[skanchan95]

Storm Shadow - 2016 Ford Figo 1.2L Ti-VCT Titanium+

This is more of a pictorial review than a technical one. I am not a car expert and this review is not meant to be technical in nature. I have compared this car with other cars that we have owned over the course of time. By comparing this car with other cars or by expressing my opinion on other cars, I do not mean to disrespect any car brand or the owners of those cars. Each car has its own strengths and weaknesses, just like this car has.

Car : Ford Figo (New)
Trim : Titanium+
Colour : Ruby Red
Overall L/W/H(mm) : 3886/1695/1525
Engine : Four Cylinder, 16 Valve DOHC 1196 cc Ti-VCT (Petrol)
Fuel Tank Capacity : 42 Litres
Wheels/Tyres: 175/65 R14 Alloy
Max Power : 88 ps @ 6300 RPM
Max Torque : 112 Nm @ 4000 RPM
Year of Manufacture : 2016 (March)
Dealership : Cauvery Ford, Mangalore
Date of Delivery : April 27, 2016

Requirement:
A petrol hatchback to replace our 2015 Hyundai i10 1.1 iRDE2 Sportz.

Background:
Our i10 met with a major accident. Details here .
After which we decided to sell it off and buy and bigger & safer hatch.

Cars Shortlisted:
We shortlisted the following cars.
1. Hyundai i20 Asta
2. Honda Jazz
3. Ford Figo (wasn’t in the reckoning initially)

Similar Hatchbacks not considered/shortlisted: Maruti Swift, Fiat Punto, Toyota Liva, VW Polo, Baleno

i20
Considering my near flawless service experience with Advaith Hyundai, it would have been a no-brainer for me to go for the i20. The sales manager, Mr Shivaprasad was gracious enough to show me the i20 on display. The fully loaded Asta(O) had everything one could wish for. Though I felt that that LEDs on them looked too gaudy and always felt that they were too bright and distraction for other drivers. One thing that really disappointed me was that the 60:40 rear split folding facility was available only in the Asta(O) trim(not even in the slightly lower Asta trim). Once upon a time, the i20 used to come with this feature even in the base trim (2008/09 Magna, which at the time was the i20’s base model). I felt the Asta(O) was a bit too costly and not being a fan of LEDs on the headlamps, I zeroed in on the 1.2 Asta, having owned a 2009 1.2 i20 Asta in its troublesome, first generation avatar. I would have liked a TD, but the TD car was a diesel. It didn’t make sense for me to drive it.

Jazz
Jazz is a good looking and a spacious car and I had a look at the Car at Peninsular Honda, Mangalore. While I liked the car, it was the attitude of the sales personnel that disappointed me. It was as if they weren’t interested in selling the car to me. While I was looking at the car on display, an Orange coloured V model, the sales rep was standing at a distance from me, apparently not interested in demonstrating the features of the car. It was only after I was done looking around the car that this sales rep handed me a pathetic Xerox copy of a single page showing the car’s features and Price list. No brochure!!!!
Good car, cheaper than the i20 I thought. I was told by the Sales rep that the Jazz has a waiting period of two months and if I want the car soon, that I should book it then and there. When I asked why such a long period, I get an ill–informed and proud answer of “Too much demand for the Jazz”. I told the sales rep that I had an i10 that I wish to exchange. I noticed a silly smirk on the sales rep’s face. Two second hand car dealers showed up soon, looked at the i10 and started their irritating talk about how good Honda is and how poor a Hyundai is. Poor resale value of the 1.1 i10 was something they seemed to be really stressing on and even had the foolishness to say Hyundai’s service was poor compared to Honda. I knew Advaith’s service was among the best in Mangalore. It was as if they were Honda’s salesmen, hell bent on bashing Hyundai, and not independent second hand car dealers. I said thank you very much and left. Felt irritated by the experience, especially of the sales rep, whose arrogance and body language felt as if they were selling BMWs and Audis and I was this poor i10 guy who won’t be able to afford their super duper, one of a kind, Jazz!!!! Struck off the Jazz immediately and did not even bother taking a TD.

New Figo
On the way back from Peninsular Honda, I saw an Orange Figo that whizzed by fast in the opposite lane. Inspite of having been launched for quite some time, it was first time I actually got to see the car up close and I was impressed by its looks. I had no idea about the car or its features. However, the Old Figo’s lack of features was something that I had in mind and thought the new Figo too might be similarly ill-equipped. Since it was getting late, thought of having a look at the car the next day and thus the Figo came into reckoning.

Next day, I visited Cauvery Ford’s Kottara Chowki showroom to have a closer look at the car. The sales rep, Mr Karthik Hegde was there. They had a Ruby Red Figo Titanium on display. As soon as I got in the car, I found that the car was decently equipped (not something that I had expected).Climate Control AC, Steering mounted audio controls, ABS, Airbags, Rear wiper etc. It wasn’t as well equipped as the i20, but with just about enough features that I was happy with. Karthik went about patiently explaining each and every feature. He was specifically pointing out that Ford had placed a good amount of importance in the safety features of the car. He also said the higher Titanium+ option was even better equipped. It had six airbags, steering mounted telephony controls with voice commands, ability of customize features in the car and a centrally mounted LCD display unit (the lower Titanium model had a phone/GPS Navigator dock, called MyDock, in place of the display unit).

