[DevilsCry]

This is an ownership review of my Ford Figo 1.2L LXi (petrol) bought in Sept'11. The odometer as of now reads 3,200 km. In one line, my review is "Value for money with no compromise!".







Figo is based on Ford Fiesta Mark V (2002-2008) which you can see below.



The Fiesta sedan we've in India is on based Ford Fiesta Mark VI (2008-Present).




Figo is sold in another countries as well. Below is an example of Figo sold in Brazil.



Thank God that this version doesn't sell in India. This one Figo, IMO, looks very ugly.




Exterior and looks

• Figo has neutral looks with a low stance. See its rear and you will realize that its height is even lower than you imagine it to be.
• Combined with mature and practical looks of 2002 Fiesta, the kinetic design lends Figo a modern but conservative design.
• Main area of attraction is the roof-line tapering low towards rear.
• Side windows are quite large which is a sharp (and practical) contrast to most cars today.

How does interior look like in an LXi model?


ZXi and Titanium version have coral red dash which might look ugly to most Indians but they reflect less on windscreen than black dashboard.




No fancy aluminium finish anywhere in LXi model.


There are no power windows on rear windows (even on Titanium mode). they also don't roll down more than 60%.




Useful Figo threads on T-BHP

(Not all threads are listed here. If your thread is not here, please don't feel bad or take offense.)

1. A petrol Figo with aftermarket air-filter, CAI and few other mods to enhance performance - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...igo-1-2-a.html

2. Bible of a diesel Figo. All issues and their solutions listed - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ms-update.html

3. Bible for tuning a diesel Figo for performance + mileage - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ford-figo.html

4. Official review and general place of discussion - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...-pictures.html

The above threads supply complete information about Ford Figo (petrol or diesel). Here I'm attempting to summarize Ford Figo petrol in Layman's language for the benefit of non-petrolheads and petrolheads equally. I would be glad if my summary helped anyone even a tiniest bit.





Running economy for a petrol Figo

This is one big question people ask about a petrol Figo. It doesn't matter if you drive sedately or aggressively, mileage hardly changes in Figo. Only you should learn to drive in correct RPM and gear.

• City usage with AC - 12kpl
• Highway - untested

Running cost of petrol Figo compared with class leaders (Ritz and Swift petrols)

Assuming the following data-

• Ritz mileage in city with AC = 13kpl
• Swift mileage in city with AC = 14kpl

Average price difference between Figo and Ritz = 50k
Average price difference between Figo and Swift = 1 lac

If driven for 1 lac km in Ritz, you can reclaim 50k price difference over Figo.
If driven for 1 lac km in Swift, you can reclaim 1 lac price difference over Figo.

Conclusion - Figo's running economy is equal to Swift and Ritz in city usage with AC. Honestly, the price difference between petrol and diesel Figo is so less (as of during Feb'12) that I would suggest most people to go for a diesel Figo instead of petrol one. For mileage conscious people, a diesel Figo or a diesel Chevy Beat makes most sense.


Q. What about comparison with Honda's?
A. See the following points-

• Honda Brio has yet to prove its mileage as of time of writing this post.
• Honda Jazz owners please report actual mileage by full tank method and not by looking at instant FE meter on their dashboard then I will consider their figures.

Figo: You say Honda's have better mileage? Come on! True only when sedately driven. Let's have a red-light sprint and then see if Honda's can still deliver their class-leading mileage.
CBR 250R: (raising hand) Ahem. I'm a Honda. And, I would like to have a sprint with Figo and test mileage.
Figo: ...





Tip for maximum mileage + performance

According to papers, Ford Figo outputs maximum torque at 4,000 RPM. In real life, 2,400 RPM outputs 90% of torque. There's no need to accelerate beyond 2,700 RPM. You will gain nothing but only noise inside cabin and mileage might also decrease.

Ideal RPM for most of time is 1,800 - 2,200 RPM. At this range, Figo outputs maximum torque which gives you best performance and mileage both in one place. If driven correctly, Figo will easily jump start a more powerful car like Swift or i10 while delivering best mileage.




Optimal gear ratio for best performance and mileage

Applies both to petrol and diesel Figo. The manual shows incorrect figures which results not only in low performance & mileage but also in straining of the engine (indicated by shuddering of engine and noise filtering into cabin).

