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Old 30th January 2018, 23:16   #1
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Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

The 'engine' just did it for me.

Throughout the review, you will find comparisons of this car with the previous gen Fiesta and the VW Jetta as these are the cars that I have driven the most along with my current ride. So hop on, grab some popcorn and keep on reading.

Last edited by AYP : 3rd February 2018 at 17:42.
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Old 31st January 2018, 00:10   #2
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

I am going to start with some history first. These are the cars which have been owned by my family in the past-

1. Maruti 800 SB308(2nd generation/1st facelift).

This was acquired in 1996. No alternatives considered. Yes, I do remember my childhood journeys in this car. I used to play with the steering sometimes when the car was parked. And I used to get the steering locked by becoming over-enthusiastic.

2. Fiat Palio 1.2 which came home in 2003.

That's me peeking at you.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-dsc00480.jpg

Well, this one had a lot of space. That is all I was able to take from this car. Santro and the Wagon-R were considered. I was keen on the Santro mainly due to its looks whereas the family was leaning more towards the Wagon-R. Finally, we all won. This car definitely had a 'big' car feel when compared to the competition, just like the Indica did.

3. Ford Fiesta 1.4 ZXI petrol.

This car came home in 2007 and I remember accompanying my dad to the showroom for the test drive of the car(I was way below the legal age to drive at that time). Alternatives considered were the Logan, SX4 and the City. This was the car which I started to drive after I learnt driving. The memory of driving this car for the very first time is still fresh in my mind. Coming from an Indica, I found the 'power' steering behaviour of the car to be quite different. I was actually taken aback and thought that perhaps this is how the 'power steering' of a more expensive car is supposed to behave.
Only later did I realise that it had nothing much to do with the power steering but with the way in which Ford has tuned the steering to provide excellent feedback to the driver. Of course, the presence of HPS did elevate the feedback. God I miss the feedback! Other than that the car had solid build and being a Ford, was a great handler. Power was not more but enough and the mileage which I used to get was around 10 in mixed conditions. My friends who used to sit behind me during the drives in this car used to ask me to move my seat ahead. But all I could say was-'Hey, I can't compromise on my perfect driving position'.

The best part about the car-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fiesta-steering.jpg


4. VW Jetta 2.0 TDI Comfortline.

We got this one in August 2015, thought this is the pre-facelift model. What an engine! What a car! Alternatives considered were rejected as soon as we got a good deal on the pre-facelift version. Though the other nominees were the Creta CRDI, the Elantra CRDI(which was our pick otherwise), the Vento TDI DSG and the Corolla D-4D. The best thing about the car is the turbo-kick. I ensure that I drive in such a way that I get to experience the turbo-kick in the second gear, especially when I am driving alone. Even though the software 'update' has slightly blunted this kick especially in the third gear, it is still a hoot to drive and a very sorted, all rounded package.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-jetta.jpg

I am pretty sure that some of you must have noted that all the cars in our garage have been the enthusiast's choice in their own segment. By hook or crook, these cars have always found their way in our home.

Last edited by AYP : 3rd February 2018 at 15:36.
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Old 31st January 2018, 01:00   #3
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

So, the itch for a new car became too hard not to scratch after I completed a year with my first job. The hunt for a new car started in the first week of August 2017(5th of August to be precise). The budget was fixed at around 7 lakhs. I didn't care about the body type and the engine type of the car as long as it came under my budget and made me happy. My main criteria was having a car which is nimble to drive(read- good handling) and provides good amount of power at my disposal. With a budget of 7L, I knew that I could not be choosy when it came to power but I had to make the best out of the options which were available. Got to say, the Jetta had me completely spoilt. Features and the build quality of the car had the second preference in my books. Interior look was much more important than the exteriors'. Space was not too important, it just had to be enough. And of course, I was going to consider all the above parameters only if the car came equipped with dual airbags and ABS.

The cars in contention were-

1. The Baleno Delta Petrol

2. The New Dzire Petrol

3. The Elite i20 petrol

4. The Grand i10 petrol

5. The Aspire Petrol

6. The Figo Diesel

7. The VW Ameo Diesel

8. The VW Ameo Petrol

So, let the test drives begin.

Most of the upcoming images have been taken from the Team-Bhp official reviews. Got to say, they are the best.