I was clearly impressed by the car and the way Karthik explained of all the car’s features. Unlike the Honda sales rep, he did not bash other cars, but was trying to showcase the Figo’s strengths and willing to accept where other cars were stronger than the Figo.
I was offered a test drive of the model that I wanted – the 1.2 MT Petrol. But I went away saying I will come for the TD a week later with my wife.

It turned out to be a shootout between the i20 & Figo. On one hand if I chose the i20, I get a product with better fit & finish and Advaith’s excellent and reliable service support. On the other hand, with the Figo, I really wasn’t sure about Cauvery’s after sales service support. The 1.2 Figo Titanium+ was a good 80,000 odd cheaper than the 1.2 i20 Asta. I was told that both Advaith Hyundai & Cauvery Ford was owned by the same group and the service experience would be similar. I decided that If I was happy with the TD, I will go with the Figo and take a chance with Cauvery’s service support.

The Figo Test Drive
Less than a week later, I visited the showroom again. Karthik was there and he had readied their Grey 1.2 Titanium+ model for the TD. The first thing that noticed when I sat in the car was a different infotainment system with big buttons and the centrally mounted display unit. The setup reminded me of our first gen i20. The engine felt very quiet, smooth and refined. Karthik was again eager to demonstrate the safety features and asked me to brake hard at lonely stretch of road. The ABS and EBD assisted braking was spot on. The AC was clearly among the most powerful ones I have experienced. When set at Max setting it felt as if someone switched on a powerful hair dryer that blew cool air on your face and the powerful airflow had the ability to mess up your hairdo. However, the throttle response was not so good and the car was clearly not designed to be a road scorcher. It felt as if the car took a while to respond to the throttle inputs. It was meant to be a fuel efficient and sedately driven, which was perfect for a sedate petrolhead like me. The footwell felt a little cramped and lacked a dead pedal/foot rest. No front or rear arm rest either.

Booking
Satisfied with the car, and having shortlisted Ruby Red & Sparkling Gold(Orange) colours, we decided to book a 1.2 Ruby Red Figo Titanium+ by paying the booking amount of Rs 20,000. They had a Grey coloured Titanium+ in stock, but I wasn’t really keen on that colour. Delivery was promised within 3 weeks.

Reasons why other cars were not considered/shortlisted
1. Swift – dated looks
2. Punto – Poor a service support & expensive spares. The local dealership had a dusted Maroon Avventura parked outside for nearly two months at the entrance of the showroom, on a jack and a wheel missing. Whatever was the story behind it, it didn’t inspire confidence in their service.
3. Liva – Poor interiors and Image of being a taxi
4. Polo – Looks dated.
5. Baleno – Long waiting period and questions over safety. To me, the front end looked as if someone took the face of a first generation Swift and stretched it horizontally.

OTR Price:
Ex show room price - Rs 6,63,846
Insurance - Free (Bajaj Allianz Insurance)
Road Tax - Rs 1,04,280
Inc charges - Rs 6,250
Extended warranty(3rd & 4th year/80,000 kms) - Rs 13,557
Total - Rs 7,91,633


Additional Discounts:
Exchange Bonus (-) Rs 10,000 (Refund within 1-2 months)
Corporate discount : Rs 3,600 odd.

Freebies given:
- Rear parking sensor (audio warning only, like the Grand i10’s). Ford website says they are body colour paintable, but the workshop claimed that repainting them causes the sensors to have weak sensitivity or lose sensitivity altogether.

Paid Accessories
- Cabin Mats – four piece that are too small are not simply not enough to cover the entire carpet area. Avoid them.
- Boot mat - does the job.
- Body Cover (It has scoops for both side mirrors but does not have a scoop for the long antenna. You have to unscrew the antenna and then put on the car cover. .
- Mud Flaps – nicely designed.

[skanchan95]

D-Day, April 18, 2016:
The car allotted to us was a March 2016 manufactured car and it arrived at the dealer’s stock yard in the last week of March. I had insisted at the time of booking the car that the car should be delivered in the 2nd or 3rd week of April, as I had to complete the loan formalities.

The loan was approved in the second week of April and delivery date was fixed on April 18, 2016.

The car during PDI on April 15, 2016



Cauvery Ford's Kottara Chowki showroom, where the car was booked:


Cauvery Ford's Padil showroom, where the car was delivered:

Their Quicklane service(at Padil) services any car within 3 hours. The car was booked at their Kottara showroom, but due to lack of space there, all deliveries take place here.

The delivery ceremony was good. But wasn’t as polished as Advaith’s (as described here: Advaith Grand i10 delivery ceremony & Advaith i10 delivery ceremony ).

Everything went on smoothly, all documentation was spot on. We didn't have to wait for anything. Karthik showed us around the workshop and met the Works manager.


We were presented a box of chocolates and a framed photograph of the key being handing over to my Dad by Mrs Trisha Kiran, the showroom manager.


With Mr Karthik Hegde, our Sales Executive. He made sure that everything was perfect on Delivery day. Cauvery Ford is lucky to have someone as dedicated and enthusiastic as him.


In the Porch


Post Delivery Inspection by our Dog. The car, like anything thing that enters the compound, had to go through his thorough inspection.


Next day,the first thing he wanted was a ride in the new car. After the puja, he got his wish and he was so excited.


