PaNtHeR - My Ford Figo TDCi EXi -24K update

gr8guzzler · 25th April 2010, 14:57

Hi! Everyone, I bought my Panther Black Ford Figo TDCi Exi home on 17th March'10. With 500+ km on the odo, I wanted to share my experience with all of you.

Why the Figo?

The main factors that I was looking for in a car were
* Diesel - My daily commute is 50+ KM
* Price - 5 Lacs
* Hatchback - We are a family of 3, going to become 4 soon.
* Solid Build - My last car was 5 year old used Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi, but still felt quiet solid without any rattles.
* Fun to Drive - Again, thanks to my previous car, this was a must.
* Built in Music system, Central/Remote Locking, etc
* Should be available in Black Color

The options that I had apart from the Figo
* Fiat Grande Punto - Punto is a fantastic car and met my criteria except for the price factor and the active model which was in my budget was lacking in features.
* Maruti Swift - Did not consider it as I find it quiet common.
* Maruti Ritz - Did not consider it as I hate the looks.
* VW Polo - Way above my budget and currently not available
* Indica Vista - Did not consider as I don't like the build quality or driving experience of Tata Cars

Last year when the Figo was announced, I sort of made up my mind to go for it. The pricing announced in March was perfect and had decided to go in for it after the test drive.

The Buying Experience

I decided on the EXi model as it had everything that I was expecting as far as features is concerned and did not want to stretch myself for the Titanium.

In Navi Mumbai there is only 1 Ford dealer - Bhavna Ford, so did not have much choice as far as picking up the dealer is concerned. I had second thoughts after I read the review of Iceman and his experience of dealing with Bhavna and thought I would also approach Wasan. However, the SP at Bhavna, Swapnil Sawant was very helpful and hence did not face any issues with the overall buying process.

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Bhavna to see the there were 4 Panther Black 1.4 EXi models readily available with them in stock. I wanted to check out the color as I had not seen any black color cars in the showroom. The SP obliged and asked me to goto the stockyard and check the cars out. I went to the stockyard and choose the car that I wanted after a brief PDI and noted down the VIN number. Gave the same to the SP and made some payment to block it. I had to wait for 1 week for my bank loan to get processed. On 16th I got the balance payment from the Bank and went to Bhavna and paid them the complete amount to start the registeration process. The SP was suggesting me to pick up the car only after full registeration was complete and they were facing some issues getting cars registered in Pen RTO for folks who were living in rental accomodations. But I was adamant, I wanted to take the car as I could not wait anymore. On 17th, I was in Powai with my clients and got a call from the SP at 3PM, he was ready to deliver the car on a temp registration as my docs were OK and he felt there will be no issues with the registeration process.

It took me 3 hrs to come back home, pick up my family and goto the dealer to pick up the car. I arrived at 6PM and saw my black beauty all clean and shinny waiting for me. Met the SP, he gave me the user manuals, invoices, Temp reg doc, etc. He mentiond that the mud flaps would be given later as they were out of stock. Went down immediately and was ready to leave the place when a person gave me a brief demo of all the features and a 5 lt slip to get fuel from the nearest pump. Drove straight to the pump, got the tank filled and had a pleasant drive back home.

The Cost

Ford Figo 1.4 TDCi EXi - 4,72,900
Depo Charges - 2,000
Insurance - 13,500 (Got a 20% discount on the dealer pricelist)
RTO - 38,603
Temp Reg Charges - 1,000
Accessories - 6,168 (4.5K for the fog lamps and the rest for the essential kit)
Extended Warranty - Free (Corporate Discount)

The Car

There is a lot said about the car already on the forum so I'll stick to things I like/Dislike.

