[Varun_HexaGuy]

Author's Preface :

On 21st September 2017, in a early-winter break of 10-days, my Master Mr.V had started drafting my biography with an intention of completing it before his break ends. But due to some personal commitments, the young man couldn't complete it in the said time. Despite his busy schedule, he managed to write something over the weekends but that wasn't enough to complete this biography.

So, with his mid-term exams and pre-boards fast approaching he gave up on completing this biography anytime soon. Then comes a wicked idea in his brain to make this biography an autobiography!

And there began the session of convincing me to take over the keyboard (gone are the days of taking over pens and typewriters!). After throwing up a lot of tantrums, this guy still didn't give up on the idea and finally managed to convince me to take up this herculean task right ahead of me. Even I was convinced for one reason thinking that I've lost myself to the time and now, it was about time to find myself in the form of this autobiography. Now, I can say that I've finally found the lost guy at the end of this autobiography.

"The Monotonous Life of a Beater" as the title suggests, my entire life till the date I've written this Autobiography is mostly monotonous and boooring. But what's life which doesn't have any twists and turns and these twists and turns have successfully managed to break the monotony of my life of being a beater car of this garage which I'm a part of over the past seven and a half years. Here, I've written about what I like and what I crib about myself and also a few things (both good and bad) which haven't changed over this period of seven and a half years. Hope you guys find my journey of a lifetime interesting.

Yours Truly in White

Acknowledgements :

I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who saw me through this book; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.

I would like to thank Team-BHP for enabling me to publish this book. Above all I want to thank my family, who supported and encouraged me in spite of all the time it took me away from them. It was a long and difficult journey for them and for me as well.

I would like to thank the moderators of Team-BHP for helping me in the process of selection and editing. Thanks to Mr.V who encouraged me to takeover this opportunity of a lifetime to write a Biography of my own - An Autobiography. He was so helpful that he even gave me his Team-BHP credentials so that I can complete this Autobiography. Special thanks to BHPians Vishy76, Prathiik, Shreyas Agarwal, dhruvritzed and sawnilrules who've helped my master in giving their opinions while I was writing this. Again, special thanks to BHPian dhanshmenon and his Satin White XUV500 for this wicked idea of coming up with an autobiography. If not for the XUV's Autobiography, Mr.V would've never got such an idea.

"Last but not the least: I beg forgiveness of all those who have been with me over the course of the years and whose names I have failed to mention."

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Prelude :
There is no story of mine without telling the story of the other car in the garage of Mr.S (my master). I was bought to replace the duties of the oldest member of the Garage, my then partner, a Fiat Uno. So, it all started back in 2009, when Mr.S had moved back to his hometown after serving about 3-years in a different station where he didn't even had an access to a car. A used Bajaj Chetak took good care of his errands there and it was that he had come every week by train to visit his family in Hyderabad. So, as soon as Mr.S had come back to Hyderabad, he got to know that his new office is exactly in the other part of the city where Mr.S and his family were living.

So, it was decided that his trusted steed, his Fiat Uno would serve him all through his 70-kms daily commute. All was fine till the early 2010. It was after this Mr.S started facing some issues with his knees. He had a tough time getting upstairs and add to that he lived in first floor. He then paid a visit to a known doctor who had confirmed that Mr.S was indeed suffering from knee pain. So, the doctor had asked him as to what was his daily routine. Mr.S had told that he was commuting about 70-kms daily in his trusted Uno. The doctor then advised to change the car since the long clutch travel inside the car and bumper-to-bumper commute would soon add up to Mr.S's woes.

Since Mr.S also had another Fiat which was relatively new, he decided to use it for his daily commute. But the three-box shape, long clutch travel and the notchy gearshifts were the drawbacks (I'll not mention her name since I'm so damn jealous of her, thankfully she left the abode of Mr.S and Family but the day she left, even I got emotional ). It was decided that Mr.S would buy another new car for his daily commute.

For a Fiat enthusiast it's like, "Once a Fiat, always a Fiat". So was the same for Mr.S as well. It was sometime in June 2010 that he got to know about the dhamaka sale on the Palio Stile. Without further ado, Mr.S and his family members arrived at a Tata dealership nearby. They were greeted by all the Tata and FIAT product lineup except for the Palio Stile. Since, Mr.S had already test-driven the Palio Stile MJD long back in 2009. So he knew what was it with the Palio. He had instantly cut a cheque for the booking amount of Rs.50,000/- (Mr.V remembers them with such nostalgia as to how he was jumping over dreaming about his Red Rascal which never made it into this world!). Mr.S was assured that he would be given the delivery by August maximum. On 26th June 2010, Mr.S had almost finalised their new car for the city runs, a Fiat Palio 1.3 MJD SDX in Exotica Red. The OTR was coming close to Rs.4,35,000/- and Mr.S was happy that he was getting a great deal.

Circa August 2010, Mr.S and his family were wanting to get their spanking new ride by Mr.S's 41st Birthday. So began the rounds to the dealership throughout the month checking on the progress of the car's arrival. The SA it seems, kept saying, "Saar it'll come soon". By the time he was managing to hold on to the booking of Mr.S, one day the SA gave a call to Mr.S saying, "Saar FCA has stopped dispatching new Palio Stiles to any dealership, the company might dispatch some pieces to the dealership in November at the latest". He also assured that he would give a good deal on the Fiat Punto 1.3 MJD Emotion. But Mr.S's family members (except him and his Mr.V) were like, "Why the same car altogether again?" So, this made Mr.S shoot a mail in anger to shoot a mail to then, CEO of FCA, Mr. Rajeev Kapoor. After a few agonising mails, the fine gentleman replied saying that they almost halted the production of the Palio Stile's. So, Mr.S was like, "why do I need to buy a car which is about to be phased out? The next car will be there for a minimum of 8-years, so I'll buy the latest car possible". That's what he said to himself and started the selection process.

Welcome to the Competitive world, folks :

Like the saying, "everything's fair in love and war" goes, even I was preparing to compete myself with the best of the lot and win the tough battle at any cost. I knew that the competition up-ahead was damn tough. So, all braced up for the battle, was waiting with a bated breath for Mr.S to pick me up over the rest. Here's my then, competition :

Fiat Punto 1.3 Multijet Emotion (BS-IV) :

What Mr.S Liked :

• Those jaw-dropping looks! (even I must confess that the punto was the best looking hatch back in 2010). Mr.S was drooling over those looks and he was almost ready to book one in the hot Exotica Red shade.
• Came loaded with features! Jahan mere features ki list khatam hui, wahan uska list shuru hua!
• Mr.S loved the all-black interiors. Looked swell, he says.
• It came with ABS, rear windshield defogger and almost all the necessary bells and whistles came along with the Emotion trim (Mr.S didn't want to get the Emotion Pack trim!).
• Mr.S loved the driving dynamics of the Punto (I fought head-to-head with the Punto in this aspect and I won )
• The 1.3 Multijet was proven to be a fuel-efficient drivetrain, more so in the 75HP tune.

What Mr.S hated :

• Why the same car altogether again?
• The overall plastic quality inside the Punto. He didn't like one-bit and was damn sure that he didn't want to live with the same interiors again.
• The rear bench space was a matter of concern and Mr.S's elder son Mr.T was ever complaining about this aspect.
• Mr.S wanted a dependable city hatch which he could use in the absence of the Italian lady (he didn't want both of his cars stuck up with the ASC with the services and all)
• The then Fiat-Tata collaboration wasn't doing much with the after-sales experience.
• Lastly, even the Punto lacked in outright performance. The Turbo-lag and notchy gearshifts kept adding up to its woes!

Final Take : Punto was his favourite (and still is but Mr.S doesn't admit it!). He didn't want the same car altogether again. So, Mr.V's dream of getting a Red Rascal home couldn't be fulfilled.

Pic Courtesy : Our Team-BHP Official review.

Hyundai i20 1.4 CRDI Magna :

What Mr.S liked :

• Looks. The i20 looked like the, "Car of the future" for Mr.V. Mr.S too liked the i20 in the first instance.
• Loaded to gills! Even the Magna trim came with rear windshield defogger, Multi-information display in the centre like in the top-spec Asta trim and the Automatic Climate Control! Oolala, Mr.S thought!
• Hyundai's after-sales experience was one of the best in the business.
• The 1.4 CRDI engine was a cracker! Mr.S fell for it (Mr.V still remembers the smile on Mr.S's face while he tapped the accelerator).
• Space, space and space. Mr.T and Mrs.S didn't complain about the lack or abundance of it.