• 1st gear: 0-18km/h
• 2nd gear: 18-36km/h
• 3rd gear: 36-54km/h
• 4th gear: 54-72km/h
• 5th gear: 72+km/h

Battery down? Start by pushing wouldn't work | Ford Roadside Assistance experience

Once my Figo's battery got depleted when its daylight and tail-lights were mistakenly left running all day. Even after pushing so much, it would not start. It puzzled me since my old Esteem always started on pushing. Upon phoning the roadside assistance, a guy arrives on a motorcycle within half an hour, charges up the battery and I'm good to go. No charges taken.

Experience - satisfactory




Steering response

At first, I found Figo's steering to be quite ordinary since I'm used to my 1995 Maruti Esteem's non-power steering. For those who are not familiar with Esteem's characteristics, Esteem has brilliant steering mechanism & handling at all speeds. It was only after driving others cars (don't want to name such cars), I realized how Figo is the only car whose steering I can appreciate under budget of 6 lac.

• Figo has hydraulic power steering which feels quite balanced (has enough weight) and responsive at all speeds.
• The steering wheel inspires high confidence at speed above 120kph.
• Optimal speed to enjoy the steering is 80-90kph. People are advised to exercise caution while playing with steering at such a speed.
• At crawling speed, steering wheel feels a bit heavy. People who are used to electronic steering may not like it.
• Those who love Figo's steering wheel at higher speed will not mind the bit heaviness at crawling speed.
• After getting used to Figo's steering, electronic steering in other cars feels lifeless and devoid of any preciseness. Driving them instills a bit of fear and uneasiness on crossing 30kph.

Summary - Excellent. The steering response in Figo alone made me Ford's fan.




Handling and body roll

• As speed increases, Figo seems even more stable and planted on the road.
• Optimal speed for fun with handling is 80-90kph. Please don't try it in a dangerous manner.
• Low center of gravity and excellent steering control gives you effortless, confident and tireless driving at high speed.
• At low speed, there's a bit of body roll. Its body is not as well contained as Esteem's.
• At high speed, body roll is simply absent (due to air friction increasing car's effective weight).
• You can control the body roll at low speed with practice.

Conclusion - excellent handling and good body roll control.




Ride quality

• This is one sore area which makes me miss my Esteem badly.
• Suspension is a bit stiffer than optimal. My reference for optimal suspension is Toyota Etios (which has got amazingly soft suspension and yet has minimal body roll).
• You will feel bumpiness of road and texture of hard roads (like cement roads) due to stiff suspension. Not very pleasant experience but can be accepted.
• Over good tarmac roads, Figo's ride quality is good (but then so also are most other cars).
• Do not jump over speed breakers or rear passengers will be thrown off their seats.
• If you jump over a speed breaker, the rear suspension gives a 'thud' sound as if something has broken off.
• Ride quality over broken roads is really bad. Rear passengers get thrown around in their seats.

Conclusion - Ride quality is poor. Better alternatives are Toyota Liva and Hyundai i20. I recommend Toyota Liva to those who look for brilliant space, sheer comfort and excellent ride quality. Figo is behind Liva in this area.




Effectiveness of AC

• Excellent! Excellent! I'm all praise for Figo's stunning AC.
• Even if outside temperature is 45C, Figo's AC will cool you down in 20 sec flat!
• No climate control.
• Keep fan speed at 1 or 2 only. Any speed above it sounds like a mini tornado.

Conclusion - Quick cooling and brilliant AC.




Performance under AC load

• Yes, there's drop in performance under AC load but AC is so fantastic that you would not mind it.
• There is distinct drop in power when AC is turned on. You need to press a bit more throttle.
• When you release throttle, Figo drags as if being braked. Not a very pleasant experience.
• Under heavy load and on steep inclination, it can climb with AC but you better turn AC off to avoid straining the engine.

Conclusion - Not good but acceptable.




Practical bright reverse lights



Figo's reverse lights need a special mention. They are brighter than usual reverse lights. The extra brightness makes it easy to park it in dark.




Dangerous sharp edges for rear passengers

Please wear shoes while sitting in rear of Figo. The edges shown encircled are sharp. They might cut your feet.

Opposite indicator stalks

When someone drives my Figo, the first thing I tell him is that its indicator stalk is on opposite side (at least three times) and yet he pulls the wrong stalker, initiating wiper. It pains me to see dry wiper grinding across windscreen. Why Ford? Why?

Squeaky and audible suspension

• This is one thing you will have to live with if you have a Figo.
• If you start Figo after a few days of being idle, its suspension will sqeak for first 200 meters. After this, squeakiness is gone.
• On bad roads, suspension is audible. It's not quite as silent as one would like it to be.

Conclusion - Suspension should not be audible but can be accepted.




Ground clearance problem?