I named the car "Storm Shadow", after the MBDA built Storm Shadow air launched subsonic cruise missile.

[skanchan95]

Initial Driving Impressions & Interiors
The Ti-VCT(Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing) engine is the name given by Ford to engines with the ability to advance or retard the timing of both the intake and exhaust camshafts independently, unlike the original versions of VCT, which only operated on a single camshaft.<Courtesy Wikipedia>


The 1.2L engine feels quiet refined and good for city driving. On Cranking the engine, it actually felt like a diesel engine, prompting a few to enquire whether the car is a diesel. Externally, the engine and A/C compressor sounds are loud, much louder than the Grand i10. Inside the cabin it is very quiet. The car is best suited to drivers with a sedate driving style. If you want the car to give you a sudden surge of power at your command, then you’ll be very disappointed. The car seems to take a second or two to respond to throttle inputs.
It feels much smoother compared to Hyundai’s 1.2 Kappa VTVT, but the latter responds much better to throttle inputs and pickup is much better(on the Grand i10) in lower RPMs. In many ways, the engine behaviour felt like our old i20's 1.2L Pre-VTVT engine. You had to keep the RPM above 2000 to get decent pickup, specially while overtaking. Above 2000 RPM , it didn't feel that lethargic. I am a sedate driver and will be happy to cruise along all day at 90 kmph even on clear highways. So the way the engine behaves is not something I have much to complain about.
Ride is quite comfortable and the car behaves well while going over potholes. Unlike the Grand i10's steering which behaves a little weirdly above 110-120 kmph, the Figo's steering feels solid at high speeds. At higher RPMs, the engine gets a little loud.

Stand for the bonnet


Honey comb design on the underside of the bonnet for better crash impact absorption


Dummy holes, for wipers of LHD models


Ugly windshield washers on the bonnet. They stick out like a sore thumb, wish they were better integrated and hidden like the ones in Hyundais.


The central console has silver finish with black audio/ telephony. In the long run, it may be difficult to be maintain, as was the case with the i10. I would have preferred it in black. Fit & Finish, Quality of plastics used is acceptable (not as good as Hyundai though). The buttons feel a little hard when pressed(compared to Hyundai HUs) and also there seems to be some lag between the time a button is pressed an the corresponding change to be displayed on the screen.


The large buttons and centrally mounted MFD on the dashboard reminded me of our first gen i20's central console.


When the audio system is OFF, the LCD display unit displays date & time.


The steering is tilt adjustable. Lack of leather on the steering wheel was disappointing. The steering felt much lighter and it feels as if some vibrations are transmitted on to the steering wheel when the steering is turned to full lock position. The vibration can be felt specially while reversing. I felt that the EPS on our Grand i10 offered better feedback at lower speeds.


Unlike Hyundai's steering mounted controls, which have dedicated buttons for telephony, Mode, volume, next track/station, Figo's steering controls are packed into one compact steering control system. The next/previous track buttons also double as call receive/end buttons. There is no dedicated Mode change(FM/USB /Aux/CD) button, but you can change modes by using voice commands or by using buttons on the Central console. Although volume control buttons are there, there is no Mute button on the steering or on the central console. Colour coding the call receive(green) and end(red) buttons would have been useful.




Rear windshield view is awful. Rear parking sensors are a must. Oddly, Ford’s genuine accessory - the rear parking camera neither has an auto dimming feature on the rear view mirror nor does it have manually adjustable day/night feature, which can prove to be a major irritant at night. Therefore I did not opt for it.


The gearbox is nice to use, but not as fun to use as the i10's was. The Figo's gearbox has much longer throws comapred to the i10.


Rear view mirrors are manually day/night adjustable


The Climate Control A/C is probably the most powerful I have experienced so far in a hatchback. In extreme heat, it does well and cooled the cabin fast. Buttons are a little small for my liking but I have got used to it. Pressing the "MAX" button overrides temperature & blower settings and gets the AC running at full blast, it literally blows you away. There is a small storage space below the unit in which you can squeeze in a 5.7" mobile phone.


Chrome ring around A/C vents(on the two circular vents on each corner). All A/C vents can be closed shut.


The instrument cluster is basic and it looks like it from a car that's a segment and a generation older. The Fuel gauge is too large. No engine temperature display, only a warning light if engine overheats.
Speedometer features a ECO gear shift indicator. No engine temperature display, only a warning light if engine overheats.


MID displays Average Fuel Efficiency, Real Time Fuel Efficiency, Average Speed, Economy Mode(Gear shift) Indicator, Tripmeter, Distance to Empty, Outside Temperature. Other Cars from the segment have these features far better integrated and presented. These can be toggled with a push button in the indicator stalk:


The average FE as per the MID is hovering between 12 and 13 km/l (with A/C on all the time).


Infortainment system is good with Bluetooth telephony, CD, USB & AUX support. The USB port seemed a little tacky and better finish would have been appreciated. If the Audio is running and if you switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition, the system will continue playing. It stops only if you open one of the doors.



Lower variants like Titanium & Trend get a different audio system


257 L boot space


Flimsy and light Rear Parcel Tray. It has a nasty tendency to slide out of place when the boot is opened.

