[supertinu]

Congrats ShuvC on your new car. Good choice I must say . You are spot on with your observations about the car's pros and cons. Few comments from my side based on my experience.

• My car has done 8K kms and avg I get is 13-14kmpl in city and normally around 18kmpl on the highway with speeds ranging from 100-110kmph. I am hoping it to improve a bit after 2nd service but not too dramatically. Bangalore is particularly known for low avg speeds hence lower efficiency. Seems like Kolkota is no different

• Even I was not satisfied with the lower back support on the front seats esp when compared to my Ikon. I did get some minor aches initially but now my body has adjusted to the seating position and no issues

• I dont get any booming sound around 2K rpm. Maybe I didnt understand what sound you are referring to

• Yes you gota be very careful with those seat belts and its not just the pillars but the window panes which are at more danger. Early day my wife left the belt very early and it retracted so fast that it hit the window glass very hard resulting in a very minor scratch/chip. I think if the steel part had hit, it would have surely cracked

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by shuvc

You mean it's more fuel efficient to shift in the turbo zone? In the city, I'm shifting just between 1500 to 2000.

Na, but while cruising along in 5th on National Highways.

Your ZDi and Figo gives the same FE? I had a perception that the Swift should be around 2kmpl more !

Yes. You can't really pick as to which comes trumps & both have run-in their engines. The ZDi is @ 11,xxx kms and my Figi is approaching 18K.

Originally Posted by supertinu

My car has done 8K kms and avg I get is 13-14kmpl in city and normally around 18kmpl on the highway with speeds ranging from 100-110kmph. I am hoping it to improve a bit after 2nd service but not too dramatically. Bangalore is particularly known for low avg speeds hence lower efficiency. Seems like Kolkota is no different

Same to same here. Bhai bhai I believe these are the figures you can expect out of Figo D.

[Saurabh M]

Congrats, officially!! How's life with a diesel? It took me about a week to get used to the diesel dynamics.

I bet you will enjoy the ride and handling of Dart. It does put a smile on your face when you throw it around the corners. The only few things that I wish it had were a little more peppy engine and one-touch operation of driver-side power windows. Its livable with not having rear power windows.

I am sure you will figure out a good seating position. I have done a few long drives and did not have any back aches.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by planet_rocker

Congratulations on the 3rd car! Which car stays where: B, C, D! You definitely need an A soon

Wish you happy miles ahead! Too bad, there is not another 75.4 with you! Happy fun with ICE work at MnG

@planet ! Lol ! Thankfully cars with A starts with the Alto and not Audi !!

True there isn't another 75.4, but I am yet to figure out a ICE setup for the car. Surely some of the Baleno stuff will go in, but overall I need to keep expenditure to a minimum.

Originally Posted by supertinu

My car has done 8K kms and avg I get is 13-14kmpl in city and normally around 18kmpl on the highway with speeds ranging from 100-110kmph. I am hoping it to improve a bit after 2nd service but not too dramatically.[/list]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Same to same here. Bhai bhai I believe these are the figures you can expect out of Figo D.

Eeeks ! 13-14 gives me the creeps ! I need an annual average of around 16 surely to break even. When I say annual average, I mean around 50% average AC usage. From near zero in winters to 100% in summers. Let me observe for some time.

So when you say 13-14, is that with 100% AC?

Originally Posted by Saurabh M

Congrats, officially!! How's life with a diesel? It took me about a week to get used to the diesel dynamics.

I bet you will enjoy the ride and handling of Dart. It does put a smile on your face when you throw it around the corners. The only few things that I wish it had were a little more peppy engine and one-touch operation of driver-side power windows. Its livable with not having rear power windows.

I am sure you will figure out a good seating position. I have done a few long drives and did not have any back aches.

I got the hang of it a tad quicker, due to the highway drive on day 5 itself, by which time I had clocked 400kms in the city itself ! The engine does purr along smoothly at 1500ish rpm. Feels nice. Although I am yet to get used to the noise, specially with the windows open.