The Baleno

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-marutibaleno24.jpg

Being a car enthusiast and a BHPian, I had done all my prior research beforehand and had mentally almost finalised the Baleno Delta as my next ride. I had a feeling that the other cars won't be as good as the Baleno or would be out of my budget or would be vetoed by my father. With this intent on my mind, first I went to the nearby Nexa Vashi, which is in Turbhe. My parents were accompanying me. I was greeted by the manager and was asked to wait for a while. I have to admit that the Nexa showrooms do look swell. The whole ambience and the smell of coffee in the air does feel good. However, this was not why I was here. So, in the meanwhile I started checking out the Ignis as there was no Baleno on display. Shortly, I was greeted by Mr. Prajapati. When asked for a test drive, the answer was negative. He insisted for a test drive on the diesel variant which I politely denied. Upon this, he told me that they will arrange the test drive car shortly and off we went to Maruti.

The Dzire

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-2017marutidzire01.jpg

The Desire for the Dzire was something which I never imagined I would have, before the new model came in. The new Dzire is a looker especially in the top-end trim. One thing that I have noticed about the newly launched Marutis(Baleno, Swift, Dzire, Ignis and the pre-facelift S-Cross) is that half the charm of the car is lost as soon as you start considering any other variant than the top-end. I agree that every car looks the best in its top-trim, but this difference is too much in the new Marutis. Upon reaching the nearby SK Maruti, we had a sense of deja vu as there was no test drive vehicle available. I gave my details to the SA and off we went to the nearby Hyundai showroom.

The Hyundai Trio

To know more about the sibling rivalry between the Grand i10, the Elite i20 and the Xcent, refer to this thread- http://http://www.team-bhp.com/forum...-vs-xcent.html
The Hyundai showroom was much more busy than the previous Maruti showrooms, inspite of this, my SA Mr. Shaikh was allotted to me very shortly. I inquired about the prices of the trio and the variants which matched my minimum safety criteria were-

1. The Grand i10 Asta(7.55L)

2. The Elite i20 Sportz(7.65L)

3. The Xcent SX(7.95L)

The SA Mr. Shaikh was willing to give me a 50k discount on the Grand i10 even before the test drive, whereas only a small 20k discount was available on the i20 and negligible discounts for the Xcent(perhaps due to the fact that the facelift had been launched only a couple of months ago). Talking about the facelift, I have never liked the way the Xcent looks(even after the facelift). However, on that day, I saw the Xcent in the new Marina blue shade and it was the first time I actually liked it. The Marina blue shade looks great in each and every other Hyundai as well. If I had to go for the i20 or the Xcent, I would have gone with this shade, though with the Grand i10, red would have been my choice.

I figured that the Xcent would be stretching my budget too much and I would rather go with the i20 Sportz or the i20 Asta over the Xcent SX. Such a shame that Hyundai does not provide dual airbags and ABS on the lower variants of these cars. I decided to test drive the Grand i10 and the Elite i20.

The Grand i10

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-i10.jpg

The interiors of the car look good and everything right from the switches to the stalks were of good quality. All these things do make you happy especially for the price you pay. Starting the engine, you can feel the refinement. The gearbox is easy to use and is much smoother in operation than the Jetta, forget the Fords. The clutch is light as well. Took it on empty patch of road and the performance was adequate. The steering was also decent in terms of feedback at higher speeds and not feather light. Overall, I found the car to be quite good especially when you consider the overall package being offered at around Rs. 7L.

The Elite i20

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-hyundaielitei2032.jpg

The interiors of the car are drool worthy. While the Polo might be more elegant and better build than the i20, the i20 beats it on opulence. To start off, it has the similar characteristics as the Grand i10. Good refinement and easy to use gearbox and light clutch. However, performance is where the i20 lacks. Took it on an empty patch. It was time to test the power of the engine. Was on 4th gear at 40 and floored the accelerator. The car simply refused to move. The i10 was better in this regard. On commenting that the i20's steering felt lighter than the i10, the SA replied that it has been tuned like that as the i20 is a bigger car. A silent Hmmpphh was my response. Overall, was not very impressed with the performance of the car but the overall package was good.

Took the final quotes for the i10 as well as the i20. The i20 was being offered to me for 7.35L whereas the I was getting a whooping 70k discount on the Grand i10. At 6.85L, the Grand i10 was definitely tempting. What made the i10's case stronger was the omission of features like reverse parking sensors, reverse camera and automatic climate control from the Sportz variant of the Elite i20 after the variant re-shuffling done by Hyundai in early 2017. Though the i20 Sportz had all the minimum features I needed and nothing more. Meanwhile, we had got calls from both Nexa and Maruti that the test drive car had arrived.

