[kreativebug]

The Upgrade

Hi. It was time to upgrade my Maruti Alto Lxi of 5 years - and diesel did make some serious sense. My Alto had done 102000 kms in just under 5 years and was an accidental car as well (not to mention i banged it hard a couple of years back). And done a lac kms, the clutch and shockers had gone for a toss. Given the condition, Rs. 110,000/- as an exchange value was not bad. The toss up was between the new iGen i20 Sportz Diesel or the Figo Zxi/Titanium TDCi.

Eventually, I went for the Ford Figo Zxi TDCi as I found it to be more value for money, and yes - within my budget. The color chosen was Sea Grey, as I particularly find the Black a little too dull and not glossy enough for a car. And also, i had driven a beige (pearl silver) for 5 years now.

I got in touch with the dealer through my bank i.e. HDFC and managed to get a good deal on the car. Plus there was no waiting period. I actually did not make any formal booking or paid anything to the dealer till the time of delivery of the vehicle. The dealer gave me a nice Rs. 10,000 exchange discount (even though they don't generally offer an exchange bonus on diesel cars). The on road cost of the Figo came to Rs. 5,99,000/- (after discount). Having opted for a maximum loan and adjusting the advance EMI as arrears and taking the insurance from HDFC as well, I eventually paid only Rs. 1,650/- with my old Alto and drove out the brand new blue oval.

I managed to sneak in Alloys (of my choice) as well, as they don't come as a standard equipment in Zxi. I did't opt for the standard STAR design, that comes as default with the Titanium version.

The Drive & The Features

The drive is absolutely nice and smooth. I have clocked 1300 kms. as of date, and absolutely no problems. The AC is very effective and I actually found it much better than the Automatic Climate Control offered in i20 Sportz. The i20 Auto AC really takes a lot of time to get to the desired temperature. I took a test drive of the i20 on a hot summer afternoon and it was only towards the end of the drive (about 4-5 kms and 10 mins or so) that it started to cool effectively. Whereas, the Figo AC works excellently in peak summer afternoons and hardly takes 4-5 mins to cool the cabin.

The equipment is standard and the best part is the Audio and Bluetooth. Me being a surd - was facing a heck lot of trouble managing a wired hands-free whilst driving (I know talking whilst driving is avoidable, but given the nature of my job - I can't help). The Figo bluetooth comes as a huge relief. I was really surprised at the quality of the voice that it offers - on both ends - given that the mic is in the center console somewhere, around the Audio facia.

Sound quality is amazing and I don't think i will ever need to upgrade the speakers. This is a huge plus given that I know friends who have been really frustrated at the sound quality offered by Punto & i20 audio systems (the build in ones). Its perfect for lounge music, which happens to be my favorite whilst driving.

The space - very handy. I did not find any specific diff between the rear legroom offered by i20 or a Figo. Though my mother, who normally takes the rear seat, finds this more comfortable to the i20 (which she could recall during the test drives we took). The boot space is very practical, and as everyone knows, perhaps best in the category (besides Fabia, i suppose).

The finish of the vehicle I laid my hands on was perfect. I could not find any defects like loose screws or beadings or anything like that. The oil and water levels were the way they should be.

Handling wise - well, I am not really a perfect judge of the same - But yes, this car does behave the way you want it to on roads. I have tried sharp turns, high speed turns on curves, sudden lane changing (all on roads with less traffic for now) and I was pretty impressed with the overall handling of the car.

The display (odo and stuff) is pretty handy and I really liked the all - red display. The DTE (distance to empty) thing does give you an idea of the mileage you are drawing, I guess the mileage display would have become very handy though, just like in other cars like Punto, i20 etc.

Another thing which could have been on the car was - rear fog lights. I mean the wiring, buttons and everything is there for the front and rear fog lamps in Zxi (and other lower variants too). Though the front fog lamps have to be mounted in the bumper and just plugged in to the existing harness / wiring, the rear lamps just need to be fitted with a bulb. I mean a car worth Rs. 6+ lacs - and Ford misses a bulb. The three consoles (tail / brake lamps in red) on the rear on each side - and only one illuminates. Well, could have been better. I guess I need to get it done during the first service.

The service intervals are impressive - first being at 2500 and the second at 10000. This is very unlike Hyundai and Maruti where they have stuck to the standard 1000, 5000 and 10000 mark for first 3 services - even for the higher end and new refined engines.

Overall, I feel this is a really practical car and fun to zip around. Really like it !

The pics will follow this post !

cheers

[kreativebug]

The photographs of the newly acquired blue oval .. !