Yes, it could have been peppier. But frankly I find it perfect for in-city use. Also on the highways, as long as one sticks to 'normal' highway speeds of 100-110, it is still quite fun.

The one-touch window - I miss it too.

Talking of windows, I love the height of the sill. It's at a perfect height to rest my elbow, if I wish to, either with the glass up or down.

Mud flaps !
Both rear flaps fitted by the dealership have fallen off ! The rear right scraped a bit of bad road. It came loose. I tightened the screw. Then one day I saw it missing. 2 days later I found the rear left missing too. Not sure when that happened. These clip on ones are really a poor design. For now, I'll live without flaps. The front ones are there still.

[MotoNanu]

Hi shuvc, congrats on the purchase. As many said, I also believe Figo to be a complete VFM. Am in the process of shortlisting diesel hatchback, my question with Figo is mainly about the two aspects:
1. Drive-ability in city traffic: How much does the turbo lag affect? I read in many reviews that Figo has the minimum turbo lag compared to competition.
2. Behavior on NH above 80: How does the car respond to acceleration beyond 80 (110/120 max)? Is the steering response good enough?

Once again, hearty wishes and keep revving

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Eeeks ! 13-14 gives me the creeps ! I need an annual average of around 16 surely to break even. When I say annual average, I mean around 50% average AC usage. From near zero in winters to 100% in summers. Let me observe for some time.

So when you say 13-14, is that with 100% AC?


Mud flaps !
Both rear flaps fitted by the dealership have fallen off ! The rear right scraped a bit of bad road. It came loose. I tightened the screw. Then one day I saw it missing. 2 days later I found the rear left missing too. Not sure when that happened. These clip on ones are really a poor design. For now, I'll live without flaps. The front ones are there still.

My driving is 100% AC in Bangalore city traffic. What I have noticed is that if i drive on open roads for eg during visits to airport the avg jumps to 15+. So it all depends on what kind of avg speeds you are able to maintain. Bangalore is the lowest in the country, I have noticed people usually get atleast 2kmpl extra in NCR region owing to better avg speeds

Your rear flaps gave away rather soon. Mine did come loose couple of times but I ensure i tightened them well. Normally rear ones dont scrap at all.

[Saurabh M]

Mud flaps !
Both rear flaps fitted by the dealership have fallen off ! The rear right scraped a bit of bad road. It came loose. I tightened the screw. Then one day I saw it missing. 2 days later I found the rear left missing too. Not sure when that happened. These clip on ones are really a poor design. For now, I'll live without flaps. The front ones are there still.

How did you manage to scrape the rear ones? For me, all 4 are still there, though the front ones keep scraping the famous bumpers of Bangalore. I keep tightening them and they are still hanging around.

[arup.misra]

Congrats on your Dart. Interesting to read your comments and your excel-o-gic. I had done something similar about a quarter back when we were looking for a city commuter for my wife. Figo did top out but she ended up with the Brio (Excels cannot excel when it comes to missus ...but that's OT).

Anyway wish you loads of fun and hope you keep darting around.

[turbochrgd]

I too have a Colorado Red Figo TDCi. The whooom noise is irritating, but thats how it sounds is what the A.S.S guys told me.
Also regarding the FE.. it will go up.
I did a mumbai - pune(airport) - lost in pune (for 2hrs) - kolhapur - pune - mumbai trip in just one tank (odo reading 5k). The whole trip was close to 850 kms. Also while on the way to Kholapur the average speed was 130-140 on return it was 100-110.

I have just finished 10k and i am happy to inform, now 140kmph is a walk in the park and little more effort and *baaam* come 160.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by shuvc

You mean it's more fuel efficient to shift in the turbo zone? In the city, I'm shifting just between 1500 to 2000.