The Baleno returns

The test drive car was the Zeta variant. The first thing I noticed was how average the cabin quality is when you compare it to the Hyundai. That being said, the Baleno's cabin has more flair than both the Hyundai cars. Took the Baleno on the same stretch as before and floored the accelerator. All those comments I had read on Team-Bhp about the Hyundai's 1.2 petrol being uninspiring became very clear. The car felt much better to drive than the Hyundai sisters and I could picture myself enjoying this car on my drives. The gearbox was nice and sure slotting. Short throws made it fun to use. The handling was quite neutral and the steering had better weight than the Hyundai's. My father also commented on how this engine feels much more lively than the Hyundai's. Overall, came back impressed and took the quote for the Delta variant which was coming to around 7.15L on-road with the basic accessories included. Being a Maruti hot selling product, there was no discount on offer.

The Dzire returns

The test drive car was the top end ZXI+ which was looking drool worthy in the blue shade. I was impressed with the newly designed flat bottom steering. I looked and felt much better than that of the Baleno. I was expecting the driving experience to be similar to that of the Baleno, however, it left me surprised in a good way. The car felt much more nimble on its toes when compared to the Baleno. The lighter weight and perhaps a slightly lighter steering was helping its cause. The car a bit bouncy at higher speeds and undulations at higher speeds were not taken very kindly by the car. Overall, the driving experience was better than the Baleno. As I handed over the keys to my father, had a chance to sit in the back row and check out the interior and its quality. Upon keen observation, I was able to find some rough edges here and there. The plastic quality felt a grade below the Baleno, though the build quality actually felt better than the Baleno. The overdose of beige was something I didn't quite like. The Dzire VXI was being offered for 7.31L with no accessories included.

Dzire vs Baleno

It was quite a close call between the Dzire and the Baleno. The Dzire felt better to drive but the interiors felt a notch below the Baleno. A point which I observed is that when the plastic quality of your car is average, all black interiors do a better job of hiding it. Another thing which I had to factor in was the features in the Delta variant vis-a-vis the Dzire VXI. I was getting bigger tyres, reverse parking sensors, electrically foldable mirrors and automatic climate control in the Baleno Delta all of which were lacking in the Dzire VXI. So I decided to stick with the Baleno if I had to choose between any one of these Marutis. And at this point of time, I was done with the i20 at least.

To all those who are confused between the Dzire and the Baleno, I'd suggest that it is better to stick with the Baleno if you are looking at the lower variants of the cars, but the Dzire is the car to go for if you are looking at the higher variants of these cars,i.e. ZXI vs Zeta or the ZXI+ vs Alpha. Even here the Baleno has a few extra features, but the drive of the Dzire and the LED projectors in the ZXI+ more than makes up for it.

The Figo Twins

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fordfigo31.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fordfigoaspire01.jpg

Looks like we went for our car search on a bad day. No test drives available of either the Aspire Petrol or the Figo Diesel. Came back with the price list of both the cars. The Figo diesel was exceeding my budget by a decent margin whereas the Aspire Petrol Titanium was something I could go for. Small discount was available for the cars in stock and the discount was the least for the Trend variant as they had more Titanium variants in stock. Gave my details to the SA Mrs. Bharati and left. This was at Bhavna Ford Nerul.

Visiting the German

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-vwameo01.jpg

Went to Autobahn Nerul. The showroom was a bit gloomy and only 1 family was there in the showroom other than us. Checked out the Ameo and was impressed with the overall build quality. Asked the SA to arrange the test drive of both the petrol and the diesel variant. One thing I noticed about the Ameo is that the front doors close with a 'thunk' whereas the rear doors close with a 'thud'. I also tried this with a Polo and the Vento as well with the same results. To the owners of these vehicles, do feel the same with your car?

The Ameo Petrol

Drove the petrol first and was instantly reminded of this review by Abhishek46- http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...pi-engine.html.

The engine is quite audible and more so when you floor it. The power build up is linear and there is no sense of occasion when you rev the motor. That being said, I felt that this engine was better than the Hyundai's 1.2 Kappa. Or maybe this can be attributed to all the sound which was creeping into the cabin which made it appear to be working better than the 1.2 Kappa .

The Ameo Diesel

The car starts like a typical VW diesel engine. It is a bit noisy on the outside, though on the inside the sound insulation is decent. Vibrations do creep in though. Took it on a empty stretch and floored the accelerator in the second gear. I was left grinning from ear to ear once the turbo kicked in and was instantly reminded of the Jetta. Had a blast during the test drive and even the acceleration from 40 in the fourth gear was quite good. The car had enough power to pull cleanly from any speed.

The quote given to me for the Ameo diesel was 7.4L after a 40k discount for the Trendline version. This car though, as I feared was vetoed by my father. His view was that being my first car, a Volkswagen would be expensive to own and part replacement would be expensive too. He was against having two VWs at home . There was a lot of sense in what he was saying. Add to this, the presence of negligible features on the Trendline variant, made the Ameo a very impractical buy. With a sad heart, I rejected the Ameo.