What Mr.S hated :

• Uninvolving drive-experience. Coming from the World of Fiat's, Mr.S loathed about the driving dynamics of the car. The feel-less EPS was the deal-breaker for Mr.S.
• The Magna Trim too was kind-of overshooting Mr.S's budget. Mr.S doesn't spend too much on what's not needed and what's not worth it. The lacklustre drive experience didn't allow Mr.S to pay the extra $$$ over the rest.
• Rumours of high-service costs typical of a Hyundai.

Final Take : While before the positives of the i20 settled-in, the negatives overtook its place and Mr.S wasn't ready for the i20.

Pic courtesy : Autocar drive report

The cars such as the Swift, Ritz and the Vista didn't make it to Mr.S's consideration list because of the long-waiting periods for the Swift (Mr.S needed a car real quick), the dented-rear look of the Ritz (except Mr.T and Mr.V no one liked it in the family), the Vista's looks too were so vanilla that Mr.V refused to even take a look at it!

The new launches from Volkswagen and Chevrolet didn't get Mr.S's interest mainly due to the lacklustre response from the Volkswagen dealership and both the Beat and Polo initially didn't come with the Diesel drivetrain options. So, they were rejected by Mr.S as well.

Exactly after all this, Mr.V realised that the family didn't check out the New Ford Figo (well, I was a new launch about 8-years ago). So, he convinces Mr.S to test-drive the Figo. So, Mr.T booked a slot for Test-drive and almost immediately a Sales Executive calls Mr.S up and confirms the test-drive. So, in came the test-drive car. Mr.V says that it was the top-of-the-line Titanium trim with the optional coral red dashboard .

So, Mr.S and the entire family was inside the test-drive car with the SA and Mr.S in the first row and the rest of the family in the second row. Mr.V was observing all the things inside the cabin and Mr.S was focusing on his drive upfront. Mr.V asks the SA to play some good music stuff on the head unit. The SA obliged and turned on the radio and the song, "Tera hone laga hoon" started playing. Mr.V still remembers all these tiny bits from his TD! So, Mr.S was enjoying driving the Figo and Mr.T and Mrs.S too didn't complain about the space. But Mr.V complained in his vernacular language saying, "daddy, deenilo rear seat ki power-windows levu" (translation : Dad, there are no power-windows at the rear).

Mr.S liked everything about the Figo. The looks, performance, space, features on offer, VFM quotient and above all driving dynamics. He fell for the direct and precise steering which was light at lower speeds and got heavy with the increase in speed. In simple words, the steering was well-callibrated according to Mr.S.

It looked like the Figo was what they ever needed. Mr.S ran a quick analysis in his brain which was like :

• Looks - Check (looked understated and pleasing)
• Space - Check
• Punchiness at lower revvs - Double check
• Necessary bells and whistles - Check
• Fuel Efficiency - Double Check
• Interiors - Double Check
• Price - Double check
• Driving dynamics - Triple check!

So, Mr.S's heart and head both were craving for the Figo. I was finally the chosen winner over the competition! Yay! It's show-off time

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Booking and Sales Experience :

According to the records back home (Mr.S has a file of mine as to how much he has spent over the years on the upkeep and all and even the invoices, etc. which came along with me), I was booked on 30th September 2010. Actually, according to the booking invoice, Mr.S had booked a Ford Figo 1.4 Titanium with Ebony Black dashboard and Diamond white combo.

Initially, Mr.V wanted Colorado Red but later wanted Black (you know how finicky minded these kids are!), Mr.T wanted Black as well, Mrs.S wanted either Sea Grey or Colorado Red and Mr.S wanted either Moondust silver or Chill Metallic. Then, everyone were getting into everyone's way. Induvidual liberty had become a family anarchy! It was decided that everyone gets to elect their choices. So,it was decided that the car was Mr.S's choice, the colour was gonna be Mrs.S's choice and the trim was left for the two sons of Mr.S to choose. Since the car was decided, it was now Mrs.S's turn to choose the colour. No idea what happened but she chose Diamond white above all and everyone liked it too (but Mr.V was like, "Dad I want the Red Rascal!"). So, obviously, when kids were allowed to choose the trim, both the brothers took their own sweet-time to choose the trim. And voila! They chose the top-of-the-line Titanium trim with the Ebony Black dashboard.

So, the car was booked on 30th September 2010. But Mr.S saw the feature-differences between the Titanium and the ZXI trim (a trim below Titanium).Surprisingly, ZXI had all the features from the Titanium. It was like you name the feature from the Titanium, it was there on the ZXI too. But the only differences being :

• Dual Airbags
• Anti-locking braking system with Electronic Break Distribution (ABS with EBD).
• Deluxe Floor console (As Ford calls it. This console was firmly attached below the handbrake area which was good for nothing other than holding a few coins)

So, the price difference between the two trims was about ~ 30k. Mr.S's common sense prevailed (or the lack of it!). Mr.S thought like he could spend that extra savings on his accessories .
It was only in late 2015, Mr.S understood the value of safety features after a close-encounter in the Italian lady where the ABS had kicked just in time and Mr.S could manoeuvre at the right time.

Mr.S, sheepishly asked his SA after a week if he had any ZXI trims in stock to which the SA replied like, "Sir, there's a Diamond White ZXI with Ebony black dashboard colour, October Manufactured which was cancelled by a customer after the car arrived". Mr.S was like the car was fresh out of the oven and the 30k cash benefits over the titanium, he immediately said the SA to shift his booking to ZXI and the SA obliged. Thus, came in the new family member, a spanking new Ford Figo 1.4 TDCI ZXI into the lives of the family of Mr.S and went on to live with the family through the goods and odds over the past seven and a half years.

Mr.S managed to get the essential kit worth 5k free of cost which consists of mudflaps, a car cover, carpet floor mats (black) and a rubber boot mat. Also, Mr.S negotiated hard for 50% discount on the price of Ford Genuine Art-leather seat covers and extended warranty for third year and two free coats of Teflon of which one was done during the delivery and the other was done during the first service.

Apart from that, Mr.S also convinced the SA that he'll get the insurance done from outside. So, Mr.S successfully managed to squeeze out the most from the deal. The SA had billed for me on 15th October 2010 and the family actually took me home on the evening of 16th October 2010, which was a day before Vijaya Dashami. So, as expected, there were too many deliveries in that three days that were the 15th,16th and 17th of October 2010. So, the family of Mr.S had come to take me home on the evening of 16th October 2010. Also, Mr.S's BIL (Mrs.S's brother) also had accompanied them for the delivery. The delivery experience was good. The dealership folks hung a garland on my single-slat chrome grill, placed 4-lemons under my shoes, Mr.S performed a small Aarti, the SA handed over a box of choclolates (Mr.V says they were yum!) and then all the 4-members of the family were aboard and all set to leave the dealership in grandeur.
Mr.S still didn't get used to me and managed to stall me thrice en-route temple.

There was a huge queue ahead of us at the temple premises too. The whole family waited for the turn to arrive. Finally, our turn arrived and we seeked the blessings of almighty and started our final leg back home. En-route purchased some sweets which were meant to be distributed among the tenants and close friends. So, we finally made it home and it was a tiring day for all of us. Thus, I became a member of this family and never was I made to feel out of the world or something. Mr.S and the family took good care of mine, always pampered all the rides of the family with equal love and compassion. Mr.V always says, "Shower your love and care on your ride and the ride too will love you back" this to Mr.S and Mr.S too believes in this saying. I find myself to be fortunate to have found a caring and affectionate family.

A SMALL BREAK FOR REFILLING YOUR POPCORN/DRINKS :

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Let us start from where we'd stopped.

How was life with me over the past seven and a half years :

While in the first half, I'd said that I was bought to be used as a city car. As a result, I was put to good use over the first year of me with the family. Mr.S was on a hunt-down to munch miles like none other. He was munching miles on a faster pace. But then, some of his colleagues and he decided to pool their rides. It was like if I was used for a month, then my master's colleagues cars would be used for the next month. The cars pooled were the Chevrolet Beat and the Hyundai Santro. So, I was used only for 4-months a year. But still, Mr.S managed to clock about 12,000 clicks a year.

Before, I could recover from this shock, another surprise (completely unexpected!) came in the form of Mr.S's promotion and transfer in late 2012. His office was now in the same part of the city he lived in and top of it, his new office was only 7-kilometres away from our Home-Sweet-Home. Nonetheless he still managed to use me as his daily ride. Even when he had an option of taking a Govt.Vehicle for the official work, he preferred to take me along with him.

All was fine till 2014, when Mr.S received yet another Tabaadla (transfer) to another city altogether. But, it was Mr.S's luck that he was posted only 150-kilometres away from our home. So, Mr.S alone had relocated to Bidar, KA and it was decided that he alone would move to the new city since he didn't want his transfer to affect Mr.V's education in anyway.

