspension was better than Punto. It felt solid. Gear lever throws are a bit long than my liking but not a deal breaker. Spartan interiors. Runner up in space department (after Vista). Value for money as well. Polo was out of our budget though how much I love Polo's looks. I still drool over a red Polo! Brio was out of question due to childish looks and lack of diesel power plant. So I was confused between Punto and Figo. That was the time (Sept-Oct 2012) when refreshed Figo was on its way to be launched. Though the difference was only in terms of styling, I found refreshed Figo has better NVH and in gear acceleration. I was getting a good discount on old Figo but, I went ahead and booked a refreshed Figo TDCi Titanium. I loved Kinetic blue shade. But alas! My better half rejected that colour. We were convinced to buy a dark shade as both of us don't like whites and silvers. That left us with Red and Black. Initially we had booked a Red one. But after I saw a black Figo, we changed our booking to panther black. Dealer experience: Talera Ford at Yerwada delivered my car. Whenever I stepped in their showroom, was promptly attended by a sales advisor Lalit. He was prompt and non coaxing. I opted for SBI auto loan as rates and terms conditions were better. The SBI person was available with the dealer who assisted me with documentation. It took 4-5 days to approve my loan. Insurance bought was ICICI. I made all the payment, did inspection as per T-BHP's list, and car was ready for the delivery by 5th Nov. But I waited till I got the registration number from RTO. Till then my car was with the dealer. Also we had decided to take the delivery on my wife's birthday i.e. 11th Nov so we waited for 3-4 more days. On the D day we went over at around 11 AM, flooded with joy and excitement. There she was! Damsel! Spanking metallic black, my black panther, ready for delivery. Love at First Sight for me....I mean for both...My Panther and My Wife!  Dealer took us by surprise when he arranged a birthday cake and a small gift for my wife! It added to the joy. We handed over a gift as a token of appreciation to Lalit. Dealer though goofed up. The accessories I bought were missing. As we were leaving for my home town in our new car, I didn't have time to fix them. Dealer promised to fix them later. OTR: INR 715000 after applying corporate discounts (Rs 8000). I opted for 1 year extended warranty (2+1). The corporate discount offered was on the basis of my wife's chartered accountant (C.A.) degree which dealer didn't know. In the Figo's advertising I saw 'special offers for doctors, CAs' and brought it dealer's notice. I did not get any dealer discounts, freebies as it was a refreshed Figo newly launched in market. And my negotiation skills are terrible! That is why I always tend to lose in a debate with my wife (Ahem! I guess it's not debate. Only thing I have to say at the end is OKAY!) Day 1 - Ride back home: Immediately after taking delivery, I started for my home town Sangli which is 250 kms from Pune. We three were very excited! I mean my wife, I and my panther! I was nervous to hit highway in a brand new car. 3-4 times I fumbled as driving diesel takes time to get used to. I sat in. Turned on the ignition. Few indicators turned on dashboard and went off. I cranked the engine! Pressed clutch, put her in first and slowly started releasing clutch pedal. The TDCi surged and my Panther pounced ahead! DHAD! TAK TAK TAK! It gave me so much pain when I couldn't pull her clean in first gear. I hated myself for working up new gears and tangling them. It felt like I am smothering myself! But slowly I pulled her clean and that was the YO! moment! Meticulously I kept her within 2000 RPM range till I covered 1000 kms on odo. It took me 6 hrs for to cover this distance (250 kms) which otherwise takes 4.5 hrs. But I totally enjoyed "the new car" feel. It smelt nice! The dashboard, the steering, seat covers... everything. That smell still lingers in mind. The car is top end TITANIUM comes with 2 airbags, ABS, ESP, alloy wheels, rear wiper, steering column mounted controls, fog lamps, driver seat height adjust, steering rake adjust, Bluetooth connectivity etc. The first thing I noticed in Figo was big car look, space and feel. It felt so nice and drove like one. Very matured ride. Absolutely no quirks or whatsoever.  Looks: I find her looks quite contemporary. No unnecessary curves, kinetic head lamps, chiselled bonnet lines and shoulder line gradually rising towards back. Paint quality is good. Consistent panel gaps, everything looks well put together. Slanting roof line gives a feeling of limited head room at the back but is not the case. Indeed I love the roof line which connects A pillar seamlessly with the B and C. No sudden rise, straight lines. All smooth curve! Christmas tree tail lamp cluster looks decent. Particularly on this refreshed Figo. I love the alloy design and I find it one of the best OEM alloys! It matches well with black body colour. Beautiful design!    