The First Choice

Finally, the decision came down to the Baleno and the Grand i10. The Baleno had a better engine and was a full segment above the Grand i10. The Hyundai has better build quality, much more features a lower price. Finally, after a lot of thinking and consulting(with a few BHPians as well) booked the Baleno by paying 11k. Was told that the waiting period is 16 weeks, though realistically speaking, the car was being delivered in 6-8 weeks.

Hyundai Calling

Soon after I booked the Baleno, I got a call from Mr. Shaikh about my decision. When I told him about my decision, he asked me if he really found the Baleno to be better than the i20 to which I responded yes. To be very frank, my experience with Sharayu Hyundai and with the sales advisor Mr. Shaikh was the best and it did feel bad rejecting his excellent deal. I know that it is ultimately the product that sells, but a good sales advisor can go a long way in tilting someone's decision especially someone who is not very well versed with the automotive scene of India.

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Old 31st January 2018, 22:13   #4
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

The second round

I got a call from Mrs. Bharati the next Monday stating that the test drive vehicles are available and I could come for the test drives anytime I want. She also told me that she tried calling me the next day but my phone was unreachable, I do remember that Airtel was giving me some connection problem at my home for a couple of months around that time. Told her to wait till the coming weekend.

Aspire Petrol

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fordfigoaspire01.jpg

As the weekend arrived, I arrived at Bhavna Ford Nerul. I checked out the Aspire Trend on display. Even the Aspire and Figo had gone through a variant re-positioning and the Trend variant had taken the biggest hit. Still, it did satisfy my basic requirements from the car. The build quality was better than the Marutis but far from the Hyundais and the VW. Soon, we went off to test drive the petrol Aspire. Upon, starting the engine, I was reminded of the refinement of my Fiesta petrol. After having gone through the reviews of this engine online, I was not expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Well, the engine is no scorcher but it is quite decent. I could see myself driving this car but to be very frank, this car had no USP over the Dzire and the Baleno other than its better high speed stability.

Verdict- Rejected.

Figo Diesel

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fordfigo31.jpg

Start the engine and you can feel that there is an oil burner under the hood. The Ameo is better insulated from the inside. Took it on the highway and floored the pedal. And this was the only time other than the Ameo TDI test drive that I was smiling from ear to ear. It pulls cleanly and in a much more linear fashion when compared to the Ameo. The drivability of the Figo is much better than the Ameo. My father was also impressed with the car. However, upon seeing the price list, I could figure that even the Figo Trend would cost me around 7.7L and that would be stretching my budget a bit too much. With a heavy heart, decided to stick with the Baleno.

Something's not right

Throughout the next week, I was in a state of conundrum. The Baleno though a great package, was still not appealing to me personally. It was more of a decision made from my mind and not my heart. Don't get me wrong, the Baleno owners, but I was just not satisfied with the K12. I knew that my choice was good and the most practical one, but it was definitely not fun. With this thought I asked a couple of my friends to accompany me for a test drive of the Baleno petrol and the Figo diesel. Yes, my heart was not yet ready to go of the Figo diesel. Also, I figured that with my monthly running of around 900-1000km, I would be able to save around 1k every month, which would neutralise the cost difference between the Figo and the Baleno to some extent.

Since I stay on the other side of Panvel during weekdays, we decided to visit Bhavna Ford in Panvel and Nexa Kharghar.

Figo again

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The test drive was a rather short one and the traffic was also at its peak, since most of the people were returning from their workplace. The Figo displayed all its strengths as before, however I was not able to get an empty patch to re-verify its performance. That being said, I was able to check out its drivability it the city traffic as well as its ride on bad patches of road. The quote offered to me here was the same as before, and since Bhanva Ford Nerul is closer to my residence, it didn't make any sense to take the car from them.

Nexa Kharghar

I reached the place quite late, just before 8pm which is their closing time. I was greeted by a very humble fellow who explained me the features of the Baleno. Being a BHPian, I already knew about it all. Later, he did ask me if I have a family or whether I will be driving the car alone most of the times. Since, I'd be driving alone most of the times, he also told me to check out the Ignis. He was trying to explain me about the Ignis' strengths over the Baleno like the better performance and the better build quality. I could notice the better build quality of the Ignis instantly though the overall quality was below all the other cars I had driven. He also went on to tell me that a few of his friends picked the Ignis over the Baleno recently. While I knew the actual reason why he was pushing me towards the Ignis, I wasn't complaining at all. Doesn't harm to try a new option and hey, that is what any good and smart sales person would do.