No ground clearance problem observed in my case. My Figo hit its belly only during my experiments with a wooden block. In real life, I never hit Figo's underbelly. I believe that this was a problem in older Figo which somehow has been fixed in newer Figo's.




Brakes performance

• My reference for best brakes is Suzuki SX4. Compared to it, Figo's brakes don't seem very inspiring but nonetheless the effectiveness is same as SX4.
• Unlike most of cars, you've to slam a bit hard if you want to brake hard. It's not progressive, for example, like an i20.
• It's greatly suggested that you buy Titanium version to avail the cheapest car in India to come with ABS + EBD (Chevy Beat could be cheaper, I don't know).

High paint quality, good body shell strength and soft bumpers

• A tempo hits and grinds through the side of my Figo. Used to my Esteem, I come out expecting entire side to be ripped of paint, dented and mutilated badly. But no! It's not a Japanese car. Figo suffered much less damage than expected.
• Oh yes, could be luck also. Unless you consider this incident too. At a tight parking spot, a Toyota Corolla's side rubs through my Figo's side. No sign of damage on my Figo. Corolla suffers damage to paint on touched areas. No, I didn't take pics. I simply assumed that the owner of Corolla would not be happy to see me taking pics of his Corolla taking damage from a puny Figo which costs one third of his car.
• Figo's soft bumpers are actually a plus point rather than being negative. Look up this forum, many Figo owners will tell you how the soft bumpers prevented any damage (even to paint) on being hit by another car.
• In my case, there was one such incident when I hit a low wall. It pushed the bumper inside. I reversed, bumpers came out back as if nothing happened.

Best safety at budget - ABS + EBD and SRS airbags for both front

• Don't compromise with your life. I recommend that you guys buy the Titanium version so as to avail the safety features which can save your life in case of an accident. ABS + EBD may even prevent an accident. Don't ignore Titanium version and settle for ZXi!
• In my case, I had a budget of only 3 lac which I somehow managed to stretch to 4 lac to get Figo which is the safest car in budget of 4 lac (along with Chevy Beat). For price of 4 lac, one might buy an Eon Sportz which comes with driver side airbag. But IMO Figo LXi without any safety feature is a safer car than an Eon with driver side airbag.

Driving experience

One should note that Figo is not a typical Maruti or Hyundai. It drives very different from them. Some points are-

• Gear ratios are quite different from other cars. Mine is listed below under the next heading.
• While most cars can tolerate wrong gear and RPM, Figo's engine groans under strain, acceleration drops drastically along with poor mileage delivery if driven in wrong gear and RPM.
• If there's a light vibration from engine, you've been told that gear or RPM isn't correct.
• Figo is not ideal for a newbie driver/learner.
• It takes even an experienced driver some time to figure out Figo's correct gear ratios and drive properly.
• Once you have figured out correct gear ratio and RPM range, you're ready to show powerful cars like Swift and i10 some dust at red-light sprints.
• Once experienced, Figo is quite fun to drive mainly due to good low-end torque and hydraulic steering.

2nd gear navigation in traffic

Figo's 2nd gear is a boon in bumper-to-bumper traffic. You don't need the following-

• Accelerator
• 1st gear unless you are fully stationary.

Other points-

• You can even drive without 1st gear (and use only 2nd gear) in bumper-to-bumper traffic if you use accelerator (like you would use 1st gear with accelerator in other cars).
• Even without pressing throttle, speed in 2nd gear reaches to 15kph.
• If you brake in 2nd gear and bring speed to below 15kph, it will increase back to 15kpl after you have released brakes.

Conclusion - Figo is probably the most city friendly car in its segment.




Getting bored midway my lengthy review? Here's a teaser#1 of what you're about to see ahead.





Diagnostic mode

• Put key in position one so that tripmeter screen lights up.
• Press the stalk below tripmeter screen.
• While the stalk is still pressed, turn key to position two so that more lights come up in dashboard.
• Release the stalk when the system has entered diagnostic mode. The reading on tripmeter changes when you have entered diagnostic mode.
• You can get readings like tachometer (even on models without a tachometer), battery voltage, engine temperature etc. I have yet to decipher more readings.
• If you've a model which doesn't have tachometer. You can use diagnostic mode to get a tachometer, observe and improve your driving style for max performance and mileage. Be careful while doing this. You may crash if paying more attention to tachometer than to the road.

Stalling problem in diesel Figo's

• I've often read about engine stalling in diesel Figo. Make sure that you're ready for it if you're going to buy a diesel Figo.
• No such a problem in petrol Figo's.