Call it luck, Mr.T too had relocated from Vijayawada to Hyderabad in the same year for his internship. So, Mr.T too needed a car for his daily commute of 20-kilometres to and fro. So, Mr.S decided to take the Italian Lady along with him and leave me for Mr.T for his daily chores. While the Italian lady took good care of Mr.S, I left no stone unturned taking good care of Mr.T.

I was his car. Mr.T too was always keen on driving me and was like, "When's the next one?" Mr.T and Mr.V have had their own share of joy-rides with me (shhh.....Mr.S doesn't know any of these). Then, Mr.T had done with his Internship and finally he was a Mechanical Engineer and he ended up with a job as soon as he had completed his Bachelor's degree. So, his daily duties were again entrusted upon me . I was a happy man and he was a happy man too.

In came the Month of July 2016, which was frankly a month of mixed moments for the whole family. While on the last day of the month, the family celebrated the 15th Birthday of Mr.V and on the other hand, Mr.T announces his decision of going abroad to pursue his Master's Degree there. But still, Mr.T hadn't resigned his job yet. At the same time, he was preparing for his GRE and all. So, I was responsible taking Mr.T from place to place over the day. My then routine was like from Home to Office, Office to the Institute and then back home.

I was feeling good that I was put to good use but this also made me worried about my future. While Mr.T's future was certain, mine was still uncertain. All this increased running and all felt like the, "Toofan ki pehle waali Khaamoshi " Amidst all this, Mr.T managed to take me for a couple of highway runs, got me a new set of shoes and got me serviced.

In came, September 2016, Mr.T had scored really well in the GRE and he started applying for some reputed Institutes in the USA. Mr.S and Mr.V had come up with a wicked idea of a road-trip amidst all this in the month of October. Mr.T too agreed to it without much of a drama. But it took a lot to convince Mrs.S. At-last, even she was convinced (phew). Now, the crucial question was, Where to? Mr.V had suggested to cover the important cities and places in MH. So, the itenary, hotels and guest houses, etc . were all set. In came another question, Which car? Mr.S was wanting to take the Ertiga but Mr.V and Mr.T wanted to take the Italian Lady along (just because she took the corners well and she would be just perfect for those drool worthy pics) and Mrs.S was okay with anything. After a lot of contemplation, the whole family started their Epic Road Trip in the Italian Lady. As expected, Mr.T and Mr.V complained about the state highways of Maharashtra where the Italian lady with upgraded GC scraped quite sometimes. Mr.V was saying to Mr.T that they didn't take me to this road-trip where I would've been royally trolled by Mr.S (he's kinda always complaining about my low-GC). I thanked my stars that I wasn't a part of the Road-trip. So, ever since Mr.T left me in Jan 2017, Mr.S's Father-in-Law has been using me quite regularly for short city runabouts and occasional highway runs to his village.

In came April 2017, a special year for all the rides of the family because it was in this month that the young couple celebrated their 25th Wedding anniversary and to mark this occasion, the young couple gifted themselves a Brand New Tata Hexa XTA in a gorgeous shade of Arizona Blue which was christened Sindbad by Mr.V. Here's a link to the ownership report of Sindbad : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...zona-blue.html

Rather strangely, Mr.V has loads of time for drafting an ownership report for Sindbad, he doesn't have time to draft one for me. Here I am struggling to type every word and I don't know when this Young man would again get enough time to draft a report as detailed he did for my Garage mate. His time schedule is pretty much screwed up. He hardly gets any free time now. Infact he had started drafting my ownership report in September 2017 and here I am completing the report in October 2018! Enough said!

So, ever since Sindbad came into our lives, I felt that he was trying to get more attention and all. He likes to grab attention from everyone. But still I manage to tell myself that he's less experienced and needs more attention till he experts this art of which I'm a master. Mr.S has got so accustomed to the ease of an Automatic that he stalls me quite often whenever he's behind my wheel. So, the ease of an automatic started favouring towards Sindbad and he was used for smallest of the runs at times. Earlier, I was jealous of the Italian Lady and now with the Sindbad. My tryst with jealousy is Endless you see . So, Mr.S uses Sindbad for his 7-kilometre commute two way! So, even that duty is taken-off from Sindbad and is handed over to Mr.V's new-acquisition, a Roadeo A75 which Mr.S uses it for his commute over the weekdays. But still all of my garage mates are put to good use over the weekends. We just wait for the weekend to kick-in. My odo reads 71,500 kilometres as of now.

How was I maintained over the years and how I've aged :
Mr.S left no stone unturned to keep me in the best possible shape. My exteriors, interiors and all are regularly cleaned and are well-taken care of. As said earlier, Mr.S and Mr.V love their rides and try to keep them in the best possible shape. Till date, most of the people who've seen me in person ask whether I'm really a seven and a half year old machine. Such is their upkeep. While you'll find some scars particular to the Hyderabad traffic (May god damn these bikers!), my exteriors are in pretty good shape. The only ding you'll find on my body is a dent on my hatch. "This will be given attention soon", says Mr.V over the past 7-months! Not only aesthetics and cosmetics, I'm a fit machine mechanically as well. Mr.S gets me serviced once a year without fail and all the parts are replaced in accordance with the instructions given in the Owner's Manual. Some jobs which I remember which are something common are :

• Diesel filter replacement every 30,000 kilometres (I'm running on my third set as of now).
• Brake fluid top-up every 20,000 kilometres or 2-years (irrespective of the running).
• Air filter replacement every 20,000 kilometres (or even earlier if the running is much or used only in the city limits).
• Engine oil replacement every 10,000 kilometres or one year (irrespective of the running).
• Wheel alignment, balancing and rotation every 10,000 kilometres (the roads I travel are in a good condition).
• Brake pads last for a well-over 35,000 kilometres (My masters avoid hard braking). The second set needs a replacement in about 2,000 kilometres.
• The stock tyres lasted for a well-over 55,000 kilometres ( I came shod with a set of MRF ZV2Ks). The replacement tyres too are the same MRF ZV2Ks of the same stock size

Apart from the above list, here are some things which need attention in the near future :

• Replacement of the stock clutch in the next 10-15,000 kilometres.
• Replacement of coolant cap at 80,000 kilometres.
• Timing chain replacement at 1,20,000 kilometres.
• Brake pad replacement in the next 2,000 kilometres.
• A battery replacement by the end of the year, most probably.

Major replacements till date :

• Replacement of the 4-suspension struts. The first two were replaced at 57,000 kilometres. The rest of them were replaced last August.
• Air-Conditioner evaporator and condenser coil replaced under Extended warranty (Infact on the last week of expiry of Extended warranty!)
• A battery replacement in 2014 December.

These are the only major replacements till date. The clutch and battery replacement are the major replacements which will happen in the near future.

As one can see, the parts were replaced well within the prescribed time and stipulated time intervals. So, I still run as smoothly as possible. On another hand, 70,000 kilometres is nothing for a diesel. So, I'm not sure if I'll be able to see a six digit figure on my odometer anytime soon. At the present running rate, it'll atleast take another 4-years before I touch this figure. So, I've aged really well. One cannot hear a rattle or a squeak from my interiors and all the plastics have held on really well over this time. No part gave up and aged prematurely (like the Italian lady). I still feel new considering my age. So, Mr.V still compliments the way I've aged.

My other garage mate can be seen in the background

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Exteriors :

While it doesn't sound too great to comment on my own appearance, I still have tried my best to showcase the other side or the bad side of me. Toh, Shubh Kaam mein deri kaisi? (What's the delay in doing something good?).

For the starters, I'd like to begin with saying that till date I haven't managed to grab a lot of eyeballs like my other garage mates do (Yeah, I'm referring to Sindbad and the Italian lady). While I'm not the most eye-catching car to look at, I'm not a bad design either . I am what I am and I'm proud of what I am. While some of you might find me a bit out of fashion, I'm still a good looking and a well-proportionate car. How many of you have seen the ad of Reliance Trends on your TV screens?! Well, I've got you talking! While some may find me a handsome looking guy, some might find me dated. I'm a design which suits the palette of Mr.V and family. I don't give a damn to the rest of the world. What matters the most to me is what my family feels about me. Nuff said!

I was launched by Ford India so that they had their presence in the B+ segment which is a very important segment in the Indian market. Infact, I was so important for the Ford India that Mr.Alan Mulally, then CEO and president of Ford had come to unveil me here on the Indian soil back in 2009. Also, then CEO and Managing Director of Ford India, Mr.Michael Boneham himself had come up with a review (a biased one ofcourse!) and this review shows us that how important Ford India had taken marketing and me seriously then. Sadly, that's not the case now (they're happy selling paltry volumes of my successors and also that Ford is more than happy with the response from my elder brother, Endy) .