Ignis Petrol

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-2017marutiignis01.jpg

As soon as the TD car was brought, the first thing we all noticed was the LED projectors with the DRLs. They look absolutely fabulous and more importantly do a great job of lighting the road ahead. The height of the car gives the driver a commanding view of the road. I was really impressed with the Ignis, the car felt peppier than the Baleno and the gearbox felt much smoother too. The free revving engine coupled with the smooth and sure slotting gearbox made the overall driving experience quite good. My friends were also quite impressed with the Ignis.

Baleno Petrol

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-marutibaleno24.jpg

The car felt the same as before. Coming from the Ignis, the Baleno felt a little heavier on its toes. Overall, it became clear that the Ignis is the better driver's car of the two.

And hey, at the end of the test drives I got to know that the humble chap whom I met initially was the owner of Simran Nexa . Though some other guy had accompanied us for the test drive.

Time to end the confusion

The previous series of test drives had left me even more confused. It could not help me gauge Figo's true performance and it brought in another car into the picture. Another thing was the Figo's gearbox which though felt good in isolation, felt quite notchy when compared to the Ignis and the Baleno. Meanwhile, I had gotten a call from Mrs. Bharati stating that she could get me an additional of 5k, bringing the total price to 7.65L. On the 20th of August which was a Sunday, decided to go for a final round of test drives and end the confusion for once and all.

The cars which were in final contention were-

1. Baleno Petrol

2. Figo Diesel

3. Ignis Petrol

4. Ignis Diesel, yes I'd figure that I could get the Ignis Delta diesel for almost the same price as the petrol Alpha, what's the harm in giving the national engine a chance.

This time I was accompanied by a friend as well as my parents. We started with the Ignis petrol followed by the Baleno petrol after which the Ignis was rejected. It was the Grand i10 vs the Elite i20 all over again. Just that this time, the deal on the Ignis wasn't great(the Alpha variant was costing me 7.6L on road) and the Baleno was good to drive too and came with a decent amount of features as well unlike the i20 Sportz. Decided to stick with the Baleno as it was the better package overall. I tried the Ignis diesel, but the engine felt nothing special. The gearbox was slightly notchy in the diesel version. It was rejected.

The Deciding Drive? The Final Choice? And the booking experience.

Went to the Ford showroom and asked for the TD straightaway. Came back with the same grin as before and decided to book the vehicle. The Trend was coming to be around 7.65L on road. The difference between the Trend and the Titanium was only 30k and I was getting quite a lot of kit for that. So decided to upgrade to the Titanium variant. The price being quoted to me was 7.98L and this is where I reminded her about what she told us during out first visit to the showroom regarding less discounts being available on the Trend variant and the excess stock of the Titanium variants. Was able to bring the price down to 7.90L along with complimentary parking sensors. This also included the 3rd year extended warranty. I opted out of the basic accessories package which costed 5.5k. I got accessories installed worth Rs. 13k from Ford bringing the total to 8.03L. Was really keen on the Ruby Red colour but since it was not in stock, it would have to be ordered fresh from the factory. The colour options available were Ingot Silver and Oxford white out of which I chose the Silver. Down payment of 30k was done and the car was booked.

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Old 1st February 2018, 15:04   #5
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

So, was the Figo TD my final drive? Nope, it wasn't. I knew that there were a few other alternatives in the segment which I hadn't considered at all. Namely, the Honda Jazz, the Honda Amaze, the Tata Tigor and the Grand i10 diesel. I decided to check these cars out as well, just to ensure that I won't have any buyers remorse if and when I drive these car in the future.

Honda

Upon reaching Hallmark Honda in Nerul, I was greeted promptly at the reception and was guided to the top floor to check out the Amaze and the Jazz. I first checked out the Amaze which was there in its E variant. The first thing which I noticed was the steering which has a very soft touch feel to it. It feels great to hold, though aesthetically I have never liked that Brio steering. The car was quite spacious though I was not too impressed with the build quality. It was well equipped for a base variant(though its priced similar to the Dzire VXI which is better equipped). Then I checked out the Jazz as well and I was impressed with the overall feel of the cabin. It definitely felt more luxurious than the Baleno, though the i20 has a more sophisticated feel to its cabin. One other thing that I noticed is that the rear fixed headrests in the Jazz are placed a bit too low and are usable only if your height is less than 5'2". Whereas in the Amaze or the Figo, people with height upto 5'8" will find the head restraints quite usable. Meanwhile my SA Mr. Nishikant greeted me and started explaining the features of the cars to which I said I am interested in only the Amaze SX and the Jazz SV as these variants come equipped will dual Airbags and ABS. What an irony, Maruti along with VW and Toyota is providing ABS and airbags as standard or as an option in all their cars costing 5L and above and this is inspite of statements like these- http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...tatements.html. Whereas 'premium' manufacturers like Honda and Hyundai which were once being seen as pioneers in safety, are shying away from these features in the lower variants of their cars.