Interiors: Space and comfort

• Quality of plastics in interiors is not very good. Most of hatchbacks in its class have better interiors. People say that Toyota Liva has the worst interior plastic quality. I disagree. I find Figo's to be worse than Liva's.
• Space? Yes, there are plenty of space for 5 people of average height.
• For 5 six-footer people, rear is a bit cramped. Better pick i20, Liva or a Vista if you are a family of tall people (not sure about new Dzire, never sat in one).
• Headroom at rear is a bit low due to tapering roof. I don't know which car apart from Liva has better headroom has rear.
• Bottle holders are pathetic. They are small and cut your hands if you put bottles in them.
• Some people might find rear windows to be deal-breaker. Manually operated and they lower to like only 50%.
• No head rest for rear seats. Very bad! Not only it's a safety problem but people might feel tired on long journeys too.
• Thigh and lumbar support is poor. Rear seats are a bit too straight-up. Should be more inclined.
• Seat foams are quite hard and can be painful on long journeys. A bit softer would have helped.
• Even when I'm used to my low-slung Esteem, I find getting in and out of Figo a challenge. Exercises needed!

Engine, driveability and performance

• It's a superb car to drive in city. In bumper to bumper traffic, you don't need to use accelerator in the 1st and 2nd gear. There's no jerk or stalling if you do this. One would wonder why consider automatic when Figo is so easy to drive in city.
• There's simply no engine vibration inside cabin. And if there's, you are driving wrong and are straining the engine.
• At high speed, engine and tyre noise filters through cabin but is surprisingly tolerable. At heavy traffic, you come to appreciate how much silence you get inside the cabin with glass all shut.
• Gear-shift is quite smooth and precise. But you need to observe when it's right time to shift gears and at which RPM. If you do it correctly, Figo rewards you with buttery smooth shift. You can't help but feel happy every time you did a smoother shift than a previous wrong one. You're told it's time to upshift when engine noise becomes conscious to mind. If there's a bit vibration from engine, you need to downshift.
• Visibility is simply superb not only for driver but also for every passenger. Driver is blinded a bit only by right A-pillar. Rear visibility is also excellent and is helped by very bright reverse lights during nights.
• Only if I had left wing mirror, I would have absolutely no blind spot at rear. I'll get it fit on visiting F.A.S.S. next time.
• Steering is so amazing that you dream of driving at curvy roads instead of just straight and fast roads.
• Even on non-ABS version, Figo's brakes are simply awesome (in league of Suzuki SX4).
• While performance is excellent at low end, after 2nd gear, you're in for a quite average performance. It's for enthusiastic drivers only till 90kph.
• Want a highway sprinter? Go for a diesel Figo + race chip, Swift or a 1.6L hatchback.

I heard that teaster#1 didn't generate much interest. Let me bring up teaser#2.





Which color for you?

• Most neutral color of them all is Diamond white. If you can't decide any color, just pick white!
• If you live in or drive to posh areas and need to have a flashy car to compete with premium cars like i20s, BMWs and Porsches, pick a Panther Black Figo Titanium (which already comes with flashy alloys). Keep it super clean and it'll look enough not to embarrass you at posh areas. But be warned, black color is a nightmare to maintain.
• If you need the color which is least troublesome to maintain, pick Moondust Silver.

Tyre upgrade?

• Just no! Figo's stock tyre size is simply perfect. Any wider or bigger and you will mess up performance, comfort and mileage.
• Stock MRF tyres suit Indian conditions the most. Most durable, resistant to damage and long-lasting.
• If you want softer and quieter tyres, pick an international brand. Yokohama is an example. Remember to pick of same size.

Other points

• Good to have fuel lid opener lever under driver's seat even on LXi model. In my Esteem, I always had to give my key to petrol pump guys which was annoying.
• Boot can't be opened by driver on LXi model. At mall parking, it is embarrassing when security guards wonder why I'm not opening the boot when I'm frantically waving my key out of driver's window.
• Cabin light is a bit weak. Not sufficient. There's no light for rear passengers. No boot light on LXi model.
• Don't ever forget that indicator stalk is on opposite side. Or be ready to experience the agony of seeing dry wipers grinding across your windscreen.

Wish list

• 5 extra BHP for performance at mid range RPM.
• 1kpl more mileage.
• Softer suspension.
• Reclining rear seats along with head rest.

Only above 4 points and Figo would be unbeatable contender in its segment.

[DevilsCry]

Example F.A.S.S. experience: Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar, New Delhi.