Like this:


Boot lamp


Fog lamp switch , Headlight adjustment & Boot opening switch. The rotary knob on the center is for the headlamps. The small button at the center is for the headlamp leveling. It pops out if you press it and can be rotated for setting the headlamp position.On the top left is the front fog lamp switch. On the bottom left is the rear fog lamp switch. The big button on the right is the tailgate opening switch.


Mirrors are electrically adjustable & foldable. Unlike the higher variants of the i20 and Grand i10, the mirrors do not fold/unfold automatically on locking/unlocking. You fold/unfold the mirror by pushing the button down.The mirrors felt too narrow, should have been wider.



All four Power window switches are not illuminated – a terrible oversight and can't understand why manufacturers these days give this a miss. Driver’s side window switch comes with Auto Up/Down feature. During night time, it takes a little but of fiddling to find out the right button for the corresponding window.

[skanchan95]

Wiper stalk. If the front wipers are on and if the reverse gear is engaged, the rear wiper will start working automatically in the intermittent setting.



Indicator stalk. Conventional Controls for the Indicators. Pushing the button on the stalk cycles between various displays on the Speedometer MID. Rotary Headlamp controls visible. Unlike Hyundai/Maruti Headlamp controls, to switch over to high beam from low beam, you pull the stalk towards you till its locks in place and to switch back over to low beam, push it back forward. To flash the headlamps, you pull it once (the traditional Hyundai/Maruti way)


Night time lighting



Front Seats are comfortable with decent under thigh support. Driver's seat is height adjustable. Door armrests curve upwards nicely and I felt comfortable to rest my arm on it. Both front seats are equipped with airbags.


Rear seats felt comfortable and have fixed head restraints. No 60:40 split folding facility, which is a shame. Three adults sitting on it is a bit of a squeeze. Legroom is good enough.


The car is equipped with six airbags- Two in the front, two in the front seats and two on the sides(curtain airbags). Airbags in front seats meant the dealership was refusing to install seat covers for the car.Apparently Ford does not provide seat covers for the Figo Titanium+ model. Weirdly, the similarly equipped Titanium+ trim on the Aspire comes with Leather seat covers!!!

Driver's side Airbag


Passenger side Airbag


Seat Airbag(Both front seats)


Curtain Airbag(on both sides), because of which there are no grab handles in the cabin.


The front seatbelts are height adjustable. I felt that the seat belt recoils too fast once released from its buckle.Its advised to hold the seal belt once its released to avoid the belt hitting anything when recoiling.


The legroom for the driver is just about sufficient. No space for dead pedal, even if I wanted to make one and install it. As mentioned earlier, the OEM mats are not big enough to cover the entire carpet area (Maxspider 3D mats for Fiesta/Ecosport which fit the new Figo perfectly are underneath the mats)


Handbrake & Storage spaces. Unlike The Grand i10's handbrake, which feels cheap to operate, the Figo's handbrake is quite good, less noisy to operate and doesn't feel cheap.


Storage space for water bottles on the door panel


Hidden Storage space on the dashboard(best for keeping a cloth)


There is no dedicated lock button the door. The handle doubles up as a lock (wish it was chrome). Push the handle to lock the door and push it outwards to unlock the door. The doors autolock after the car crosses 20 kmph.


The interior lamps and position lamps illuminate when you unlock the doors with the remote entry system. Once you open the door, the car welcomes you inside by lighting up the instrument cluster lights, AC and infotainment system lights (the screen also powers up and displays the time & date). The same lights light up if you remove the key from the ignition, as if for the time being, its bidding you goodbye.



Glovebox. Unlike the Grand i10 & i20, it has no AC vent for cooling.


Both Sun Visors have vanity mirrors


Seat Belt Warning. If the the driver hasn't fastened his seatbelt and car exceeds 20kmph speed, the driver's seatbelt warning lamp illuminates on the Instrument cluster and an audible warning will sound. The audio warning will sound intermittently and the seatbelt warning lamp on the instrument cluster will stay illuminated till the driver fastens his seatbelt. If the driver doesn't fasten his seat belt and keeps ignoring the audio warnings(which is an idiotic thing to do), both warnings will switch off automatically after about five minutes. Another thing to note is that unlike other cars where the seatbelt warning light illuminates irrespective of the speed, the warning lamp on the Figo only comes on if the car's speed exceeds 20 kmph and it will stay after that till the seatbelt is fastened.

[skanchan95]

SYNC® with Applink™
The Car comes equipped with a Voice Command system. Once you have paired your mobile phone with the infotainment system, you can use voice commands to dial your contacts from the mobile phone. It allows you to play music, make and receive hands-free calls and call phone
contacts by simply speaking their names. Its a female voice that confirms the commands you give to the system and as per Wikipedia, Ford calls the female voice device(Sync) as Samantha.


Mic for the Voice command System & Bluetooth Telephony


Once you press the "Speak/Listen" button on the steering wheel, the following menu comes up on the screen


Voice Command - Phone
To Call one of your contacts, either say Call <Contact name>(Make sure you have downloaded contacts from the phone first) OR say "Phone" to go to the Phone Menu. The system is able to understand our accent well. There were a couple of names which I had to say the name in a superficial foreign accent for the system to understand. The system confirms verbally "Calling XYZ" before dialing the phonebook contact.


If you have stored your contact name in CAPITALs, you have to say each and every alphabet. For e.g you have saved a contact as SANDESH, you will have to say Call <S-A-N-D-E-S-H>. If there are multiple numbers stored under a contact name, the system will ask which number to dial? 1 or 2? (with numbers displayed, displayed numbers distorted on purpose).