I was the answer by Ford India for the B+ segment. What motivated Ford India to step up in this segment was the humoungous success of the Swift in the Indian market. That car was a runaway success. More so, even Hyundai had stepped into this segment in 2008 with the Hyundai i10. Both of these cars sold really well and went on to establish themselves in the Indian market so much so that these were the benchmarks for comparisons in this segment. Even, Ford's American counterpart, Chevrolet also had launched the Beat. So, this made Ford India launch me in India. While the company had the Fusion in the Indian market already, it was a confusion to the aam-junta if my predecessor was a SUV or a hatchback or both combined to form one!

I am based on the platform of the Mark V Fiesta and it's actually that when you compare me and her side-by-side, you'll find some similarities between us two. I'll do that right here for you guys to see the difference (at a later stage though). But, you'll find me similar to the Fiesta and Fusion which are based on the same platform of the Mark V Fiesta (she's codenamed B256). Ford has done a lot of changes to my exteriors and interiors for the only reason, that is to keep the prices under check. You all know how the Indian Automotive market is. Here in India, no one has a keen interest on the quality (now the people here have become quality conscious too). All they need is the price, which is supposed to be realistic. To keep the prices in check, Ford had to do a lot of changes so that the costs were under check. They simply couldn't give up considering how the Indian market was fastly emerging (But sadly Ford is least interested in selling my successors here and are happy with the bare minimum volumes what they get and the fact that my elder brother, Endy does really well for the company). So they also have done their part well in doing so. As a result, a majority of the parts, I bare are shared amongst me, Fiesta and Fusion. Though the part-sharing is my complaint because there's no such feeling of owning MY OWN STUFF. But still no issues. Thankfully, the part-quality is good (even excellent at some places and could've been better at some places as well).

Coming to the front end, Ford has thoroughly re-skinned to differentiate me from the Mark V Fiesta and Fusion. Ford has used the Kinetic Design philosophy which was used in the other markets as well. I look a lot more handsome and futuristic (yeah, Mr.V finds me a good looking and understated car) and those sharp lines and creases around the front bonnet and grill add to the looks. The Smoked-Black headlamps are Mr.V's favourite and they go well with the Diamond White shade of mine.

The side profile is rather Lacklustre. While Ford did an extremely good job while re-skinning the front end, why leave the side and rear profile?! The side-profile is rather boring to look at and Mr.V is like, "Am I sure this is the same car I saw a few moments back?" There are sharp lines running through the whole of the side profile and that adds up to the otherwise curvy looks of mine. Now, coming to the rear, this thing will surely remind you of both the Mark V Fiesta (both 3-door one and 5-door one) and the Fusion. While the overall design looks a lot like the Fiesta's, the taillamps and all remind you of the Fusion. Make no mistake, this ain't a Facelifted Fusion. A couple of folks had asked Mr.S then, if Ford had launched a Facelift of the Fusion or what? Just see the rear 3-quarter of the Mark V fiesta and myself side-by-side, a layman will go bonkers if I'm a Fiesta or a Figo!

Coming to the paint quality, there's no orange-peel effect to talk of. The overall quality of paint is good too. The panel gaps too are uniform and even if one or two panel gapes are W-I-D-E, they're consistent edge-to-edge. So, no complaints in this department as well.


The front-face of mine. I'm a good car to look at. It's not that I look Hot like one of my competitors from Italy (Italians have always managed to look timeless). I'm a handsome-looking machine overall. What Mr.V feels is that the tyres could've been a bit more wide for the Perfect stance of mine.

The other-side of mine. While I look upright and Confident upfront, I look a lot weaker and dull at the back-end. This is probably the inner side of mine which not everyone appreciates about. Many overlook my other face as the Facelifted Fusion (I've mentioned about this for atleast a half a dozen times in this record!)

My side-profile. This is the most-boring angle to look at me. Also, notice the sharp crease which is running across the side-profile. The body-coloured door protectors are an OE accessory. The 14-inch rims look a bit small on a car of this size. A 15-inch rim would've been perfect. Also, take a look at the flared wheel arches. They budge out of the side profile.

The Rear profile. As said earlier, this too isn't an exciting part to look at. Nothing's overdone (like the way Mr.V likes it). The Christmas-tree taillamps are something which Mr.V doesn't like. The detailing inside too could've been better IMHO.

The front airdam is W-I-D-E. The black number plate applique and the airdam gel well with the Diamond white shade of mine as well as the Smoked Black headlamps.

The single-slat chrome grill looks good. The chrome usage is Minimal. Just the way Mr.V likes it. He thinks of wrapping this one up as well.

The Front foglamps were added as an accessory at a later stage when Mr.S found my headlamps' light output to be weak. These foglamps do a good job of illuminating things close-by. While they don't increase the range of the whole setup (for that matter none of the foglamps do), they illuminate things up-close which we tend to miss at times. These are bright enough to be used as DRL's. Mr.S's Father-in-law uses 'em that way. This is how they look when they're switched off......

.......this is how they look when they're switched on. As said earlier, they're bright enough to be used as DRL's. Mr.V was looking to swap the halogens for LED's but then he thought of keeping them as-is since the penetrating power of LEDs vis-a-vis Halogens in Fog is a lot less and thus safety became a concern and Mr.V left them as they were.

The subtly Smoked Black headlamps look sweet! As said earlier they go well with the White shade of mine. Mr.V is in talks of getting my ORVMs and roof wrapped. This is how they look when the headlamp cluster is turned off....

.....and this is how the headlamp cluster looks with the Parking lamps and Turn indicators switched on.

The 14-inch steel rims were standard across the range. Ford, then realised that this ain't gonna work and it was sometime in late 2011, they started offering 14-inch alloys on the top-spec Titanium trim post then. The 14-inch rim comes shod with 175/65 profile tyres from the factory. I came shod with a set of MRF ZV2Ks from the factory. Sometime in 2016, Mr.T got me the same set of MRF ZV2Ks as a replacement set to the worn-out stock shoes. No, he didn't upsize. So the replacement set too is of the same 175/65 profile. The wheel cover is a direct lift from the Fiesta's.

The Door handle feels solid to hold and use. This is the only place where neither Sindbad nor Italian lady feel solid.

The ORVM's are a straight lift from Fiesta's and Fusion as well. They do look well and gel well with the rest of the exteriors.

The turn-indicator mounted on the either side of both the fenders. The chrome finish around the Indicator looks Sweet!.

The door applique is made of hard plastics. They need a coat of polish quite regularly to keep 'em shining. Also, take a look at the irregularities between the door beadings of both the dorrs. Looks El-Cheapo.

The rear quarter glass adds up to the airiness in the second row.

The loooong antenna looks ugly. A shot one mounted at the rear would've been perfect. The reception is really phenomenal. The one on the Italian Lady had issues with the radio reception in the city itself!

The Rear Windshield gives the driver a clear view of the happenings behind. It can be used while reversing too save for the wide pillars which sort-of create blind spots. It's better to rely on the ORVMs and the IRVM combined while reversing.

The Christmas-tree taillamps look dated. A smaller unit would've looked better. But that's history and history can't be changed, it can only be read. Thankfully, Ford got rid of these on my successors. Yeah, they get two reversing lamps, that is one on the either side .

The High Mounted Stopping Lamp is mounted onto a lip above the rear windshield (Which tries to look hard as if it's a spoiler!).It is not bright enough as one would expect. Also, take a look at the Washer for the rear Wiper which sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Blue Oval looks lovely! That's what makes Mr.V drool over it every now and then.

The Nomenclature and Drive-train badge find its place on the top right side of the boot door. The Petrol counterpart doesn't get any drive-train badging. There's no separate Drive-train badging for the Petrol like the Diesel.

License Plates get a couple of Halogen Bulbs to illuminate the License Plate at Night. The LEDs would look sweet IMHO! That's in the bucket-list of Mr.V.

The Chrome applique above the License Plate area isn't actually a Chrome strip. It's more of a Rubber strip which looks cheap. Also, take a look at the provision of the keyhole where the base LXI trim gets a keyhole to access the boot.

The Black Scuff Plate at the rear adds up to the otherwise Vanilla-Esque looks at the rear. This also accommodates a reflector on the either side. The tow-hook for the rear is visible in this pic.

The front 3-quarter look. The Bold me.

The Rear 3-quarter look of mine. I'm a curvy design overall.

Ka-Chow

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Interiors - Front :

My doors open-up in a triple-stage in-order to aide better ingress or egress. The doors are heavy and one has to put in a decent amount of force to close 'em. The only complaint being that these doors lack the European thud. While a thud comes in while closing the door, it ain't anything close to my direct rivals (e.g Punto and Polo). Getting in and out is a bit cumbersome since one has to "sit" down rather than "getting" in. It's gonna be a problem for the elderly.