• This is where I bought my Figo. I bought from there since they offered most discount of all Ford dealers in Delhi. I see that all T-BHPians also bought from there for same reason.
• They are very hard-headed and need to be dealt sternly. For example, they delivered me a Figo with a scratch on its windscreen. They would not admit the presence of scratch. Dad dealt strictly with them, making them admit presence of scratch on windscreen.
• Complained at Ford customer about them. Action was prompt. They promised me to change windscreen for free during first service.
• First service comes, they refuse to change windscreen for free. Dad had very hard talks with them. Still we compromised that windscreen will changed but cost will be borne by my insurance and rest will be payable by them. Not good! I lost my "no claim bonus". The job was supposed to cost 8k rupees.
• Though the replaced windscreen seems good. They gifted a few damages which can be seen in pics below.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Now you should have an idea on how F.A.S.S. is like. While Ford is making quite an effort to improve their service and in bringing down costs, the quality of service still depends on individual F.A.S.S. Make sure to pick a good one.
• Not that I would not recommend Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar. I still recommend it since they give most discounts. But make sure that you're prepared to deal with them and win, in case a problem arises.

Summary of a Figo petrol

Authorized Service Center : 7

• Even the best F.A.S.S. is still not a Maruti A.S.S. This alone takes out 1 point. Sorry if I'm being a Maruti fanboy. Can't help it, Maruti runs in my veins. Figo is slowly draining Maruti blood out of my veins, replacing it with blue Ford blood. Till then -1 point stays here.
• 1 point taken away since they are quite steely when it comes to warranty. Even fitting aftermarket alloys of same specs can get warranty void.
• 1 further point taken out because they don't easily admit problems and responsibility. One has to act quite stern with them to make them accept an issue.

Parts Availability : 10
Not much experience except for one instance in which I had my Figo's windscreen replaced and availed the car the next day.

Follow Up by Ford : 10
Got a problem with your dealer or F.A.S.S.? Just complain at the company's customer line and your issues are neatly & quickly sorted out.

Engine : 8
While petrol Figo is superb to drive within city, I would like it if it had more power for highway sprints and also had 1kpl extra mileage.

Suspension : 7
Handling is superb but suspension could have been softer for more comfort and sound dampening. Over poor roads, it is simply horrible. The thud sound on jumping over a speedbreaker makes you think that you damaged the suspension.

Steering : 10
Ford's hydraulic steering. Enough said.

Ground Clearance : 9
Unlike older Figo's, I never got problem of rubbing my car's belly. May be Figo was updated to solve ground clearance problem. I'll never know. Newer customers of Figo also don't complain about ground clearance.

Headlights : 7
Average headlamps. Sufficient for night highway driving. Poor when other cars are using full-beam. Compiling from owners on the forum, I see that only older owners complain about headlights. Good to see that this issue has been fixed.

NVH levels : 7

• The silence inside cabin is just perfect. While you are spared from annoying traffic noise, important noise like a bus' engine, emergency siren and horns get inside cabin (in not so annoying manner).
• As long as you don't hear engine's sound, you are driving right. If you hear engine's sound, either you are driving wrong or there's a problem with the engine. So perfect.
• Same point applies on vibration as above.
• There's harshness when riding over broken roads or over hard roads (like cemented road).
• Keep your tyre pressure perfect. A bit more and your Figo will be harsh to ride. A bit below and your mileage will drop.

Build quality : 8
Interior plastics are cheap and horrible. Otherwise, it's a very solid car. Japanese car owners will notice a difference. European car owners will not.

Overall : 8
A VFM (value for money) complete package of a car. No single point which can be its downfall.

(Thanks to gemithomas for the template of this summary)




Is Figo for you?


(Some T-BHPians will recognize whose Figo is it. Hint: 89 BHP.)

You see Figo scores a minimum rating of 7 in any field. Figo is like that. Not a single point which can be its downfall. Like Toyota's, Figo is made to tick all points in your checklist.

Let's see what do you need. Is Figo for you?

• Need best mileage? Figo vs Beat.
• Enthusiastic driver? Need a hot hatch? Figo diesel with race chip vs Polo/Fabia 1.6 vs Punto 1.6.
• Need loads of space and comfort? Figo vs Liva vs i20 vs Vista.
• Need best driveability in city? Figo vs umm, dunno. An automatic hatch, perhaps?
• Need best safety package at budget? Figo vs Beat.

Figo is not for you when-

• You're a newbie driver/learner.
• Performance at speed above 90kph (unless you go for diesel + race chip).
• You're used to/want Maruti's reliability, hassle-free ownership, strong resale value and low cost of ownership and accidental repairs. Ford is still a gray area in this point.

[DevilsCry]

Driver's car: Figo vs A-Star shootout!