The Amaze Petrol

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-hondaamazefacelift01.jpg

I really didn't like the way whole cabin shakes when you start the car. This effect was also there in the Jazz but it was not as pronounced as the Amaze. Also, I didn't like the engine note during the crank. It actually sounded quite like the Maruti 800. While the same note is still music to my ears when I hear it in a Maruti 800, you don't expect the same from an 8L car. Coming to the engine, it felt good to drive coupled with a sure slotting gearbox. Yes, it was not as good as the K12 but it was better than the Ford's 1.2 Ti-VCT. It felt quite peppy at the lower RPMs and its performance was good at higher RPMs. The VTEC engine comes alive after 3000RPM. It did scrap over some high speed breakers and other than the Ford, all my test drives happened at this very same stretch. Overall, I was impressed.

The Jazz Petrol

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-2015hondajazz01.jpg

As the Amaze and the Jazz share the same engine, the driving experience of both the cars was quite similar. Didn't like the way the car starts as I have described above. I do agree with the official review on the tall gearing part of this car. The Amaze has a better performance than the Jazz but still, it wasn't much of a deal breaker for me. The clutch was super light and the gearbox was good as well.

The Amaze SX and the Jazz SV were coming to around 7.8L after a 60k discount. If I had to choose between these two cars, I would go for the Jazz for its premium interiors. Add to the fact that Honda has limited the top speed of its Brio platform derived cars to 140 is something which I am not comfortable with. However, in no way I was letting the Figo diesel go for the Jazz petrol. And you do feel that the Amaze is overpriced by atleast 50k when you compare it to its competition and the features you get in the Amaze vis-a-vis similarly priced Xcent and the Dzire.

Verdict-Honda rejected.

Tata Tigor

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-2017tatatigor01.jpg

Had a TD of both the petrol and the diesel. First things first, the build quality of the Tigor is excellent. It felt more solid than the Ameo which is saying something. Coming to the drive, I took out the petrol first. There is no denying that the engine is a bit noisy. The performance is adequate at best. Overall, it was a fairly neutral experience. Then I took out the diesel for a spin. You could instantly feel the vibrations in the car reminding you that there's a diesel engine under the hood. The diesel felt much better to drive though. You can feel a slight boost around the 2000 RPM mark. The diesel would be my choice of engine among the two.

Some common points applicable to the car in general-

1. The steering felt too light. Better feedback would have been appreciated.

2. The gearbox was a bit notchy. The engaging of gears is quite decent, however, the real issue is when you try to engage the gears from neutral. It is as if you need to overcome a certain spring like force before you can engage a gear. There is always a certain resistance from the gearbox. It is a far cry from Maruti's or VW's smooth gearboxes. Also, the gearbox vibrates and you can feel this while holding it. This is a basic issue which should not exist in a car.

3. The steering of the diesel car was slightly aligned towards the left while the check engine light symbol was glowing on the petrol's MID. Both of these were fairly new cars.

4. The diesel feels surprisingly peppy. Don't just go by the figures on the paper. To those looking to buy the Tiago or the Tigor and don't paying spending a bit extra, I'd suggest the diesel.

I would like to conclude by saying that while the Tigor is a great package, it is only good for someone giving higher than average priority to features and not the drivetrain. At 7.12L for the top end petrol you can get the Baleno, the Grand i10 Sportz or even Asta after discounts, the Dzire VXI, the Aspire Trend etc. They offer you better engine options with a slight compromise on features. Similar case is there for the diesel option as well. Infact when it comes to diesel, the performance gap widens even further with the entry of those torquey 1.5 diesels from VW and Ford. When you compare this to the Tiago's case, it is no secret why it sells much more. It is a much superior product compared to the competition like the Maruti Celerio, Wagon-R or the Beat. Whereas the Tigor has to compete with cars from a segment above when compared to its hatchback sibling.

Verdict-Rejected.

The Grand i10 Diesel

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-i10.jpg

The 1.2D is refined coming from Hyundai. It displayed the same strengths as the petrol when it comes to the light clutch and the smooth gearbox. However, the performance of this engine is better than the petrol. Yes, to all the prospective buyers of the Grand i10 and the Fiat 1.3MJD, do check out this engine before making your decision. At around 8L for the top end, I could go in for this one, but the Figo's handling and performance are in a different level when compared to this car.

Verdict-Rejected.