I came with two interior-colour options of which one being the Ebony black (the one which is shown here) and the other option being Coral Red. Of the two, Mr.S and the entire family picked up Ebony black since none of the family member liked the latter. The family's glad that they've picked up a black interior over the red one. What Mr.V feels that the All-Black interiors do look sporty, age well and don't show any mud/muck accumulated over-time. The interiors too don't feel claustrophobic owing to the all-black interiors. Ford has done a good job in giving loads of glass area which adds up to the airiness.

The Interior part-quality is good for most of it. Mr.V doesn't nitpick too much. But once he gets too detailed while noticing something, he really complaints about it. Thankfully, over the past 7 and a half years, I never gave him such an opportunity (Italian lady was always in the hit-list of Mr.V in this aspect BTW!). The only thing which Mr.V complaints too much is about the part-sharing. The vents, steering wheel, stalks for wipers and turn indicators, ORVM controls, IRVM, roof light, everything, every small part is shared with the Fiesta.

Enough spoken on the part-sharing, let's get back on track. Now coming back to the interiors, the all-black dashboard coupled with matt-finished silver aluminium inserts look cool. Mr.V drools over them. The part quality of these inserts is just so good. For a second, one doesn't feel like as if I'm built to a cost. Yeah, Ford has cut corners in offering smallest of the smallest features (e.g rear power-windows) but at the same time, there is no compromise on quality whatsoever (not anymore though!). Mr.V doesn't care too much on the features lost over the competition till the quality and overall build is good over the competition. That was one of the reasons, why Mr.V chose Hexa over the XUV. On the flipside, Mr.V hates electronics inside an automobile. He says,"More the electronics in an automobile, more are the chances of part failure in the long run".

Space at the front is good and the seats have a long travel range. The front passenger has a lot of legroom and kneeroom since the dashboard and the glovebox don't occupy this space (the same can't be said for the swift or the i10). The low window line adds up to the airiness in the front row. The door armrests are positioned perfectly and are wide enough. The low-set dashboard makes sure the driver's judgement is just perfect!

The dashboard is functional and very well put together with good fit & finish in general. The switches feel durable as well. If you look hard, there are some rough edges below the dashboard, but one is not likely to touch or see these parts.

The all-black dashboard with matt-finished aluminium inserts around the centre console and AC vents look good. Controls are easy to reach. The ergonomics are well-sorted and the driver gets a clear view of the happenings ahead.

The steering wheel looks meaty to hold and use. Its a simple, fuss-free and no-nonsense steering wheel with no sort of steering mounted audio controls as such. Just like the way Mr.V likes it. The steering wheel had a leather wrap earlier but the fit and finish leaved a lot to be desired which Mr.V hated. So, both the brothers ripped that wrap apart and planned to get me a custom-stitched leather wrap and I'm still waiting for it since the past 2-years!

The Front seats are supportive for most of it but Mr.V complains about the lack of lower-back support. It could've been better, says Mr.V. The seat compound too is on the harder side (A plus for long-distance touring and for those sideways pushing during the track-days ). The seats combined with the balanced ride quality make sure that the long drives with me are Fatigue-free for most of it.

The 6-way adjustable driver seat for fore/aft adjustment, seat height and recline coupled with the almost perfect ergonomics, one can easily find their ideal seating position in no-time!

The fore/aft adjustment lever is firmly attached to the base of the seat.

Doorpads have hard plastics and thankfully are of good quality and this is one of the many bits inside me which haven't rattled over the past seven and a half years. "They've really aged so well", says Mr.V. Also take a look at the fabric inserts which are again of decent quality. The black doorpads go well with the brushed aluminium insert on the doorpad. They can also house a 1-Litre bottle on the either side of the doors on the move.

Well, as said earlier, I'm a typical old-school guy who offers only two power-windows against the usual segment norm of 4-power windows......

The door handle feels good to hold and use (unlike the Italian lady and the nano). They're finished in black (Just like the way Mr.V likes it; simple and understated). Push the door handle to lock the door(s) and slightly pull the handle to unlock the door(s).

Being old-school doesn't mean I'm not getting up with the times . This is the knob for the electrical adjustment of the ORVMs.

The ABCs of Life. A car enthusiasts joy was once hidden in these three pedals which are now unfortunately reduced to the two pedals which might further come down to even one! (search around in Team-BHP itself for the answer!) Probably a bad time for Mr.V and his peer group for being car guys.

Euro-Style Headlamp switch is a straight lift from the Fiesta's. The switch feels durable and is not so smooth to operate though. One can hear a click while switching the headlamps on.

The Electrical boot-release feature. One of the many features which Mr.V boasted about in his extended family and friends back then

The Rotary Vents for the air-conditioner are of nice quality and they are smooth to use and operate. The air doesn't flow with the vents completely closed. Also, take a look at the matte aluminium surrounds around the AC-Vents. Damn Classy! says Mr.V.

The storage place for the lower variants. The Top-spec Titanium trim gets the passenger airbag here. The lack of passenger airbag has freed up the space here for placing some stuff while on the move. Mr.V takes a deep sigh whenever he sees this place (Just because Mr.S didn't get the Titanium trim!)

The glovebox is quite deep and can hold quite a lot of stuff. The one on the Sindbad can't even hold an owner's manual of its own .

A recessed area to place your idol. Ford does know a thing or two about the Indian Market, isn't it?(so much so that they felt there was no need of the K-Truss on my Elder brother, Endeavour!)

The IRVM provides a nice view of the happenings behind. The only thing which can hamper one's judgement while reversing are those wide pillars. It's best to rely on IRVM+ORVMs combined while reversing.



The ORVMs on the either side provide a satisfactory view of the happenings behind. But, they're a size smaller than what Mr.V prefers.

The headunit was fairly well-ahead of its time (infact it just got up with the times now!). Functions of this headunit are covered in a separate post.

The only interior lamp with theatre-dimming effect. Yep, my masters didn't upgrade these bulbs to LEDs. Mr.V feels there should've been another interior lamp for the passengers at the rear too (Italian Lady has spoilt him a lot!)

The switches for the Air-Conditioner feel durable and at the same time feel quite rudimentary and cheap.

The gearknob is good to hold and use. "Looks Cool" - says Mr.V. The brushed aluminium insert on this looks fab! The gears slot perfectly and the throws are perfectly alright. It's just an inch away from that perfect slick-shifting gearbox. It's only the harder shifts which take away that perfect slick-shifting fun. On a whole, it's any day a waaay better gearbox over the one in the Italian Lady and her younger brother, Punto.

Cubby-holes to place your phone, Wallet,...etc. on the move. There's a cup-holder too which can hold a can of coke or even the espresso shot on the move.

The handbrake is good to hold and use. The tip too is finished in brushed aluminium (unlike many other cars who do away with chrome).

The way I try to keep my mistress happy when she's onboard!

And when she's behind the wheel (which is next to impossible now!), she doesn't get one so that she can focus on the drive upfront!

The Grab handle for the co-driver just incase the driver takes the corner at good speeds. The driver doesn't get one (And doesn't need one IMO!) since he'd be busy holding his steering all the time.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Interiors - Rear :

Like in the front, the rear doors also open up in triple-stage action in-order to aide better ingress and egress. What Mr.V complaints about is the sloping roofline which makes the ingress and egress difficult for taller people like him. One might bang his/her head if one doesn't get in or out carefully. It's definitely not a car where one easily opens the door, takes his seat and close the door. Nope. The lesser height figures over the competition itself give an idea that I'm not a tall-boy of any sorts.

Space at the rear is good with ample amount of legroom, more than adequate headroom (yes, despite the sloping roof) and just about adequate under-thigh support (taller people just get about it; shorter folks will love it). The rear bench too isn't claustrophobic as my then competition (e.g Swift, i10) thanks to the longer wheelbase over the rest of the competition. But the longer wheelbase doesn't translate into more space over my peers whose wheelbase is less than mine (e.g Vista). Clearly, my makers perhaps didn't know how to utilise the additional wheelbase. The tall transmission tunnels eats up into the floorspace making the third passenger not-so-welcome. Add to that the exposed ends of the seat rails are a threat to the third passenger if he/she doesn't wear any sort of covered footwear. Mr.V accidentally managed to bruise up his feet and toes twice thanks to these exposed ends of the roof rails.

Now coming to the good part, I'm wide enough to accommodate three full-size adults side-by-side in the rear seat. Despite the absence of rear AC Vents (none of the B+ segment hatches offered this feature back then) the rear bench too cools up in no-time; says Mr.V. The front seat's aren't really scooped out, there's still a whole lot of legroom on offer. The folks at the rear (unlike the folks at the front) do not get adjustable neck restraints. The taller people will literally have to slide all the way down to use them if they really have to use one. If they slide all the way down, then the underthigh support is non-existent. Ford just forgot to take care of the taller folks in India!