You can also use voice commands to dial a number. Say Dial <Numerals of the Mobile/landline number> , but it takes a little time for the system to listen to and confirm the individual numerals of the phone number, so its better to use the keypad on the infotainment system for that purpose.




Voice Command - USB
You can command the system to play your USB directly by saying "Play USB". You can also command it to play a particular Artist or Track directly - "Play Artist <Artist name>" or "Play Track <Track name>".


For e.g, when I said "Play Track Lucky Strike", the system played the song "Lucky Strike"(it confirmed verbally before playing the song - "Now Playing Lucky Strike by the artist Maroon 5"):


Pressing the "Phone" button on the Central Console takes you to the various options. You can browse through your contacts manually alphabetically - A to H, I to P, Q to Z. For e.g If I wanted to dial Rahul Bajpai, I simply press the corresponding button the central console for "Q to Z". Hyundai's system on the Grand i10 does not let you do this. You have to scroll all the way down to R from A, which seems a bit irritating now.


You can also access SMS's in your phone. For some weird reason, after downloading the SMSes in to the Infotainment system, it was showing all senders as "Unknown".


Emergency Assistance
In the event of an accident where an airbag deploys or the fuel pump shuts off, Emergency Assistance uses your paired mobile phone to contact emergency operators and give them your exact location. The microphone is turned on so anyone in the vehicle can speak to the operator, even if they can’t reach the controls. I am not sure which number the system will dial for emergencies.


Ford Sync -Apps
Three Apps are supported, ESPNCricinfo, MapmyIndia Explore & Glympse and they can be used with Voice Control. I haven't tried Glympse, but the other two apps work just fine. Your mobile must be connected via Bluetooth to the system and mobile data must be enabled on the phone for the system to read data from the mobile app. Other than enabling the mobile data, I didn't have to do anything else on the mobile for the system to fetch data from the mobile phone. The system is able to access various Menus on the app and read/transmit data from its on its own. All menus in the app can be accessed via Voice Commands. When using apps, music played by USB or CD or FM will be muted by the system.


ESPNCricinfo

Options displayed. If any live Matches are being played, you can view live scores on the screen by selecting the appropriate optioṇ. The Results menu seemed to be not working properly - It wasn't showing any results from just concluded matches.

News:


Once connected, the ESPNCricinfo app screen on my mobile phone changed to:


MaymyIndia Explore


Once you press "My Location" button, it will show you your approximate GPS location (to the nearest landmark)

You can use the app to search for nearby Petrol Pumps, Banks, ATMs, Hotels/Restaurants, Places to see etc. Based on your current location, it will show you the nearby places. For e.g I chose Petrol Pumps, and it displayed the nearby petrol pumps. Once you say the line number, it will tell you(audio only) its approximate distance from your current location. Sadly there is now way for the system work like a Navigator and show you directions on screen (the app can work like a Navigator on the mobile though).


Once connected, the MMI Explore app screen on my mobile phone changed to:


If any door is open, the screen displays the exact door that is open.


Any changes in the AC controls is shown on the screen


Ford MyKey®

The system works like a limiter. Speed Limits, Overspeed Warning & Maximum volume can be set. Maximum Speed limit can be set using the admin key( 100 -130 kmph). The car will not accelerate beyond the set speed once it is set, no matter how much your try. Once the speed limit is reached, the engine RPM will not increase beyond it, even if you try to floor the throttle. Speed Warning can be set from 70 kmph to 100 kmph. Once the set speed is reached there is a an audio (clicking sounds) & visual warning on the screen.
Before trying to set the Limits using Ford MyKey, please make sure that you have both keys with you in case you want to change any of the limits. In case the car is hypothecated to a bank or financing company, and the other key is with them, do not try changing the settings with the key that you have. As I understand, both keys can be used to set the Mykey limits, but only one( the admin key - non-remote) can be used to unlock the MyKey settings. As my car is under loan, I had to run to the bank to borrow the spare key to change/cancel the Mykey settings. One very good thing I noticed is that once the Mykey settings are active, it will not let the driver operate the audio if he doesn't wear the seatbelt. Kudos to Ford for offering such safety features.

[skanchan95]

One of the first things that struck me was the gorgeous front end of the new Figo.


Side View. There is a silver insert on the fender. In the lower variants(Base & Ambiente), there is an indicator in its place.


Personally I did not like the silver insert on the fender and would have preferred it to be absent on the higher trims(i.e to have dedicated fenders with no holes/inserts for the Trend & Titanium trims, which have indicators on the ORVMs). Like this:


Rear View. Pretty Simple and not as dramatic as the Elite i20.


With the other car in our family and the Figo's rival, the Grand i10.


Loved the front bumper design.


The keyhole on the tailgate looks hopelessly out of place. There is no handle to hold on to while opening the tailgate. There is a small scoop on the lower edge for pulling it open though. The tailgate can be opened either from the inside or by pressing the tailgate unlock button on the flipkey twice. The tailgate cannot be opened independently with the key, making the keyhole pretty much useless! You can unlock the tailgate with the key but unless you use the remote to unlock(again) the tailgate, you cannot pull the tailgate open. Like the silver insert on the fender, this keyhole could have been avoided on the Titanium trim.