The Elite i20 Diesel

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-hyundaielitei2032.jpg

Since, I was there I just thought of checking this one out. What an engine this car has! This is the engine this car truly deserves and is befitting of the premium hatchback tag of the i20. You feel a nice shove in the back(not as much as the Ameo though) once the turbo starts to spool. The dynamics of the car are very neutral with the excessively light steering playing the spoilsport. Came out impressed with the i20 diesel. However, the Sportz variant was coming to around 9L on road and that would be stretching my budget a bit too far.

Verdict-Rejected.

Some cars which I had in mind, but rejected without a test drive-

1. The Nissan Micra

The company Nissan was the main reason that this car was rejected.

2. KUV100 pre-facelift

I hate the looks of this car from every angle. The side profile is the worst and upon fitting those muscular accessories from Mahindra, the worst side profile goes to another level of being worse. That being said, I love the new(front and back) styling of the KUV100 NXT . The side quirkiness still exists though.

3. Maruti Suzuki Swift

This car was rejected due to its age. I'd rather go with the Ignis, the Dzire or the Baleno.

4. Fiat Punto

Fiat as a company was the main reason I rejected this car.


Finally, at the end of all this, these were the cars which really impressed me-

1. The Baleno Petrol Delta

2. Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXI Petrol

3. The Ameo Trendline

4. The i20 Diesel

5. The Ford Figo TDCI Titanium

Well, the Baleno is a very well rounded car. It is a decision you can't go wrong with. But to me atleast, there was not much fun in driving the car. Maybe this has got to do with the other cars I have experienced or maybe I just wanted more from my car. This would have been a decision from my mind.

The new Dzire is a looker and drives better than the Baleno. But the Baleno Delta was a much more practical choice over the Dzire VXI.

The Ameo has a stonker of a diesel engine. My heart craved for this car, but one look at the feature list of the Trendline and I knew I would be making a lot of compromises on daily basis if I go ahead with this car. Not to forget my father's advice which had a lot of sense to it. Going for the Ameo, would have been a decision purely from heart.

The i20 diesel is a great car but with a price tag of 9L for the Sportz variant, it was above my budget. If only the Sportz was priced a lakh lesser or if the Magna came equipped with ABS and the now removed features like steering mounted controls and bluetooth, I wouldn't have mind going for the i20.

Finally, it was the Figo which appealed both to the mind and heart. It was the only one which was able to conquer both my mind and heart and thus, was decided upon as my next car. You don't get such a package easily, do you?

I went to the Ford showroom on the next Monday and decided upon all the accessories which I wanted to be fit in my car. I also decoded the VIN which my SA gave me and mine is a July manufactured car.

Last edited by AYP : 3rd February 2018 at 16:03.
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Old 1st February 2018, 15:20   #6
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

Delivery and loan experience

I took a loan of 6xxxxx lakhs from ICICI at an interest rate of 8.5 per annum. Since, this was not done through the dealership, it took some time for the loan to be sanctioned. SBI was willing to give me a loan only at 9.25pa interest rate due to my limited time in the service sector. I took the delivery of the car on 31st August Thursday. The car was kept wrapped for unveiling and all the accessories fitted.

Some delivery pics-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa00151.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa0011.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa0024.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa0025.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa0026.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa0029.jpg

After experiencing this car for 5 months and about 4k kms, I can summarise the postives and the negatives of the car.

The positives-

1. The engine(performance and drivability)

2. The interior space

3. The storage space

4. The all black interiors(hides the average grade plastics)

5. The looks

6. Ground clearance

7. Standard safety features

8. Comfortable seats

9. Small but significant features of the car

10. Of course, the handling

The negatives-

1. No turbo kick(while the linear nature of this engine is more practical and easy to live with, I do like the turbo kick of some other diesel engines).

2. Average quality plastics

3. Build quality

4. Lack of features(reversing aids, lack of high resolution displays, small sized MID etc.)

5. Notchy gearbox

6. Clutch could have been lighter.

7. NVH

Last edited by AYP : 3rd February 2018 at 15:58.
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Old 1st February 2018, 19:07   #7
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

More details about the car

Performance and Handling

As you know that the car's engine played a significant role in the choice of my car. With 100PS of power and 215NM of torque, you are never short on power. Yes, there is a hint of turbo lag, but it is very well controlled and the power starts to show right from around 1300 RPM. After reaching the 1800 RPM mark, it just gallops to high speeds effortlessly. The 1200-1800 RPM is a zone where the Figo may not be at its 100%, but you won't be left complaining unlike some other diesels. The acceleration is very linear which makes it easy to drive and a very practical engine to live with especially in the city. The car delivers power upto 4500 RPM after which the power tapers off quite sharply and abruptly. You feel as if someone has applied brakes upon your car. The engine note at high RPMs is sporty in a crude way and I like it.