The Rear Bench is good when it comes to overall support. Even the lower-back support is a lot better vis-a-vis the front seats. The only complaint of the young man being that there're no neck restraints at the rear. The seatback angle too is at a relaxed position. It's not too upright

The minimum and maximum legroom. Even with the front seat pushed all the way back, Mr.V could sit in comfortably even with his knees rubbing against the seat.

The door sill isn't very wide and it's boon for the elderly since it doesn't intrude with the ingress or the egress much.

The doorpad for the doors at the rear. This is very much identical to the one on the front sans the storage bin where one places their 1L bottle at the front and look close, there's a feature addition here (or should I call a feature deletion).....

.......the windows at the rear have to be unwinded or winded using this manual winder. No power windows at the rear; in short the lesser the electricals, the better!

Nope. The windows at the rear don't go all the way down. They go about 60% of their way down.

Even the passengers at the rear (sans the middle passenger) get a 3-Point ELR seat belt (as the brochure then read).

When not in use, the seat belt buckle can be tucked away in the slot provided.

The passengers at the rear get a parcel shelf to place all their items on the go. The middle area of the parcel shelf is grooved in to prevent any items from sliding off.

The passengers at the rear too get a grab handle on the either side to rely on it incase the driver is unreliable! Yep, they do get a coat hook on the grab handles on the either side. a deep sigh at the abandoned ambassador! Mr.V had a talk with the owner who perhaps kept the car in front of the house just for the sake of it since it was his dad's car who's no more.

The boot is a healthy 280-litres. The loading lip is low which is a good thing. Obstruction from the wheel wells /suspension is more. Despite that, it's a well-designed boot. 3 medium sized strolley bags are an easy fit and there's enough space for a couple of handbags as well.

Need more boot space? Simply tumble down the rear seat with just a press of a button which is on the either side of the rear seat.

The boot gets a nifty boot lamp as well. A useful feature in the dark

The Spare wheel is a full-size steel wheel. It comes shod with the same MRF ZV2Ks which I had come shod from the assembly line back in 2010! Beneath the wheel is a jack to jack me up incase any of my shoe gets punctured.

The warning triangle comes neatly wrapped up in a cover of good quality.

Here's the warning triangle which hasn't been used over the past seven and a half years! Hope it remains this way.

There's a nifty grab handle which the shorter folks can grab on to close the boot door (taller folks don't need one, FYI!)

There's this some sort of thread which is available on the both sides of the parcel shelf which helps the shelf rise as the boot door opens up. Also, take a look at the Pneumatic struts mounted to the boot door. They're present on the either side (unlike some entry level cars which make do with one of 'em).

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Performance :

My heart which is still beating as it should

I share the same 1.4L TDCi Diesel heart from My sister Fiesta (or should I call her Classic?. My heart can pump out a maximum power of 68ps (translated to 67.0698 BHP; google baba ki jai!) @4,000 rpm and a maximum torque output of 160nm @2,000 rpm. This is a typical old-school 8-Valve Single Overhead camshaft Drivetrain (SOHC) which does its duty with the help of 4-intake and 4-exhaust valves (i.e 2-valves on each cylinder; i.e 1-intake and 1-exhaust valve on each cylinder). This Drivetrain is mated to a turbocharger which makes it a peppy engine at lower revvs. While it's performance is comparable to it's 16-valve Double Overhead Camshaft drivetrain's competition, its not faaaast.

For people who feel, "I am the Speed". Let me make this clear to those folks that I'm just not meant for that. Maybe a Stage-1 remap, an EGR Delete and a performance air-filter would make the difference if you still want me for my precise and direct steering and go-kart like handling. Mr.V will probably do all these mods as soon as he gets a Driver's License in Hand.

How's it to use me for the daily chores : Well, Mr.S mainly bought me home to serve this purpose right. Now, I can proudly say that I've actually not lived upto their expectations; but actually exceeded them. I proved it to both Mr.S and Mr.T on how commuting from Point A to B can actually be fun. With the almost non-existent Turbo lag, I just chug in and around the city like none other machine does. The ergonomics are perfect, the visibility is spot-on, the clutch travel is relatively short and the Hydraulic Power Steering is so light at city speeds, Mr.S used to confuse my steering for an Electric Assisted one at times! The drivability of the 1.4 TDCi engine ensures that you can chug along in third gear at speeds as low as 22-kmph. The fourth gear comes in as early as 40-kmph. I'm meant to do this in style. Add to that, a healthy Fuel Efficiency of 14-15 Kmpl in Bumper-to-bumper city traffic ensures that I'm not a drunken monkey . Light on the maintenance and fuel means I'm lighter on Mr.S's wallet as well. That's one of the key factors on deciding your beater.

How's it like to drive out of the city :

On the Straight-lined Expressways : On a straight-line expressway, I'm so good (I know, complementing myself on my own strengths is a rotten thing to do, but can't help it!), cruising all-day long is so effortless. At speeds of 100-kmph, the tachometer is ticking at a rate of 2,350 rpm which is good enough. At speeds, 120-kmph, the tacho ticks at a rate of 2,900 rpm. Anything beyond this, the engine gets vocal and the progress is slow. So, it's best recommended to do speeds of not more than 120-kmph. Cruise at a standard 80-90 kmph mark, the engine is so relaxed and one doesn't feel like he's doing such speeds and in return one gets awesome Fuel Efficiency figures to boast about. The highest Mr.S has managed to get out of me is 24.5 Kmpl. The worst was 18-kmpl on the highways. The brakes do have the feel and feedback what one requires but at times, the brakes are inadequate. But for the present stock avatar, it should be completely fine.

On the Winding Section of the roads : This is where I truly stand out from the rest. The steering offers the right amount of feedback while taking a corner like a pro. I just stick to the tarmac like a leech. The only needle in the haystack is the lack of a powerful drivetrain. It's not that the present drivetrain feels underpowered (it actually, at times) but a more punchier drivetrain would've complemented the whole package. The gear ratios are well-sorted which is a boon while ascending a ghat with full-house. The gearshifts, as said earlier are good but the harder gear shifts take away the fun of a proper slick-shifting gearbox. It's like I'm 90% there but the rest of the fun is taken away I'm the form of harder shifts (or maybe have I started to age?). On a whole, I can be enjoyed to the best on the winding section of the roads.


The engine bay. Looks nice and everything's in place and looks neat. There's no clutter and everything's easily accessible. Apologies for the dusted engine bay. Mr.V isn't finding enough time to detail the engine bay.

Bonnet gets an insulation sheet underneath.

The Turbocharger . This makes the engine more lively at lower revvs and more city friendly. The same can't be said for bigger turbochargers though.

The dipstick to check out the level of engine oil. Mr.V makes it a practise to check out the engine oil level once in every two weeks. The alternator came be seen below.

The air-intake and battery in one click. When I had rolled off the assembly line back in 2010, I had come fitted with a Motorcraft battery. This battery lasted for more than 4-years for our usage. An Amaron battery finds its place as a replacement which might need a replacement in near future (signs of weakening battery have started appearing).

The fuse box is beneath the air intake pipe. Those with bigger palms (like Mr.V) will have a tough time accessing it.

The Washer Fluid reservoir is to be filled up to the brim from this funnel. Notice the broken end of the reservoir cap. This was broken by the folks at the ASC while filling the reservoir up.

One is supposed to refill the brake fluid from here. Use DOT4 brake fluid only. Even the reservoir cap reads the same.

The auxiliary belt is easy to access.

The suspension mount. These are half clad with the metal plate around it. Some cars get a full covering for the same.

Reservoir for power steering fluid.

The coolant reservoir. Mr.V makes to check the levels of coolant on a regular basis. More so, after his ordeal with the Nano.

Ride and Handling :

A USP of Ford is the Driver's DNA in its cars. They keep in mind giving the perfect balance of all worlds in the form of a well-calibrated suspension setup. The front end of the car comes equipped with the usual McPherson Strut whereas the rear end of the car comes equipped with the same Torsion beam setup which is standard across the competition (then and now). All the Ford's were known for their awesome handling and I'm no exception. The suspension tuning is a bit towards the stiffer side which makes a sky-sea difference in the handling with respect to the competition (Mr.V hates soft suspension setups) but the ride quality takes a small hit. While it may not do a great job of masking all the undulations on the road like a softly sprung up suspension setup might do, this one offers an acceptable ride quality. There is no vertical movement as such which is a good thing.