Hated the long, ugly antenna. Got a mini antenna instead from the local car accessories shop.


Door Handle. Felt harder to operate compared to Hyundai cars. The sound when you close the door makes one feel that rattles will start cropping up soon and the door closing sound (on the outside) made my brother remark that it sounds like the door of a truck. The doors in our Grand i10 felt heavier than the Figo's and they close with a more assuring thud sound.


Lip bumper


A similar rubber lip bumper used to be there in the first generation i20, as seen here in our old i20. It helped a lot in saving the bumper from scratches and big stones. But the i20's lip bumper was much thicker and sturdier than the Figo's.


Headlamp cluster


Side RVM with mirror mounted indicators. Didn’t like the dull finish of the indicator covers, should have been more transparent like Hyundai’s, may have looked better and the indicators would have looked brighter .


Front Foglamp.


Tail lamp cluster(both tail lamp clusters have a reversing and a fog lamp each).


Cost cutting evident. Poor fit & Finish on the boot padding(Look at the gap).


175/65 R14 Apollo Amazer 3GMaxx Tyres. Spare is a full size steel wheel. I liked the shape of the alloys.


Keys : One flip key(With remote locking) & one regular(non -remote)

The same Flipkey with Silicone Cover(from ebay):

Regular key(non-remote):


The car is equipped with a Security System. If the Alarm is triggered, there will be Continuous Horn Beeps and the Headlamps/Indicators will flash.

The manual is common to Figo and Aspire models (Unlike Grand i10/Xcent's, where Hyundai has given dedicated manuals). Quality of paper,printing and binding is top class.


Accessories Fitted:
1. Leather Steering Wheel Cover
2. Mini antenna.
3. Seat Covers.

The 16S20 Airbag RCM update was done on April 27, 2016. The company claimed that the affected Figo/Aspire may contain a software error, which could result in the airbags not deploying in certain collisions in which they are intended to deploy. The update corrected the error.


Ford offers Two Free services only (1st service : 3 months/2500 kms, 2nd service : 12 months/10,000 kms). Hyundai on the other hand offers three (1st service : 2 months/1500 kms, 2nd service : 12 months/10,000 kms, 3rd service : 24 months/20,000 kms).

[skanchan95]

First major accident & Cauvery Ford’s Poor Response!!!
On the evening of May 14, 2016, a stupid and clearly under aged kid on a scooter banged car's driver's side door from behind. I had parked on the car on the road side at a spot where I assumed the car would be safe from careless two wheel drivers. I always make it a point to look behind before opening the door. It was clear and I opened the door but this kid appeared out of nowhere. He was too fast and lost control of his rickety scooter on the curve. The inner side of the partially open door took the full impact of the scooter and it opened outwards fully, breaking one of the hinges and crumpling the door at multiple places, the inner edges of the fender also got scratched. As the hinge broke and the door got displaced from it position and got jammed, it would not close. It was quite cloudy and looked like it was about to rain. I did not want to stand there and argue with that stupid kid while it rained, which would surely have caused the interiors of the car to get wet. I let him go and wanted to reach home as early as possible, holding the door with my right hand while driving. Luckily it did not rain till I reached home.

As it was a Saturday, I had to wait till Monday to take the car to the workshop.









The car was dropped at Cauvery Ford's Baikampady workshop on May 16, 2016. I was told by the SA that the door will have to be replaced as it will be difficult to get the original finish and shape on the damaged door. Insurance Claim was filed as repair charges would have costed upwards of Rs 12,000. I handed over my Driving License and necessary papers and as per the RO, the car was supposed to be delivered on May 19, 2016. I was told that at the time of leaving the car that hinges were not in stock and might take two days to arrive.

On May 20, I went to the workshop to take back my driving license. I was told that the hinges had still not come and that they hadn't started work on the car. The car will probably be delivered on May 23/24 I was told.

On May 24, I called the workshop again. I was again told that the hinges had still not come. Surprised at the delay, I visited the workshop on May 26, where I found that the car was almost ready. The new front door had been painted & refitted and the front fender had been painted. The B-pillar vinyl strip was supposed to come that evening and I was told that the car will be ready the next day. On May 27, 2016 the car was finally delivered to me. Not surprisingly I had to call them to confirm that the car was ready before I left for the workshop. I was disappointed that no one from their workshop bothered to inform me about the delays. It was me who had to check with them every time. Eleven days just to replace a door was disappointing.

Total Repair bill was Rs 12,475. Insurance covered Rs 9912 and I had to pay Rs 2563. After paying bill's balance amount, I was asked to fill a feedback form. I said I will fill it later & post it to them as I wanted to look at the car thoroughly before giving the feedback.

It was my mistake that I did not check the car thoroughly that day as I was in a hurry. The paint matching & finish was close enough to the rest of the body paint, with almost nil paint mismatch. Happily, I took the car home. That afternoon I left for Coorg for a weekend vacation (not in the Figo).

Coming back on Monday,May 30, 2016, something caught my eye when I was about to get in the car. There were minute air bubbles, pinholes and what looked like dust particles on the surface, which seemed to have been painted over on the door & fender. Paint also seemed to have faded to a dull hue at a few places on the new door. Paint overspray marks and pinholes were there even on the driver's side rear door and quarter panel (that were not even supposed to be touched in the first place!!!!).