Space: To get in you have to bend a lot as Figo sits close to ground. Front seat travel is sufficient. When pushed back all the way, there is acres of space for front passenger. I find Pedal foot well sufficient. There is no dead pedal but the A, B, C pedals are well spaced out. Driver's seat is adjustable for height. Front seats get proper headrests. I hate integrated headrests. I find them cheap and totally useless. Shoulder room is sufficient and you don't end up rubbing shoulders with co passenger while shifting gears. Rear seat recline angle is perfect. There are no headrests provided for rear seat. I am 5'10". When I adjust driver's seat for my position, and sit behind on the back seat, there is sufficient space left between my knees and the front seat. Rear seat can accommodate 3 average adults. Under thigh support should have been better. Seat cushion is on firmer side. Notice double insulation on front as well as back door. Sweet!    I am 5'10". Amount of leg space left at the back when driver's seat is adjusted for my height.  A, B, C! No D here  Acres of space when passenger seat is pushed all way back. Recline back, stretch your legs and you feel like sunroof is missing! LOL!  Maximum and Minimum leg room at the back   Boot space layout is very practical and engulfs good amount of luggage. The back seat doesn't split 60:40 but can be folded down for an additional space.  Interiors: Steering is adjustable for rake but not reach. Steering feels chunky and nice to hold with finger contours. Horn pad takes quite an effort to press. The dashboard layout is symmetrical and well laid out. Function over form. Scores well in ergonomics. Many times I wiped my windscreen while taking a turn! Thanks to Figo’s American stock orientation. While overall plastic quality is average and could have been better. No single touch window sliding. The door pad where window sliding buttons are provided is positioned well for resting your hand while long drives. I love the push button provided to open the hatch on dashboard. Simple and very effective. While I hate the placement of bonnet release lever. It’s on passenger side foot well. Very inconvenient. ICE provided is average in sound quality. No USB connectivity but it comes as add on. I love its bluetooth connectivity feature. Works like a magic! Steering mounted rather steering column mounted buttons to operate ICE are also easy to use. A/C is manual and rotary buttons are rudimentary. But A/C is one of the best in class and chills through your bones! There are bottle holders provided in the front door pockets which can hold a 1 ltr bottle horizontally. There is small pocket left which can be used to store knick knacks.The cup holders provided in front of gear lever are next to useless. At the best these can be used to keep coins, receipts. No rear A/C vents. I feel not required also considering A/C’s effectiveness. Pain is to roll up/down windows. They are manual and roll down only 60%. I love 6 speed wipers. Headlights come alive by turning rotary knob provided. You have to pull it out for fog lamps. Steering column mounted buttons can be used to change track, increase/decrease volume. There is a 12V charging point provided. Glove box is deep and can hold good amount of stuff. Gear lever position is spot on. I like the chubby head. Feels solid and good to hold. Well lit and good view from the back  Handbrake and the storage space provided  ICE. Sound quality is less than average.  Manual window at the back...C'mon Ford!  Steering column mounted controls. Easily accessible on a finger stretch.  Dashboard Boot open button - very convenient and easy to use  Rotary knob for headlamps and fog lamps  Bonnet pull type button  Speedo  Practically useless storage pockets  Steering and handling: Driver’s seat is the place to be in Figo. The steering is the best part! Pure hydraulic unit. The feedback at low and high speeds is spot on. It is augmented well by chassis and car’s dynamics. Figo puts a wide grin ala ear to ear grin in your face on curvy roads and ghats! The handling is unparalleled. It hugs the road like a leech! Not an extra inch travel here and there. Wheels take you where you direct them. The car moves like it’s moving on rails! Changing lanes at high speeds is a piece of cake for Figo. Body roll is minimal, indeed absent. Suspension set up and Ride: Ride is composed. Feels stiff at lower speeds but augurs well as speed is built. Suspension is very well sorted. No bounciness on highways. Ride is completely sorted. Thumbs up to Ford engineers! The car’s straight line stability is also confidence inspiring and you feel safe at all speeds. Well it's not as absorbent as Vista but pliant. GC is an issue when car is fully loaded. But you can negotiate potholes and speed brakers with care to avoid belly scrapping. I faced no issues on low GC in Pune. When I travel on really bad roads, I have to be a bit careful. Engine and gearbox: The 1.4ltr TDCi is well tuned. No turbo lag. Very tractable. While it has punchy lower and mid end, top end is average. I have driven her at a speed of 150 km/hr at which TDCi feels very snippy. Beyond 3000-3500 RPM it feels loud. NVH levels are okay. Engine makes a lot of noise on cold start and settles to a low pitch once warmed. Engine is not rev happy and demands early up shifts. Stock MRFs are noise magnets and even when windows are rolled up at high