At lower speeds, undulations do filter into the cabin but it's acceptable. The smaller undulations are well-taken care of. The suspension damping is perfect and the undulations are well-filtered out. This gets better as the speeds build up. The body roll is in-existent and the tight chassis control shows its true colour while nipping in and out of the corners. I just handle like a Go-Kart in simple words. That's the reason why I'm still a part of this family. All these small little factors go a long way in keeping a car enthusiast hooked to his rides. The steering is light at lower speeds and gains weight as the speeds build up. It's a delight to use; be it inside the city nipping in and out of the traffic or out on the highway. Mr.T preferred my steering calibration over the Italian Lady . All these factors make sure I'm involved with my master as he pushes me to the extreme ends.


My underbelly. The underbody packaging is fine but there is no protection for the drivetrain if I end up taking a big time hit (may god forbid!). 168mm of Ground clearance (unladen) is good on paper but in real world, my family members have faced issues with this, especially when the whole family moves in.

The exhaust end can. The exhaust tip is bent towards the ground and isn't visible unless someone intentionally wants to have a look at it.

The fuel tank is placed at the back end of the underbody. The fuel tank can carry a maximum fuel of 45-litres which enables lesser fuel stops thus maximising the range. Mr.S could achieve a maximum range of 750-kilometres once on a road trip.

The front wheel well is fully cladded which is a great thing. Small bits like these go a long way. Also, take a look at the front left damper which gave up very early in life despite the best of the driving. Time for yet another replacement? What has happened to the QCs inside the Ford's factory. The new set came in hardly about 15,000 kilometers ago. The same is the state with the right as well. It's not down to anything (the mechanic has checked in detail) but only the front suspension strut's which came in faulty from the factory itself! Mr.V said that he'll order a pair real soon from Boodmo.

The rear wheel well is half clad. On another note what's that thread like thing coming in from the wheel well and comes tied across the damper. Any guesses?

[Varun_HexaGuy]

In-Car Entertainment and Multi-Information Display :

ICE : I came equipped with a basic headunit which offered all the standard features and inputs. The headunit supports Aux-in, CD, Bluetooth streaming (1st in class; if my memory serves me right!), Radio with AM and FM. The headunit is USB-ready. A USB cable has to be added at the dealership level at an extra cost.

The headunit also supports Bluetooth Telephony and I'm the only one to offer it back in the segment alongside the Punto (he came with a sophisticated Microsoft Blue&Me Bluetooth Telephony with Voice Control. How cool was that ?!). The i20 did get one sometime in 2011 though. Calls are crystal clear and all the talking goes seamlessly unless you have a bad network. Even the passengers at the rear seat are audible in the call if they wanna do some talking. Mr.V's only complaint is placing a call on the go. Placing a call is a bit cumbersome on the go. First things first, the display's a size too small to read the name correctly while on the move. Second, there are no steering controls to scroll through the contacts you want. Third, the rotary knob which is used for increasing or decreasing the volume is a turn too sensitive. At times, you may miss the contact you need while you scroll through. For placing a call in peace, park me for a second, search the contact and speak in peace. Or else, simply open your phone and do the same. Phone's contact list is more intuitive so that's better to use.

Coming to the favourite part of an Audiophile, the Audio clarity. The stock system is pretty much stock. The audio clarity is good (neither excellent nor mediocre) for most of it. The Treble (which Mr.V hates!) is available in abundance. The Bass (which Mr.V loves!) isn't available as required. The Mid is okay. The vocals are clear but could've been better (Sindbad has spoilt him a lot!). All the highs, mids and lows are equally heard but the quality is good (not excellent as in the Sindbad). But, this is anyday, a Better Audio System than the Stock Audio System of the Punto's. An Average Joe will like this Music System and wouldn't bother to upgrade it. On the other hand, this will leave an Audiophile in a state of confusion whether to upgrade or not. Hardcore Bass Lovers might simply add a Subwoofer to the existing setup and leave it as-is while a Purist might do a complete revamp. Since, Mr.S and his family belong to neither of the categories, they left the stock system as-is and are enjoying it without much of a complaint since complaining would get them to drain thousands of rupees for the audio setup which they aren't interested to do in a 8-year old machine!


As said earlier, this headunit accepts all sorts of inputs. It accepts CD, USB (optional extra; as mentioned earlier), Aux-in, Bluetooth. In Short, this accepts both new-age and old-age inputs (CD-Drive is a thing of the past but offers better Audio Output over any other inputs; hands down!)

The Headunit switched to 'FM' as the present Audio Source

A close-up of the only clock I have (which I can't see!) is integrated into the Headunit. Look closer there's an indication, "CD IN" which comes on when there's a CD in the CD-Drive.

To Access the Bluetooth Telephony, one has to press the 'Phone' button which on the left side of the headunit......

Once pressed, one gets the 'Redial' option at the very start. A nifty feature for sure and surely one doesn't have to open the Recents and call. Keep pressing that 'Phone' button if you don't want to call the same person. Then, comes the Phonebook, Dialled Numbers, Received Number and Missed Calls options to choose from.

A closer look at the caller display. It also displays the Battery level and the network level of your Mobile Phone. The Headunit proudly screams on the Audio Inputs it can accept!

As soon as you switch the Audio Source to CD, it takes half a minute for a reboot! Phew

The Headunit switched to 'Bluetooth Audio' as the present Audio Source. The Headunit can remember upto 5-devices and can connect with only device at a time or else with Audio Source connected to a device and Bluetooth Telephony connected to another device simultaneously.

The Headunit switched to 'Aux-in' as the present Audio Source.

MID : While the Headunit and ICE was well-ahead of its time, the Multi-Information Display was dated right at the launch. It get's a small Digital Display for Odometer, Tripmeter and Distance-To-Empty (DTE) Readouts. The worst part is, this display doesn't get a display for the Fuel Efficiency and makes do with only one Tripmeter. At least another Tripmeter should've been provided. Apart from that, the MID also has error lights pertaining to various errors (if any) with no text-notification like cars in today's age have. You'll have to decode the warning lights (not a big deal for a car enthusiast!) if any of these pop-up. The warning lights do come to life with a beep and would go off with another beep as soon as the key is slotted and twisted to Ignition. The DTE readout also come up during this time for a second and disappears soon after that giving my Master an idea of how long they be ferried before feeding me .

The Multi-Information Display. That's only for namesake in this case as the Multi-Information Display doesn't have much information to show.

The Lit Instrument Cluster with all the Warning Lights lit up during the ignition.

The Tachometer which was Optimistically (or rather senselessly!) marked to 7,000 Revolutions Per Minute in a Diesel whose maximum Power Output is 68-horses! The Redline tops out at some 4,000-odd Revolutions Per Minute! Also take a look at the other lights which remain lit till my Heart comes to life!

The Speedometer and the Fuel Gauge. The Speedometer, too, is rather senselessly marked to 220-KMPH! Maybe all this was done expecting a bigger heart under-my-hood (in the form of the meaty Naturally Aspirated 1.6-Litre Petrol Heart from my lovely sista, the Fiesta!) which never materialised!

The Lit Low-Fuel Warning (was done deliberately for this pic!) and also take a look at the Display behind. If you're thinking where the Engine Temperature Gauge is?! Well, I don't get one! There's a Light to notify if I suffer from high fever! (read as very high engine temperature)

P.S : Sorry for the poor quality pictures as these were taken from a phone with no advanced camera features

[Varun_HexaGuy]

The Lesser Known Details :


The Washers for the Front Windshield are placed on the Bonnet. Mr.V would've preferred them neatly integrated on the Wiper Cowl or neatly concealed elsewhere. That's a 2-spray washer on the either side of the windshield.

The Spray is effective for most of it. They need re-alignment and a thorough cleaning as well.

The rear-seatbelt can be tucked away when not in use (like in our case!) since there's hardly anyone sitting in my rear seat. It's only the front two passengers seats occupied for 99% of the time with the Bigger Garage-Mates.

The Seatbelt Buckle gets a Rubber pad to avoid the pillar from getting scratched or hit when the Seatbelt is released. Neat!

The Ball-Joint for the IRVM is clearly visible! Not Cool, IMO!

This is what you get on the Right-Side of the Steering Column. Wondering where the Indicator stalk is?! Well, that's on the other side with the Wiper Controls placed here. A Small Ergonomic Flaw.

The stalk for Indicators is placed on the Left. They have a nifty Lane Change indication (wasn't prominent in 2010) which works like a charm. Long Press the same stalk for switching between High Beam and low Beam.

This saga of flaws continues with the Hood Opener placed on the other side inside me

Nifty Grab Handle provided for the shorter folks for helping them close my boot.

A nifty smaller Glovebox is provided for the Driver to place some oddities inside.