Disappointed by this, I sent an e-mail to the workshop and their sales department the next day(May 31,2016) along with the Feedback Form, in which I did not give them flattering ratings. I also posted the Feedback Form along with a letter to the workshop by Registered post(which was delivered to them on June 02, 2016). A week went by, and no response from Cauvery Ford. Not even a service feedback call that the workshop is supposed to give to the customer to find out if he /she was satisfied with the work done or not!!!!

To me, it seemed as though they were not interested in addressing the complaint or didn’t know how to handle it.

As I recall, my one and only complaint so far to Advaith Hyundai about repaint work on our i10 had evoked a completely opposite response. They were responsible and gracious enough to call back immediately upon receipt of the e-mail to check what was wrong. I was requested to get the car the next day and they rectified the issue to my satisfaction. If they wanted, they could have hid behind the “Our responsibility is over once you take delivery of your car. No further claims will be entertained“ clause and done nothing. But they were responsible enough to see to it that the mistakes were rectified.

I saw how Cauvery Ford reacted to my customer complaint, and sadly their response was nowhere close to Advaith. Eventhough both facilities are owned by the same parent group, customer relations management and service standards of both places should have been same, which clearly wasn't.

Irritated by their irresponsible behavior and with the fear that they might do the same or worse mistakes again during repair, I decided to give the car to The Pitstop Carz Spa, Mangalore for repairs. I wanted the car back to its original self and I could think of no one except Carz Spa. I also registered a complaint with Ford customer care over the issue on June 06, 2016. Other than a typical auto e-mail response, I got nothing.

On the morning of June 07, 2016, I dropped the car at The Pitstop Carz Spa, Mangalore for repairs. The entire right side paint(except the bumpers) had to be scrubbed off and repainted. Apart from this, I also asked for underbody anti-rust coating and paint protection coating also(for the side that was being repainted. I had got the paint protection coating done about two weeks before the accident). Based on their reputation and an earlier repair job on our old i20, I had full faith in them that they will be able to do a far better job than Cauvery Ford.

This is what they had managed to achieve earlier on our old i20 a couple of years ago. The hatch door and rear bumper were to be repainted(the clear coat on the hatch door had started to peel off and there was some paint fading because of an earlier poor repair job by Om Hyundai, Junagadh, GJ. The bumper had a few scratches all over). After the repaint, There was barely any difference in the paint shade on the bumper, tailgate and rest of the car, that too for a car that was about four years old at the time of the repaint work.


Suddenly, Ford seemed to have woken up. Around 11 AM on June 07, 2016,I got a call from the Works Manager, Cauvery Ford, Baikampady asking me to get the car to the workshop and that they will have a look at the car and rectify the mistakes. I said there was no question of that happening as I was tired of waiting for their response and I was afraid that the same painting mistakes will be repeated. I had already dropped the car at an independent workshop for repairs. He claimed that they had re-painted so many cars and mine was first such complaint. He also claimed that he received no such e-mail from me and that the hard copy of the feedback from and my letter was received by him only a day earlier(whereas the tracking report of the letter told an entirely different story!).

He seemed to be suggesting that the SA who was looking after our car's repair work at the bodyshop, suddenly resigned and there was some communication gap and chaos because of this, but he said he took responsibility for it and was willing to get the car repaired at the workshop. I thanked him for the call and said there was no question of getting the car back to the workshop.

An hour later, there was a call from Ford customer care. The guy told me they had taken up the issue with the workshop and he asked to me drop the car at the workshop. I told him the car has already been dropped at an independent workshop for repairs and that the entire right side of the car has to be repainted and that even if I gave the car to the workshop for repairs, I wasn't confident that they will do a good job, based on their utter disregard for my complaint. He apologized and said such mistakes will not happen in the future as the matter has been taken up seriously by their service department with the workshop.

I got the car back from Carz Spa on June 21, 2016 (I was away from Mangalore on a business trip for a week). The end result was simply fantastic. Mr Sanjay Shet & his crew at The Pitstop Carz Spa, Mangalore did a wonderful job on the car. The paint finish & matching was simply superb. The immense care that they took and passion and dedication with which they worked on the car clearly showed in the end result. Unlike, Cauvery Ford's work, there are no defects in the repaint job. He was gracious enough to not charge me for the paint protection coating,which was redone on the entire car. The repair work did cost a good amount of money, but I was thoroughly satisfied with their repair and repaint job. To anyone in Mangalore who wishes to get their car detailing, restoration or accident repairs done, I highly recommend The Pitstop Carz Spa.

Pics from the repair work at The Pitstop Carz Spa, Mangalore. Pictures courtesy of Mr Sanjay Shet. He kept me updated on the work being done on the car.






End result:




I can only hope that this experience with Cauvery Ford was a one off and that I will have better experience next time. Ironically, while the car was being repaired by Pitstop Carz Spa in Mangalore, I saw this wall clock in a guest house in Kolkata. It contained a very meaningful message, probably relevant to the service experience I just had with Ford.



Powertrain Malfunction Warning
On two occasions, the power malfunction lamp lit up on the Instrument Cluster while the car was being driven. As per the manual,

If the lamp illuminates when the engine is running, it indicates a malfunction. The engine will continue to run but it may have limited power. If it flashes when you are driving, reduce the speed of your vehicle immediately. If it continues to flash, avoid heavy acceleration or deceleration. Have your vehicle checked by an authorized dealer immediately.