Positives
- Well proportionate design, I especially like the (mini CRVish) back design.
- All black interiors with decent plastics and upholstery used. I hate Beige or Gray interiors.
- Fantastic diesel engine with almost no turbo lag
- Spacious interiors and the fantastic boot
- Big car like ride quality and fantastic driveability
- Tacho available, even though it's a EXi model
- Sound Quality of the OEM music system
- Small things like Vanity mirror, small storage bin below the steering for my Ciggis, boot opening capability on the remote, electric boot open right on the dashboard, air vents design.

Negatives
- Ride quality especially at low speeds is very bumpy. Thought it might be for the Tyre pressure, but even at 30PSI, it is quiet bumpy at low speeds especially on concrete roads
- Rear power windows absent. usually not a problem, but sometimes my 6 yr old son plays with the lever and I have to stop to close them again
- Accessing the toggle switch on the speedo while driving is quiet a challenge
- Bonet release switch is on the passenger side

Finally some pics of my Panther...

joe1980 · 25th April 2010, 15:10

The car looks awesome. Congrats on your new purchase.

How do you find the ride with your Figo?? Did you try driving on a highway already?

gr8guzzler · 25th April 2010, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe1980

How do you find the ride with your Figo?? Did you try driving on a highway already?

Thanks Joe. Have not got a chance yet to drive it on a highway; the ride is pretty good except on slow speeds on concrete roads.

aditya116 · 25th April 2010, 15:23

Quote:

The options that I had apart from the Figo
* Fiat Grande Punto - Punto is a fantastic car and met my criteria except for the price factor and the active model which was in my budget was lacking in features.
* Maruti Swift - Did not consider it as I find it quiet common.
* Maruti Ritz - Did not consider it as I hate the looks.
* VW Polo - Way above my budget and currently not available
* Indica Vista - Did not consider as I don't like the build quality or driving experience of Tata Cars

your criteria were almost identical to mine!got a punto in the end.
congrats on the car.as for the ride get higher profile tyres and well cushioned seat covers.

gr8guzzler · 25th April 2010, 15:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditya116

congrats on the car.as for the ride get higher profile tyres and well cushioned seat covers.

Thanks! Aditya and congrats for your Punto too. I am not planning to go for higher profile tyres right now due to the warranty issue. The GT3's shod on the Figo are fine for my needs right now. I actually like the look and feel of the seat covers provided by Ford, hence postponed the plan to upgrade to art leather seats covers.

vikram.vns · 25th April 2010, 16:39

Congrats on your purchase. Figo looks awesome in Black.

Does the Fog lamp kit consist of Rear Fog lamps or is it only for the front?

arun1100 · 25th April 2010, 16:49

Congrats Buddy on the Figo. Black Figo is rocking!

Figo and Punto are the best hatches these days.

raghu230506 · 25th April 2010, 17:02

Great looking car.

Enjoy the ride and drive safe.

Cheers

gaurav911 · 25th April 2010, 20:03

Congrats. That's a beautiful machine. You have got yourself the best diesel hatch available today !

gr8guzzler · 25th April 2010, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikram.vns

Congrats on your purchase. Figo looks awesome in Black.

Does the Fog lamp kit consist of Rear Fog lamps or is it only for the front?

Thanks! Vikram. Nope only the front.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arun1100

Congrats Buddy on the Figo. Black Figo is rocking!

Figo and Punto are the best hatches these days.

Thanks! Arun

Quote:

Originally Posted by raghu230506

Great looking car.

Enjoy the ride and drive safe.

Cheers

Thanks! Raghu

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaurav911

Congrats. That's a beautiful machine. You have got yourself the best diesel hatch available today !

Thanks! Gaurav

gemithomas · 25th April 2010, 21:02

Oh! My god! Did you park your car in the middle of some highway to get those pics.

Fantastic Clicks.

I suggest you get those chrome lines for the front and rear. It should look great on black.

How are the fog lamps. I somehow get a feeling that the left side one is angled towards the right and the right one is angled towards the left. Is it just a feeling or does the light focus like that. Wanted to know if its worth those 4-5K's they are asking.

arun1100 · 25th April 2010, 21:05

Kishore: Just wanted to know what are those designs on the road where your Figo is parked. Is it Rangoli?