We've seen comparisons with Figo like-

• Figo vs Swift,
• Figo vs Polo,
• Figo vs Beat and
• Figo vs i20 etc.

But I don't see Figo vs A-Star anywhere. A friend of mine happens to own an A-Star.






From a driver's perspective, let's take a Figo vs A-Star shootout!






Handling

• Figo might have Ford's legendary DNA in handling but A-Star is ultra lightweight and has a quite nimble electronic steering. Along with smaller turning radius (4.5m vs 4.9m), A-Star simply defeats Figo at handling tight spots.
• At high speed, A-Star feels scary due to lightweight body and light steering. Figo clearly outclasses A-Star in high speed handling.

Verdict - Figo > A-Star




Engine performance

• Figo has good low end torque, making it excellent to launch from rest. Good for red light sprints.
• At mid RPM, Figo's heavy weight drags it down making it boring at higher speeds.
• Due to mileage tuned state, the K10 engine has a bit weak torque at low end.
• At middle-range, the K10 delivers out 90Nm of torque which is enough for a light car like A-Star. It rips apart the tarmac when accelerated to 3,500 RPM and is sheer fun to drive.

Verdict - A-Star > Figo




Brakes performance

• I've no idea how A-Star's brakes are. One thing is for sure. They are very confidence inspiring.
• Figo's brakes are not quite confidence inspiring but they are very effective enough. One often wonders if ABS is really needed since they don't ever seem to lock up (Don't test brake locking yourself. ABS + EBS is still strongly recommended).

Overall feel

• Due to light weightiness and agile steering, A-Star feels quite fun to drive around in city but scary at highway.
• Due to heavy weight and hydraulic steering, Figo feels heavy to drive around in city even with good low end torque. One wishes for a lighter Figo, like the A-Star.
• At highway, Figo could have released all horses to be sheer fun to drive but gets let down by ordinary engine. One wonders why Ford would not release a 1.6L Figo (or an EcoBoost'ed Figo).

Verdict - A-Star = Figo




The End

[Technocrat]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Review section. Thanks for sharing!

[rajeev k]

Fine exhaustive report covering all finer aspects of the 3K4M ownership experience and a brief history of the Figo. Comparo with AStar perhaps the first as you said is informative too.
Wishing many more happy smiling miles.

[ghodlur]

@devilscry,

Fantastic writing. Your one line summary holds perfectly for the Figo. Having driven my friends Figo (Diesel) I can firmly say that Figo is VFM buy. Nice pics too. However I disagree with you about the ride quality, I felt it to be far better than the other hatchbacks when we (me and my friend) were test driving them.
Although Figo cant be compared with the A Star but the details were good enough.

Many more happy mile crunching and drive safely.

[akshay380]

Good one Devil. I too disagree with ride quality thing. I have some awesome roads (remember the video?) as well as some very crappy roads in my village. I found it much better than a i10/Swift/WagonR, specially when you take these roads at 40-45kmh speeds. At low speeds yeah it hurts.
regarding Figo not for new drivers. I didnt quite get it. I am a new driver, my driver is a new driver still we did not have any issues.
Have a pleasant ownership experience.

[Torquedo]

Woo Hoo !!!! A very comprehensive report on the Figo Lxi.

Rated a well deserved 5 Star's.

While your Figo reads - DL 4 C AF 8982, my Dad's reads - DL 4 C AF 8085.

We also have a White Lxi, I requested the dealer for wheels covers and he gave them as a freebee, would request that you get them for your Lxi.

My findings on the Lxi which has been driven 17,000 Kms since April 11 -

1) The AC saps a lot of power from the engine, with the AC ON the car is seriously underpowered.

2) The Low End Torque is nowhere close to the Santro, overtaking needs a downshift and proper planning.

3) The engine likes to be revved.

4) The suspensions are not as good as on the Swift.

5) Brakes are appalling !! The brakes on the Figo are good for nothing, crappy when compared to the Koreans or the Japs.

6) Ride and build quality is better than the Japs.

7) I sorely miss the Tacho on the Lxi.

8) Rear space is better than the Swift/Santro.

9) AC is an absolute chiller, no hatchback comes close to the cooling of the Figo, it's the biggest @ 1.5T.

10) My 1st two services (2.5K and 10K) have costed me INR 1200 each, thanks to the oil change, so all in all I would have spent 2400 till I reach the 20K mark, decent I feel, my 20K service on my Swify Vxi costed me 6.2K.

11) The gear shift is nowhere close to the box on the Swift, it has a long throw and not as slick as the Swift.