On May 01, 2016:

There seemed to be no noticeable difference in the engine's behavior. Restarting the car got rid of the warning light.

On June 22, 2016:

Again, the light came on when is the car was being driven. Worried, I immediately drove to the workshop in Baikampady. As per the technician, the error being shown on the OBD reader was "Engine Overcrank" Error. I was asked whether I had repeatedly cranked the engine, to which I said no. They cleared the error and the error hasn't recurred so far.

The curious case of cellophane tapes
In case anyone observed, there are strips of what looks like thick cellophane tape stuck on the rear doors & on the boot.
Boot(Quarter Panel edge)

Rear door:

As the right side of the car was completely repainted, this tape on the right side of the boot had to be removed. Since the tape is no longer there on the right side, I found that there are minute impact marks, of something hitting that area when the tailgate is closed (marked in the picture).

Those tapes possibly shield the body from such impacts. Any idea where one can get such a thick cellophane tape? The ones you get in the market are too thin.

The car has clocked around 1400 kms so far. Based on the experience of driving the car so far, My likes & dislikes about the car are as below

Likes:

• Focus on safety - 6 Airbags!!!
• Chiller AC
• Smooth gear shift.
• Decent ground clearance.
• Nice driving position. Easy ingress and egress
• Ford Sync/Applink - Voice Commands for Telephony, Audio systems and Mobile Apps

Dislikes:

• Ugly and unnecessary keyhole on the boot.
• Rear seat head restraints are fixed, not adjustable.
• Rattle Prone Door Pads
• Slightly cramped footwell

Things that I am going to keep an eye on:

• Rattles
• Fuel Efficiency, which seems to be dropping rather than going up. But that could be because of rains - bad roads and sow moving traffic.
• Ford's Service

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing the report.

[AYP]

Congrats on the new Figo.

I prefer the silver insert steering of the Figo over the black insert of the Aspire.

BTW, wouldn't the seat covers hamper the deployment of the side airbags?

[ptaneja]

Congrats dude for the car!! Nice Choice!

Wooahh!! Repainting on a new car?! That too from independent detailer and not from dealer under warranty??!

For thick tape, you can use 3M double side tape, just don't peel off the top layer.

[vdm295]

Congrats Sandesh on purchase of this beautiful looking Ford Figo. I was sorry to hear about the kid banging into your brand new car. The parents should be held responsible who give their kids to drive the two wheeler without the valid license. It's very unfortunate that you had a very bad experience with the ASS. This is the major problem with Ford. Even I have a Ford fiesta & the car is just awesome but the ASS is just pathetic.
I would suggest you to buy an OBD scanner and fix it to your car. In case of any problem arises you can scan it yourself and identify the problem & clear the errors without going to the ASS. In case it reappears then you can think of going to the ASS.
Hope now you would enjoy your car for many more miles to come.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by AYP

BTW, wouldn't the seat covers hamper the deployment of the side airbags?

It may but I did not have a choice. Since the seats are made of fabric and in the absence of seat covers, it would surely become a nightmare to maintain in the long run. Besides that, we have a dog who just has to go on a car ride once in while. Dog hair & drool marks on the fabric are tough to remove. So I had to go for art leather seat covers that are easier to maintain.

Originally Posted by ptaneja

Wooahh!! Repaiting on a new car?! That too from independent detailer and not from dealer under warranty??!

Well, the authorized workshop managed to mess up the entire right side of the car in the first attempt and on top of that they were not responding to my complaint. I did not see any point in going to the workshop an making a scene out of it. From past experience, I can say that constant complaining(inspite of you being on the right side) can result in the workshop damaging the car even more, on purpose. In that case, the headache and heartache that follow are simply not worth it. Now, I am not saying this workshop would do the same, but I did not have confidence in them after they failed to respond in time.

Besides that, I knew the quality of work that Carz Spa does and one has to see it to believe it. The photos do not do justice to the kind of finish that they have managed to achieve on the car.

[DragonHawk]

Congrats Sandesh for your ride and kudos to you for giving importance to safety and opting for Titanium+.

Surprised to see the power windows switches are not illuminated. I believe this is a glaring omission as 1st gen Figo has this.

I certainly agree with your point that on a long run it is difficult to maintain the fabric. God forbid this shouldn`t happen but adding the seat cover will not only hamper the air bag deployment and also wouldn`t justify the purpose of buying a car with 6 air bags. So with the preference to safety I would suggest you to remove it at the earliest.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Since the seats are made of fabric and in the absence of seat covers, it would surely become a nightmare to maintain in the long run. Besides that, we have a dog who just has to go on a car ride once in while. Dog hair & drool marks on the fabric are tough to remove. So I had to go for art leather seat covers that are easier to maintain.

Please remove the seat covers from the front seats if you value your life and that of your near and dear ones.
An airbag inflates at 200 miles per hour, and contained under a seat cover - that's more than a bomb my friend.
Keep the rear seat covers - for the front seats, please remove the covers and use fabric seat protectors like 3M scotchguard / Gtechniq I1 smart fabric etc.

[SKavuri]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Itn the car.

You mentioned that you are a sedate driver, but still, could you give your feelings on the performance of the car?
Thanks.