Trying your hands on a Heel-toe downshift or a Rev-Match? (or should I say, your feet!). One has to be cautious about the close placement of the accelerator and brake pedals. Those with larger feet (like Mr.V) will take quite sometime to get accustomed to this.

The Thumb isn't a stretch from the contour where most of them hold the steering wheel (that is, the 10'o clock and 2'o clock positions for Drives without airbags and 9'o clock and 3'o clock positions for drives with Airbags). The Hornpad is touch responsive too. One has to tap it and that effort to press the Hornpad is not required.

The Steering is also contoured for the rest of the fingers as well (not only the thumbs like in most of the cars)

This gap below the Gearshifter is hideous. Mr.V's thick fingers could go in easily. Wish Mr.V luck while he vacuums me thoroughly.

The Fuse Box is hidden behind the Passenger Glovebox.

The Glovebox gets a slot for holding the Owners Manual, cards, etc. so that the objects don't move and make a mess inside while I'm moving.

My VIN Number is placed Below the Driver Seat with a Velcro Strip covering it.

The Felt-lining above the door beading is just superb! Such Attention-to-Detail, Much Wow!

Just in case my Master or me forget to remind the Pump Attendant that my only appetite is Diesel! This is a Gentle reminder from my makers for my well-being!

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Mumblings of the Master :

While my drive has spoken a lot about himself and me, it's about time for me to speak more about this guy. This guy is the oldest member of the family with almost 8-years and 72,000 Kilometers of togetherness which by no means is a small time. We've been in a relationship since long.

Now that I go back to those days with nostalgia, let me tell you how I met this guy dressed up in white on the evening of 16th October 2010. This is still fresh in my mind and feels like he's come home just yesterday.

I was still a 9-year old, who used to get cranky at the smallest of the things. Shortlisting the right car was never an easy task in our family. There were conflicting opinions and my dad had to make sure everyone's desire was taken care of. I still remember how I spent my time researching about every car, comparing their spec sheets and dreaming about my red rascal which never made it into this real world!

After a lot of drama, we made a decision. After three-months of sleepless nights (as a child of 9!) dreaming what could be our next drive, we finally decided that Bruno a.k.a the Ford Figo in Diamond White would be our next drive!

Payment done, PDI done, now me dreaming of him parked in our porch was so satisfying to the heart. On the D-Day, we left to the dealership with my uncle in our Humble Uno which was being replaced by Bruno. Arrived at the dealership with me dressed up in a red and white, "Popeye, the sailorman" Tee, jumping around the dealership figuring out who's Bruno from 20-odd Figo's of which 8-were ZXI TDCI trims with Ebony Black Dashboard and of which all of the 8-were white! So, pretty confused, decided to narrow down based on the ribbon colours, Somehow, a White Figo with Dark Blue ribbons looked really great and I bet my life on him (not exactly!). After the Documentation was done, we were duly bought to our Bruno. It turned out to be the same guy upon whom I bet my life on! Controlling my excitement, me and brother take the keys and the assorted chocolate box (which didn't last till the temple and the box was quite huge!), dad performs a Quick Aarti, I start her up to life and soon, sit like an innocent child in the rear seat behind my dad with the seat belt on. In the meantime, me and my brother ate the chocolates with relish, gave a couple of 'em to dad and mom and we ate the rest! We drive ahead while Uncle follows us in our Uno. We reached the temple, got the Pooja done and headed back home. I spent my next day completely (minus my meal breaks and nature calls) and enjoyed her without actually driving her.

I soon grew up as Bruno grew up alongside me. It was in 2012 October, Bruno had its first dent on a runner board as dad missed a manhole in the rainwater clogged roads. I cried to myself for not so long and soon was in my Grandpa's place (200m away from my home) and couldn't control my tears seeing Bruno in pain. Then, dad came down and said it's all a part of life and ever since then I never cried (it's not that I turned thick skinned but just matured a bit and controlled my emotions) whenever Bruno Bruised up. Another couple of instances where I couldn't control my tears were when a guy landed up on Bruno's Windscreen bruising up his Bumper, headlight, fender and windscreen. Then, again later that year, another weird incident took place. Dad took Bruno along with him to his workplace in Bidar, KA and left the Italian Lady for us for over a week. Dad was going out somewhere. He parked Bruno out of our Covered Parking Lot. He then realised that he forgot his phone inside his home. Quickly parked Bruno aside, by the time he got his phone, another incident took place. A couple of horses came running through the closed gate of my Dad's Residential Defence Campus. They simple veered through the gate. Of the two horses one was physically handicapped (or probably injured) was having difficulties in running. It soon lost balance and Fell on Bruno! That left Bruno with a bruised up Windscreen and Bonnet. Dad knew I'd definitely cry upon hearing this news. So, he decided to keep it a secret but he accidentally revealed it himself! While he was sending the Insurance Agent with the pics of our Bruised-up Bruno through his mail for further proceedings), he accidentally sent a BCC of the same mail to me. I didn't know how to take it. Emotions burst and I couldn't control 'em.

In the meantime, Bruno got well, was up and running (was hardly at the Hospital for about 5-days!) serving my Elder Brother as his Faithful Steed, obeying his words, et all. Me and Tarun (Mere Bade Bhaisahab) have had our fun rides and made a hell lot of memories together. Now that, I recollect those times spent togther with my Brother and Bruno, it makes me emotional. So, Bruno has been a part of our Family for 8-Long Years! Here's to Many more years of togetherness with Bruno

Here are a few things which I like and Dislike about Bruno :

What I like :

• A typical Ford which was built keeping the Enthusiasts in mind.
• Bruno was a VFM for its time then. It took on head-to-head with the pricing of the Swift and Ritz. It managed to undercut the Fiat Punto and Hyundai i20 by a good margin.
• Bruno is solidly built and it's Built-to-last. No rattles and squeaks whatsoever from any corner inside him and he has aged really well. He remains the fill-it, shut-it, forget-it kinda drive back home.
• Go-Kart like handling, direct and precise steering which is very well-calibrated are the much appreciated points of Bruno. Bruno gets the Extra Brownie points for these!
• Came with some segment-first features such as the infotainment system with Bluetooth Streaming and telephony, etc.
• Chiller of an Air-Conditioner. Bruno gets anyone chilled to the bone within minutes!
• The interiors are a good place to be in and the overall quality of materials used inside Bruno is good (not the i20 or Polo league but better than the Punto and Vista).
• The 1.4 Duratorq TDCi drivetrain is well-proven for its drivability and tractability. No lag whatsoever. Driving Bruno in the city is effortless.

What I Don't :

• No rear power-windows when most of the competition offered these as standard.
• Neither of the engines offered outright performance and that's the only complaint. Bruno is capable of handling the bigger 1.6 Petrol from the Fiesta. Neither of the engines justify Bruno's driving dynamics!
• Looked dated at the launch itself. The design could've been better and bold but this will please all and offend none! (not much of a dislike)
• The earlier 2010-11 models missed on front foglamps, alloy wheels and tilt steering adjustment for the steering wheel (even Bruno doesn't get one!)
• The space, though was better than the direct rivals (Swift, Punto, Beat, Polo), it could've been better (Vista, i20) owing to the longest wheelbase in the segment.
• The optional dashboard colour on the interiors was an overkill (the infamous Coral Red Dashboard).
• The only issue what the Bruno's batchmates are facing is the Fuel Injectors Failure issue after the end of the warranty period. This is the only thing which has got me worried.

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Bruno . You have a bundle of surprises lying ahead today (if all goes well)!













Love,
Varun

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[sidindica]

Rated 5 stars and that's an outstanding review, almost on par with the high standards of this forum considering your age and talent, varun. Keep it up.

Soup this up with some delicious alloys, remap and you have an outstanding hatchback that goes as well as it handles with sheer precision.

[Prathiiik]

Firstly, wishing Bruno a very Happy 8th Birthday!

Excellent review of the go - kart, Varun. Rated thread a well deserved 5 stars.

Remap Bruno, delete the EGR, get a downpipe installed and change the suspension. There you go - A perfect Go - Kart.

The Figo had everything an enthusiast wanted, a precise steering and excellent handling, but lost out on the motor. This Figo with the 1.5 TDCI would be a hoot to drive

Also, Bruno doesn't look 8 years old! Neat maintenance Varun! Wishing you many more happy miles with the Figo.

[RGK]

Thank you for the wonderful write-up. Wish you many more years with Figo...

Unfortunately, I did not have a pleasant experience with my Figo (maybe one-off case). Still, there are niggles and the long-term reliability is a question mark.

Note: Big service centers like MPL Ford, Eureka Ford (Chennai) and Rajshree Ford (Opened in 1997 at Coimbatore) are closed and new players (Suryabala. Raba and Dhruvan) have come in.