speeds, tyre noise is heard prominently inside cabin. Gears slot well and do their job well. Throws are a bit long. Gear ratios chosen aid city drivability and you need to upshift early for better fuel economy. Thanks to TDCi. I can drive around in 5th gear at 40km/hr. 80 km/hr in 5th gear comes at 2000 RPM; 100km/hr at 2500 RPM; 120km/hr comes at 3000 RPM. Kitna deti hai: The initial fuel consumption I got was 15 kms/ltr in city with A/C on always; which has climbed to 17-19 km/ltr in city and 20-22 km/ltr on highways now. If you keep TDCi below 2000-2500 RPM and drive sedately on highways, TDCi rewards you with 25 kms/ltr! Brakes: The brakes are excellent and stop the car with no fuss. ABS works really well. Front wheels get discs while rear wheels get drum brakes. I could feel ABS kicking in under hard braking when brake pedal start pulsating. The one very good feature provided by Ford is hazard lights start blinking under hard braking to alert cars behind. Very thoughtful! Also for lane changing you have to just tap on turn indicator lever. It automatically flashes respective indicator thrice and goes off. Works really well while changing lanes. Last edited by Aditya : 12th March 2015 at 12:27. Reason: Spacing, image orientation, typo |
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10th March 2015, 22:59
| #2 |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Pune
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Thanked: 1,334 Times
| re: My Black Panther Ford Figo: 2 years & 40,000 kms! Likes: 1. Steering, Steering Steering! 2. Handling and driving dynamics 3. Brakes 4. Powerful A/C 5. TDCi no turbo lag, highly tractable engine 6. Solid build quality 7. Big car feel and ride 8. ICE Bluetooth connectivity 9. 6 speed wipers 10. Lane changing tap 11. Emergency braking hazard warning 12. Space Dislikes: 1. Chassis begs for more powerful engine 2. Absolutely useless headlights. Poor illumination on highways particularly 3. Should have better NVH 4. Interior parts and plastic quality 5. ICE sound quality 6. Driver seat poor under thigh support 7. Rear seats lack proper head rest 8. No power windows at the back (C’mon Ford!) Other Points: 1. As per Ford manual, I rev engine beyond 3000-3500 RPMs for 2-3 mins once in a month 2. When I switched to fully synthetic Shell Helix, engine noise reduced dramatically, smoothness improved but cold start noise went up. Ford recommends 5W30 and I had put in 10W40. Since then I am sticking to semi synthetic they put in while regular servicing 3. Shell Diesel increase fuel efficiency by 1-2 kms/ltr 4. Boot is spacious and gulps stuff really well 5. ORVMs are a bit small and should have been bigger. They don’t fold in automatically when car is locked 6. All doors auto lock post 7km/hr speed 7. A chime is played when DTE is 80 or less and keeps on dashboard till tank is refilled. 8. No seat belt warning This is what Pune traffic does to bumper  Recently I changed stock tyres to Michelin XM2s. I was fed up with MRFs due to frequent punctures. Michelins are super silent and ride quality has improved a lot. The difference is starkly felt after coming from MRFs. The grooves are deep.  Ford recommended tyre pressures. Quite on a higher side.  The protagonist behind the curtains  Awards Competition anyone?  Journey so far: I am a happy owner till date. 40000 kms in 2 years (for 6 months I was not driving, was out of India) says it all. I have been taking her to places, long drives, daily drives, week end drives. She welcomes me each time (The car I mean .. this feature is hard to find! You know what I mean) and I am pinned to driver's seat. Each time THUD assures me of safety and peace of mind. Despite being hit many times by bikers the body won't budge easily. Once rear ended by VW Vento. Vento banged in at a good speed. We 4 came out without a scratch. We 2 drivers, my Figo and his VW! Such incidents keep reassuring my faith. She is more than a car. Wonder why Swift sells in large number when Figo outnumbers her in most areas. Only Maruti A.S.S. to blame. Ford A.S.S. is on higher side, service interval is every 10000 kms/ 1 year. On an average every servicing charges me Rs 8000-10000. I found A.S.S. money minded and they push things which are not required. Charges are on very high side. I have to obey to whatever they ask to keep warranty intact. I will switch to good garage after warranty is over for regular servicing. Major accident My panther met with an accident which I have shared earlier on T BHP here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...nded-alto.html After this accident, I have painted new replaced bonnet twice under warranty at A.S.S. but the paint quality is pathetic. The bonnet colour will never match the quality and factory colour shade. Thank you for travelling till the end! Keep Revving! Last edited by Aditya : 11th March 2015 at 13:07. Reason: Spacing |
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11th March 2015, 14:08
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| Team-BHP Support   | |
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11th March 2015, 17:00
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| BHPian  Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Hyderabad