RGK · 25th April 2010, 21:24

@gr8guzzler - Car is fantastic. I have booked the same spec/color. Looks excellent. As Gemi says - chrom grill will give an excellent look.
- what are the stock tires
- how is a/c performance
- is it Panvel highway from Navimumbai
- Do you get the chrome finish on the ring of the headlights for EXi. I feel black finish for EXI models

benbsb29 · 25th April 2010, 22:59

Congrats on your new car, Kishore. A repeat customer for a manufacturer is reason enough to be proud of.

ramie2400 · 25th April 2010, 23:33

great great Guzzlu Bhaiya thats a sweet ride there hearty congratulations "Muah Muah"

25th April 2010, 14:57	#1
gr8guzzler BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 653 Thanked: 87 Times View My Garage	PaNtHeR - My Ford Figo TDCi EXi -24K update Hi! Everyone, I bought my Panther Black Ford Figo TDCi Exi home on 17th March'10. With 500+ km on the odo, I wanted to share my experience with all of you. Why the Figo? The main factors that I was looking for in a car were * Diesel - My daily commute is 50+ KM * Price - 5 Lacs * Hatchback - We are a family of 3, going to become 4 soon. * Solid Build - My last car was 5 year old used Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi, but still felt quiet solid without any rattles. * Fun to Drive - Again, thanks to my previous car, this was a must. * Built in Music system, Central/Remote Locking, etc * Should be available in Black Color The options that I had apart from the Figo * Fiat Grande Punto - Punto is a fantastic car and met my criteria except for the price factor and the active model which was in my budget was lacking in features. * Maruti Swift - Did not consider it as I find it quiet common. * Maruti Ritz - Did not consider it as I hate the looks. * VW Polo - Way above my budget and currently not available * Indica Vista - Did not consider as I don't like the build quality or driving experience of Tata Cars Last year when the Figo was announced, I sort of made up my mind to go for it. The pricing announced in March was perfect and had decided to go in for it after the test drive. The Buying Experience I decided on the EXi model as it had everything that I was expecting as far as features is concerned and did not want to stretch myself for the Titanium. In Navi Mumbai there is only 1 Ford dealer - Bhavna Ford, so did not have much choice as far as picking up the dealer is concerned. I had second thoughts after I read the review of Iceman and his experience of dealing with Bhavna and thought I would also approach Wasan. However, the SP at Bhavna, Swapnil Sawant was very helpful and hence did not face any issues with the overall buying process. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Bhavna to see the there were 4 Panther Black 1.4 EXi models readily available with them in stock. I wanted to check out the color as I had not seen any black color cars in the showroom. The SP obliged and asked me to goto the stockyard and check the cars out. I went to the stockyard and choose the car that I wanted after a brief PDI and noted down the VIN number. Gave the same to the SP and made some payment to block it. I had to wait for 1 week for my bank loan to get processed. On 16th I got the balance payment from the Bank and went to Bhavna and paid them the complete amount to start the registeration process. The SP was suggesting me to pick up the car only after full registeration was complete and they were facing some issues getting cars registered in Pen RTO for folks who were living in rental accomodations. But I was adamant, I wanted to take the car as I could not wait anymore. On 17th, I was in Powai with my clients and got a call from the SP at 3PM, he was ready to deliver the car on a temp registration as my docs were OK and he felt there will be no issues with the registeration process. It took me 3 hrs to come back home, pick up my family and goto the dealer to pick up the car. I arrived at 6PM and saw my black beauty all clean and shinny waiting for me. Met the SP, he gave me the user manuals, invoices, Temp reg doc, etc. He mentiond that the mud flaps would be given later as they were out of stock. Went down immediately and was ready to leave the place when a person gave me a brief demo of all the features and a 5 lt slip to get fuel from the nearest pump. Drove straight to the pump, got the tank filled and had a pleasant drive back home. The Cost Ford Figo 1.4 TDCi EXi - 4,72,900 Depo Charges - 2,000 Insurance - 13,500 (Got a 20% discount on the dealer pricelist) RTO - 38,603 Temp Reg Charges - 1,000 Accessories - 6,168 (4.5K for the fog lamps and the rest for the essential kit) Extended Warranty - Free (Corporate Discount) The Car There is a lot said about the car already on the forum so I'll stick to things I like/Dislike. Positives - Well proportionate design, I especially like the (mini CRVish) back design. - All black interiors with decent plastics and upholstery used. I hate Beige or Gray interiors. - Fantastic diesel engine with almost no turbo lag - Spacious interiors and the fantastic boot - Big car like ride quality and fantastic driveability - Tacho available, even though it's a EXi model - Sound Quality of the OEM music system - Small things like Vanity mirror, small storage bin below the steering for my Ciggis, boot opening capability on the remote, electric boot open right on the dashboard, air vents design. Negatives - Ride quality especially at low speeds is very bumpy. Thought it might be for the Tyre pressure, but even at 30PSI, it is quiet bumpy at low speeds especially on concrete roads - Rear power windows absent. usually not a problem, but sometimes my 6 yr old son plays with the lever and I have to stop to close them again - Accessing the toggle switch on the speedo while driving is quiet a challenge - Bonet release switch is on the passenger side Finally some pics of my Panther... Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 15:10	#2
joe1980 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Andromeda Posts: 336 Thanked: 155 Times	The car looks awesome. Congrats on your new purchase. How do you find the ride with your Figo?? Did you try driving on a highway already?
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 16:39	#6
vikram.vns BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 89 Thanked: 8 Times	Congrats on your purchase. Figo looks awesome in Black. Does the Fog lamp kit consist of Rear Fog lamps or is it only for the front? Last edited by vikram.vns : 25th April 2010 at 16:42.
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 16:49	#7
arun1100 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,087 Thanked: 5,577 Times View My Garage	Congrats Buddy on the Figo. Black Figo is rocking! Figo and Punto are the best hatches these days.
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 17:02	#8
raghu230506 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 766 Thanked: 63 Times View My Garage	Great looking car. Enjoy the ride and drive safe. Cheers
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 20:03	#9
gaurav911 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Earth Posts: 129 Thanked: 68 Times	Congrats. That's a beautiful machine. You have got yourself the best diesel hatch available today !
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 21:02	#11
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Oh! My god! Did you park your car in the middle of some highway to get those pics. Fantastic Clicks. I suggest you get those chrome lines for the front and rear. It should look great on black. How are the fog lamps. I somehow get a feeling that the left side one is angled towards the right and the right one is angled towards the left. Is it just a feeling or does the light focus like that. Wanted to know if its worth those 4-5K's they are asking. Last edited by gemithomas : 25th April 2010 at 21:04.
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 21:05	#12
arun1100 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,087 Thanked: 5,577 Times View My Garage	Kishore: Just wanted to know what are those designs on the road where your Figo is parked. Is it Rangoli?
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 21:24	#13
RGK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: DPM and CHN Posts: 1,822 Thanked: 1,139 Times	@gr8guzzler - Car is fantastic. I have booked the same spec/color. Looks excellent. As Gemi says - chrom grill will give an excellent look. - what are the stock tires - how is a/c performance - is it Panvel highway from Navimumbai - Do you get the chrome finish on the ring of the headlights for EXi. I feel black finish for EXI models
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 22:59	#14
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,968 Thanked: 13,222 Times View My Garage	Congrats on your new car, Kishore. A repeat customer for a manufacturer is reason enough to be proud of.
	() Thanks

25th April 2010, 23:33	#15
ramie2400 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,903 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	great great Guzzlu Bhaiya thats a sweet ride there hearty congratulations "Muah Muah"
	() Thanks