Before I can reply to the quoted text, I must say that I enjoyed reading your report of your new Ford. The Figo is one gem of a car. Ford India have never had it so good when it comes to car sales. Ford have improved the Figo a little with the new facelift though I personally like the older model when it comes to the front end. I was looking forward to the newer 1.5l Tdci in the facelift but I guess that would have no longer made it a value for money car. The existing engine is good, very tractable and has proven its reliability. What goes against it is the noise, refinement and probably not as fuel as Fiat's Multijets. Some stubbornness remains from Ford by not providing rear power windows. It may not be much of a big deal. The excuses I have heard are just lame for not providing rear power windows.

From what I make of the Figo diesel drive ability, anything under the turbo range and you are actually lugging the engine which can cause increased fuel consumption. Though turbo lag is minimal in the Figo, it is there and there is a dead spot where you sometimes feel that the engine isn't doing anything even after you stomp the throttle. The low end grunt makes you want be lazy to up shift when crawling in traffic. This could end up being a downer for fuel efficiency. Where roads and traffic conditions permit, trying driving close to where the action is and check if efficiency improves.

[Saurabh M]

Originally Posted by turbochrgd

I have just finished 10k and i am happy to inform, now 140kmph is a walk in the park and little more effort and *baaam* come 160.

That's some encouraging info. Mine has done close to 7000kms and the 2nd service is due in a couple of months. The engine in its current state, does feel strained beyond 120kph. Hopefully, things would improve after the 2nd service and the engine should open up a bit more.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by Saurabh M

How did you manage to scrape the rear ones?

Extremely uneven exit from a street into a 'kachha' lane. The car went in at an angle which is probably why the fronts escaped and I must have misjudged the rear drop.

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Figo did top out but she ended up with the Brio (Excels cannot excel when it comes to missus ...but that's OT).

Same here ! All the reds in the excel were not enough to convince wifey. In fact I would not blame her. I myself would have bought a Jazz as the next car, if fuel prices were saner. Bottomline, she still does not like the car :(

Originally Posted by turbochrgd

I too have a Colorado Red Figo TDCi. The whooom noise is irritating, but thats how it sounds is what the A.S.S guys told me.

Ah! So you hear that hollow 'whooom' too ! Phew, can't say whether I am happy or sad. But there's surely some amount of comfort in having company !! If the SA gives me that reason I'd like to test it out with another car in their presence. I'm sure I did not notice such a sound in 3 different TD cars.

Originally Posted by turbochrgd

Also regarding the FE.. it will go up.
I did a mumbai - pune(airport) - lost in pune (for 2hrs) - kolhapur - pune - mumbai trip in just one tank (odo reading 5k)

Wow! That's encouraging !

Originally Posted by turbochrgd

I have just finished 10k and i am happy to inform, now 140kmph is a walk in the park and little more effort and *baaam* come 160.

Originally Posted by Saurabh M

That's some encouraging info. Mine has done close to 7000kms and the 2nd service is due in a couple of months. The engine in its current state, does feel strained beyond 120kph. Hopefully, things would improve after the 2nd service and the engine should open up a bit more.

Come to think of it, I could easily touch 140 in the TD cars which were less than 5K. I went upto 120 effortlessly on the highway.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

From what I make of the Figo diesel drive ability, anything under the turbo range and you are actually lugging the engine which can cause increased fuel consumption. Though turbo lag is minimal in the Figo, it is there and there is a dead spot where you sometimes feel that the engine isn't doing anything even after you stomp the throttle. The low end grunt makes you want be lazy to up shift when crawling in traffic. This could end up being a downer for fuel efficiency. Where roads and traffic conditions permit, trying driving close to where the action is and check if efficiency improves.

Thanks !
Yes, I think I do tend to lug it a bit within city. I'll try to stay in the zone more and observe.