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11th March 2015, 21:17
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| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore
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11th March 2015, 22:50
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| BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Udupi
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12th March 2015, 09:31
| #7 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pune
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| Re: My Black Panther Ford Figo: 2 years & 40,000 kms! First of all let me congratulate you for owning a wonderful and unfortunately very underrated car. 40K in 2 years is a very good running .I did drive both the petrol and Diesel,the former in the UK and the latter here in India and i completely agree about the lag free engine. But somehow I felt I wish the figo came with a little bit more powerful engine. I own a swift diesel.The only reason i bough the swift way back in 2010 was because of the wonderful Fiat engine. But nowadays i feel a bit afraid to take the car on long highway runs due to the fact that it doesn't have neither ABS nor airbags.Wish I was more educated in terms of safety back then  .No regrets anyways since I have lot of good memories especially post my marriage in 2013 where me and my wife used to extensively travel (and still do) and Rudolf(thats what we lovingly call him) has never let us down. One suggestion if you really are into synthetics and using XXw40 why dont you try Mobil Delvac 1 which every Diesel car owners out here including me swear by its performance. Cheers and safe driving  Last edited by rakesh_r : 12th March 2015 at 09:33. |
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12th March 2015, 14:58
| #8 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: KA21
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12th March 2015, 16:18
| #9 |
| BANNED Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Chennai/Salem
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16th March 2015, 13:45
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| BHPian  | Re: My Black Panther Ford Figo: 2 years & 40,000 kms! Quote:
Glad to see another Happy Ford Figo owner !! I also possess a Ford Figo and completely agree with you on the 'Likes' of the Figo. However, would like to ask you : 1.) Absolutely useless headlights -  What have you done about it ?2.) ICE Sound Quality - I do not think that there is ant issue. Rather I find it to be much better than the ICE provided by other Manufacturers. Suggest to see Settings and alter them for better output. Suggest - Keep FADER TO R2 & BASS to 2 or 3 with TREBLE at 6 or 7 and SLA @ 2. Seems good to me at this Configuration. 3.) No Power Windows at the Rear - Imagine that keeping the Indian Car Market in mind even with this basic drawback, a company like Ford still has been able to make the Figo a Cash Cow. It is self explanatory of how good the car is. But, reading your utility, if your car is not Driver Driven and mainly in Self Drive; how does it matter.It does not to me Other Points highlighted by you : 1.) Revving the Engine @ 3000-3500 RPM for 2-3 Minutes once in a month - Fantastic observation. My oversight that I skipped this in the Owner's Manual. Very Helpful Indeed. Will do the same and check for a difference. 2.) Engine Oil - You used the 5W30 Shell Helix Diesel Semi Synthetic Engine Oil at the ASC itself. How much did they charge on a Per Litre Basis and what is the API Grade of the Oil. Out here in Kolkata they either use a mineral base 5W30 or a Fully Synthetic 10W40 Castrol Edge. So inquisitive to know. Also, while going through your ownership experience was eager to know if in these two years you have faced any other issues at all or not apart from the Rear Ending Part Wishing you umpteen happy miles on your Black Panther !! Happy Fording !! | |
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16th March 2015, 16:15
| #11 | |||||||
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Pune
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| Re: My Black Panther Ford Figo: 2 years & 40,000 kms! Quote:
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I used Shell Helix at the Shell fuel pump and not at the ASC. ASC neither have any other oil grade nor they agree to fill in fully synthetic even when you buy and carry it along. It was 10W40. It costed me Rs 5200. Issues - only frequent tyre punctures. Stock MRFs to blame. Otherwise not a single minor issue with the car. Everything works fabulous! And as all of you said Figo's ICE is better than other OEM supplied ICEs. But I have a habit to play loud with heavy bass and treble. I am all ears for music instruments, tracks played at the background. Here I am disappointed with the sound quality as I up the volume, it distorts badly. Otherwise for regular listening I agree it's better. I guess I was comparing it with after market installations. | |||||||
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16th March 2015, 18:28
| #12 |
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