All in all I got my Figo Lxi at 3.88L OTR which I found was a sweet deal, as an add on I got the ICE from the Exi variant that costed me another 12K.

Happy Motoring !!

[akshay380]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

My findings on the Lxi which has been driven 17,000 Kms since April 11 -

You have driven 17000kms in 10 months in a Petrol Figo?

[DevilsCry]

Thanks rajeev k and godhlur for your wishes

Originally Posted by ghodlur

However I disagree with you about the ride quality, I felt it to be far better than the other hatchbacks when we (me and my friend) were test driving them.

Originally Posted by akshay380

I too disagree with ride quality thing. I have some awesome roads (remember the video?) as well as some very crappy roads in my village. I found it much better than a i10/Swift/WagonR, specially when you take these roads at 40-45kmh speeds. At low speeds yeah it hurts.

Ah, so looks like ride quality is bad only on bad roads at crawling speed. At higher speed (30kph+), Figo indeed feels better than other hatchbacks. I should alter ride quality aspect from next time.

Originally Posted by akshay380

regarding Figo not for new drivers. I didnt quite get it. I am a new driver, my driver is a new driver still we did not have any issues.

May be it means that you and your driver are just too good. Two of my friends were used only to their Maruti's and they drove my Figo in a quite horrible manner. Jerking, stalling and incorrect gears.

I myself had a bit difficulty at start, being used to Maruti. So I guessed that Figo could be difficult for new drivers.

And Akshay, it's time you turn in a review for your Figo too

Originally Posted by Torquedo

We also have a White Lxi, I requested the dealer for wheels covers and he gave them as a freebee, would request that you get them for your Lxi.

Thanks for the wishes, Torquedo. Nah, it's not possible to get wheel covers from them for free. In negotiation, I got my Figo for 3.92 lac along with free mudflaps and carpeting. It was impossible to get more from them.

I see that Figo's are getting costlier month by month. For example, did you know that EXi no longer comes with music system or chrome finish in interior and yet costs more than the EXi during your time of purchase.

Wow, 17k km in 10 months is a lot for a petrol car. Do you ever feel like as if you should have gone for the diesel Figo? Asking because even with only 3,200 km in 5 months, I feel like I should have gone for diesel Figo.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

The Low End Torque is nowhere close to the Santro, overtaking needs a downshift and proper planning.

I've learnt to drive in perfect manner. You can see my gear ratio from the review. So I hardly ever need to downshift. But there's no denying that I can't beat Santro.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

The engine likes to be revved.

But I observed that there's no point revving beyond 2,400 RPM. Do you observe same too?

Originally Posted by Torquedo

Brakes are appalling !! The brakes on the Figo are good for nothing, crappy when compared to the Koreans or the Japs.

After few months of driving, I think Figo's brakes are actually harder to press, unlike soft brakes in Japanese cars. But performance is still upto mark. You might want to check the same in an empty area.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

I sorely miss the Tacho on the Lxi.

I used to drive with diagnostic mode to get tachometer. Dropped it since it's too dangerous to drive while focusing on a small digital display.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

My 1st two services (2.5K and 10K) have costed me INR 1200 each, thanks to the oil change.

There was a change in service rules. 1st service no longer requires oil change. So my first service was free.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

The gear shift is nowhere close to the box on the Swift, it has a long throw and not as slick as the Swift.

I think you must have experienced that sometimes gearshift is slick and sometimes rough. Figo actually needs more precise shifting than Japanese cars.

[Torquedo]

Originally Posted by akshay380

You have driven 17000kms in 10 months in a Petrol Figo?

Akshay, my Dad retired from work in Jan 2011, post his retirement he wanted a small, basic car for his daily minimalistic chores and short weekend errands.

Nor did he know neither did I ever have an inkling that post retirement he would land up with a job in Gurgaon, so the daily chauffer driven ride (from Noida) is close to about 90 odd kms, that's the exact reason for the high Kms count.

For his needs it fits him fine, I am OK with the Figo and the only reason that I went for the Figo was, it was sheer VFM @ 3.88L OTR. Santro's were being quoted at 3.7L, the 1.1 i10 was 4.1, Kappa @ 4.4.

The Figo does lack on the performance front, to get over it, I have the Optra Magnum.

Thanks DevilsCry for the response, I remember having read on the Official Review of the Figo on how to turn on the Diagnostic Mode but somehow not able to find it any longer. I would be thankful if you may let me know how to turn it ON or point to the post/link.

Yup the costs have increased, the ads these days carry an ex-showroom price of 3.75L on the Figo Lxi, that would be close to 4.1 OTR, makes me a bit happy

I shall try the rev part with your help, once the diagnostics are ON.