[carmayogi]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Before I can reply to the quoted text, I must say that I enjoyed reading your report of your new Ford. The Figo is one gem of a car. Ford India have never had it so good when it comes to car sales. Ford have improved the Figo a little with the new facelift though I personally like the older model when it comes to the front end. I was looking forward to the newer 1.5l Tdci in the facelift but I guess that would have no longer made it a value for money car. The existing engine is good, very tractable and has proven its reliability. What goes against it is the noise, refinement and probably not as fuel as Fiat's Multijets. Some stubbornness remains from Ford by not providing rear power windows. It may not be much of a big deal. The excuses I have heard are just lame for not providing rear power windows.

From what I make of the Figo diesel drive ability, anything under the turbo range and you are actually lugging the engine which can cause increased fuel consumption. Though turbo lag is minimal in the Figo, it is there and there is a dead spot where you sometimes feel that the engine isn't doing anything even after you stomp the throttle. The low end grunt makes you want be lazy to up shift when crawling in traffic. This could end up being a downer for fuel efficiency. Where roads and traffic conditions permit, trying driving close to where the action is and check if efficiency improves.

Hi Shuvc,

I have a 2012 Swift Zdi and I have to +1 Sandeep Mohan's comment. Initially, I was upshifting around 2000-2100 and got 14.9-15.3 kmpl in the city. I now upshift at 2500. What I've found is that you get to your desired speed quicker, even if it's 40-50 km/h and then end up using the throttle very little. The MFD really helps you see how much of a difference it makes to maintain speed. Hence, spend fuel to get you up to your speed relatively quickly. Further, within the turbo zone, your car has more torque to work with, hence isn't strained. This is simply better mechanical efficiency and you end up with better FE. I also use engine braking where possible which boosts the efficiency a lot, especially while coming down flyovers or approaching a distant red signal.

I've done 8500 km now in 5 months (only 1 outstation trip), and consistently get 15.8-16.5 kmpl in city driving. My 1 trip got me 22 kmpl overall (Bombay-Goa-Bombay).

[shuvc]

@MotoNanu, Sorry, missed your post.

Originally Posted by MotoNanu

1. Drive-ability in city traffic: How much does the turbo lag affect? I read in many reviews that Figo has the minimum turbo lag compared to competition.

It is quite easy to drive in inching/slow traffic. Yes there is a bit of lag if I compare with the petrols I have driven, but it isn't anything to worry about in day to day driving. Unless of course you like to race off from a signal or something like that. Then you'd feel a bit of sluggishness.

Just try staying in the right gear (ie not lug the engine too much) and you won't have any issues 'darting' around in city traffic

Originally Posted by MotoNanu

2. Behavior on NH above 80: How does the car respond to acceleration beyond 80 (110/120 max)? Is the steering response good enough?

80 to 120 in 5th is a lovely zone ! I totally loved it. It is in the powerband and wonderful to drive. Steering is very confidence inspiring. Approach traffic at 110 - drop speed to 80/90 - tap the indicator - precise mini-twirl of the steering - change lane - accelerate out .. this is a routine you would love doing again and again !

All this with the stock MRFs .. I wonder how it would feel with 185/65 Mich/Yoko rubber !

Dart completes 2 weeks and 1500kms today. And the eventful life continues. Today I used it to carry stuff from one place to another. With the rear seat folded flat. Gobbled up quite a bit.

A couple of observations:
- I had to fold up the seat against the front seats before folding down the backrest. In this position the front seat obviously has to be moved a bit forward. While this did reduce the driver seat space for me (am 6'2"), and I was sitting more upright than usual, my 10km drive in that posture was not too uncomfortable. But I guess for highway distances it would be.
- For seats with a seat cover, be a tad careful when folding up the seat against the front seat back. The central cupholder grazes against the seat quite a bit. While I did not see any damage, being careless and forceful might result in seat cover scratches/tear.

[tacho9000]

Congratulations shuvc on your new acquisition though belated. It is a hoot to drive as I have experienced. Don't lug the engine,keep it in the turbo zone and it will reward you with even better fuel efficiency. The fuel efficiency will increase a bit after first service,don't worry. And be a bit lightfooted that'll help you. You stay very near to my house.