[Stratos]

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

[SPARKled]

Let me the first to congratulate you for your newly acquired Figo. I too got my Figo this month on 17th June and I have been enjoying my drive so far. The alloys seem to be purchased from the dealership. How much did you pay for them if I may ask.

[Blow Horn Ok]

Congrats for the car! Nice choice of alloys. They look solid and different. I am sure soon you'll be addicted to the drive and handling of this car and find flaws in other average car's handling. Do stick to the user manual and quick guide for useful engine running & maintenance tips.

I guess ZXI was the most VFM and highest selling model sometime back but after the feature cuts, Titanium hold more value, where you get the rear wipers, tilt steering, fogs and alloys along with ABS and Airbags!

Ride safe

[kart19]

Congrats on the car man! You are going to thoroughly enjoy the handling. Really neat alloys btw. I have never seem these OEMs before. How much did they cost? Drive safe!

[supertinu]

Congrats man on your new car. You definitely cannot go wrong with a Figo as an overall package. Alloys look neat and different from the standard ones that come on Titanium version. Do run in the car well for 1st 4-5K kms.

[kreativebug]

Hi.

Thanks everyone. I managed a neat deal, wherein I only paid Rs. 1650/- (Yea, you read it right) apart from exchanging my old Alto Lxi. They gave me 5 designs of Alloys to choose from and though they were pressing hard for the usual "Star" design, that comes as a standard fitment on Titanium, I personally prefer Alloys with a minimal look and hence, this design was the closest to my 'criteria'.

Glad all of you liked the alloys. Moreover, I have been thinking whether I should go for leather / leatherite (as they call it) seat covers or not. The current standard ones seem pretty durable, but then they are fabric ones at the end of the day.

I have done about 2200 kms till now (in city) and have been thoroughly enjoying my drive. Just waiting for the first service that is around the corner and then will take this beauty out on the highway for a spin.

[kreativebug]

Hi.

Thanks everyone. They gave me 5 designs of Alloys to choose from and the dealer were pressing hard for the usual "Star" design, that comes as a standard fitment on the Titanium. However, my personal thought on the alloys is that they should have a minimal look. And given my criteria, this design was the closest. The alloys are priced at Ford dealerships for Rs. 16500/- after adjusting the exchange value of your existing steel rims. I sneaked them in the deal as the dealer had to pay me back Rs. 14000+ (given my exchange value of the Alto and loan amount disbursed). So I paid the dealer about Rs. 2000/- and got the alloys too.

I have driven around 2200 kms till now - in the city itself. Just waiting for the first service, that is round the corner and then can't wait to take it for a spin on the highway.

Also, have been thinking whether I should get the leather / leatherite (as they call it) seat covers or not ? The current standard ones seem very durable - but then, they are fabric end of the day and will get dirty and it a'int easy cleaning them.

Let me know your thoughts.

[girishglg]

Congrats on acquiring a new ride. Nice to know that you got some good deal for your earlier one. Figo is a good package with a jewel of a TDCi motor which is not only tried and tested but a frugal one.

Do let us know about the mileage after the first service and on the pre and post delivery dealer experience and your thoughts on the competition which you explored during your purchase process.

[kreativebug]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Congrats on acquiring a new ride. Nice to know that you got some good deal for your earlier one. Figo is a good package with a jewel of a TDCi motor which is not only tried and tested but a frugal one.

Do let us know about the mileage after the first service and on the pre and post delivery dealer experience and your thoughts on the competition which you explored during your purchase process.

Thanks Girish. The ride has been pretty good so far. However, for the last 3-4 days, I have been experiencing some sound from inside the car, which seems from somewhere around the right side - at the back of the rear seat. I haven't been able to figure out what it is - and it occurs during a speed breaker or slow ride on a potholed road. Wondering what it is

Will surely keep this post updated with respect to the ride quality and mileage after the first service - which should be done within this week I presume.

The dealer experience was good and I did check out quite a few dealers before zeroing on Harpreet Ford at Moti Nagar - who happens to be one of the oldest and trusted dealerships. The over all experience with this dealer was very good and satisfying. Was treated with due respect and all my queries were duly addressed to.

cheers

[Alive2Drive]

Congratulations on the new ride !!!!! Are you filling up normal or power diesel in your car ? Whats the mileage you are extracting out of your ride ?

Happy Mile crunching !!

[kreativebug]

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive

Congratulations on the new ride !!!!! Are you filling up normal or power diesel in your car ? Whats the mileage you are extracting out of your ride ?

Happy Mile crunching !!

Hi. I am using the normal diesel only. And as of now (before the first service) the DTE is showing me 620 kms to about 45 ltrs. Having said that the mileage is about 14 kms to a litre of diesel, in Delhi traffic.

cheers