On the braking part, I actually met with an accident thanks to my callousness and sheer lack of braking prowess on the Figo, heck they are nowhere close to Japs.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

I would be thankful if you may let me know how to turn it ON or point to the post/link.

It's already in the first post. Impossible to point it to you due to large size of the review. Pasting here-

• Put key in position one so that tripmeter screen lights up.
• Press the stalk below tripmeter screen.
• While the stalk is still pressed, turn key to position two so that more lights come up in dashboard.
• Release the stalk when the system has entered diagnostic mode. The reading on tripmeter changes when you have entered diagnostic mode.
• You can press the stalk to switch between different readings.
• Be careful while doing this. You may crash if paying more attention to tachometer than to the road.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

On the braking part, I actually met with an accident thanks to my callousness and sheer lack of braking prowess on the Figo, heck they are nowhere close to Japs.

Ouch! I once had a close call when I had to brake hard. Used to my Esteem, I expected it to stop earlier. But it took much longer to stop. Still investigating if brakes are actually weak or need to be pressed even harder. I would have complained of weak brakes but seeing that no one complains about it, I'm testing them again.

[rambo1o1]

Excellent review DevilsCry!! rated 5 stars!

Even though the figo is used by my mom i do get to take it to college and on week ends.I have not driven many cars,so cant compare them to the figo, learnt how to drive on my old 800 and then graduated to the figo! Dint find it difficult to adjust. The gears are lovely and the brakes are quite good,have enough of bite, though the car's brake calipers needs to be replaced according to the SA.

I partly agree to the fact that the interiors are poor.The full black colour hides the poor plastic quality as compared to the gray colour plastic on the etios,which is equally poor.Though the swift ,ritz and the i 10 have better quality plastics, its not a deal breaker at all.Back seat is much better than what the competition offer!!

I think you should wait till about 6000 km to see the change in the engine performance! when the car was bought and even after the first service it was a sloth, dint pull at all(with or without AC). Now it loves to be revved and pulls well at higher Rpm( no tacho!), though the AC does sap power.Switch off the AC and one feels the surge of power, like NOS... literally!!! I used to do it all the time while overtaking, button had to be replaced due to constant on and off use!!!.Since the Ac is hardly used and i travel alone, i can easily compete with ritz and the swifts of the world!!! well not in a drag race but certainly when overtaking and on the twisties!!

[DevilsCry]

Thanks rambo1o1 for appreciating my review.

Originally Posted by rambo1o1

The full black colour hides the poor plastic quality as compared to the gray colour plastic on the etios,which is equally poor.

Ah, I never thought like this. So this is what beige and grey interiors do. Give fake appearance of higher quality, space and comfort.

I'm in same boat as you. Figo belongs to my dad. I hardly get to drive it. But when I do, I love every moment of it. What an amazing steering and acceleration at low end.

Originally Posted by rambo1o1

I think you should wait till about 6000 km to see the change in the engine performance!

Wow, if my Figo's engine is just in its infancy at this stage, I can't wait to see a grown up engine growling at 4,000 RPM!

Lol yes. I've experienced same too. "Turn off-AC" button = NOS button

I just thought of a point regarding Figo vs so-called more powerful hatchbacks. Try accelerating with 4-5 people on board. Figo will still pull at same rate due to almost linear power supply. Best of luck to other cars in attempting same.

I would love to compare Figo vs new Swift on curvy roads since GTO says that new Swift is best handler this south of 10 lac price. But alas, none of my friends have new Swift (highly impractical car, they say).

So far, I've compared my Figo with an A-Star. Coming up next are Figo vs i10 Kappa2 and Figo vs new Jazz (though I might have to wait as long as 6 months before I get to compare them).

[rambo1o1]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I just thought of a point regarding Figo vs so-called more powerful hatchbacks. Try accelerating with 4-5 people on board. Figo will still pull at same rate due to almost linear power supply. Best of luck to other cars in attempting same.

The figo does struggle on inclines with 3 or 4 people on board.I compared the figo to the i10 1.1 irde and found both to be same in engine performance,the the figo loved to be revved!!They both have good low end torque but struggle to overtake.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I would love to compare Figo vs new Swift on curvy roads since GTO says that new Swift is best handler this south of 10 lac price. But alas, none of my friends have new Swift (highly impractical car, they say).

I thought the fiesta( new and classic) where the best handlers south of 1 million rupees!!

The swift will eat the figo petrol for breakfast in engine performance.I sat in one and found it good in overtaking and ride composure.Hope you get to compare both soon!!