The The drivability is good(though the Fiesta was better) and you can use the 3rd gear from speeds of 20kmph to all the way upto 120kmph. You can engage the 5th gear at 30kmph, though that will just lug the engine. 100 comes up at around 2300 RPM in the 5th gear. That being said, I do long for the turbo kick on open highways. It is quite stable at high speeds and you can cruise at triple digits all day long with the Figo diesel. The handling of the car is better than its rivals along with the Germans. Though coming from the Fiesta and the Jetta, I can easily feel the lack of control on those curves and sharp turns.

The ride is better than my Fiesta at lower speeds. Though the Jetta is at another level when it comes to demolishing bad patches of roads.


The heart of the matter-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152943.jpg

The Gearbox and the Clutch

The clutch could have been a tad lighter, though I have grown accustomed to it now. The gearbox though is quite notchy just like the Fiesta. The famous reversing issue with the IB5 gearbox is present in this car as well, wherein sometimes, the reverse gear just refuses to engage and you have to lift your feet off the clutch, bring the gear to neutral and only then will you be able to engage the reverse gear. A better gearbox could have made this car a much more accomplished driving machine.

NVH

Road noise filters inside the cabin. The engine is quite vocal during cold starts, but otherwise it is quite acceptable for the class. However, coming from the Jetta and the Fiesta, I am not very happy about the NVH levels of the car.

Brakes

The brakes are quite good.

Ground clearance

The front lip below the front bumper plays the spoilsport. Otherwise, the GC is good enough and infact the segment best at 174mm.

Safety equipment

I have two airbags and ABS at disposal. And I have experienced the ABS kick in a couple of times on hard braking.

Build quality

The build quality though much better than the Japs, is still a notch below the Germans. When compared the old Fiesta(2007 model) which I had, the build quality has come down. The door closes with a thud when you hear it from outside, however on the inside, it sounds almost exactly like my Fiesta when the door used to not close properly. Infact a couple of times, I opened the door and closed it again because I felt that its not closed properly. The people who have own VWs and Fiats and those who have owned the Fords of past will notice a drop in the build quality.

The build quality is at par with the segment though the Hyundais are better at it. One thing which I absolutely hate are the squeaky door pads. I have tried pressing the door pads in some other Marutis as well and even their door pads don't flex and squeak as much. The quality of the power window switches and stalks are at par for the segment with Hyundai and VW taking the lead. The rotary headlight knob and the AC switches feel good to use. On the outside, the body panels are strong and the panel gaps are even.

Kitna Deti Hai?

My monthly usage is around 900-1000km and it is 65-35 in favour of the highway. I have done tank to tank calculations multiple times. With a very light foot, I managed to squeeze around 19.5kmpl from the car. With my normal driving style, 17kmpl is what I get. And I am not light on the accelerator pedal, though I wouldn't say that I am too hard either. To the other 1.5 TDCI owners of the Figo and the Aspire, chip in and give your thoughts on my mileage figures.

Interiors, space and related features

The interiors are well laid out. Everything falls to hand easily. It is good that Ford change the stalk orientation to suit the Indian conditions. The front seats are quite supportive and the lower back support is something which is very good. The interiors themselves don't wow you, but they are decent enough. The build quality of the car is something which I have discussed above. That being said, the storage spaces are ample. Individual lighting for the back passengers is absent.

A few pics of the interiors-

The chunky steering wheel. It is a bit too chunky at the 9 and 3 positions. The feedback it provides it good when compared to the competition, however coming from a Fiesta, I do find it lacking especially while taking a corner. The Jetta also has a much better steering feedback. It is adjustable for rake.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151625.jpg

The speedometer could do with a bigger MID and more flair.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151631.jpg

The infortainment system has a tiny display. It looks tiny and bland when you compare it to the non-touchscreen systems offered in the lower variants of the Baleno, the Dzire and the i20. A bigger display would have made the system look better aesthetically. I prefer the silver finish in the Figo to that of the Aspire's piano black finish. That being said, the Aspire's piano black elements are softer to touch than the Figo's silver elements.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151637.jpg

The climate control unit. The console looks great and the buttons have a premium feel to them. The AC cools the car quite effectively, it is better than the Jetta.

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Squeaky doorpads-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151743.jpg

The front seats provide good support.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151846.jpg

The door pads could have been wider. The Fiesta's armrests were really wide and could cocoon your entire arm in them. The Jetta's are more comfy but even they are not as wide as the Fiesta.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152217.jpg

The passenger gets a mirror in the visor but

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153154.jpg

the driver doesn't. This feature was present in my Fiesta and the erstwhile Figo. In fact the current Figo too had this feature before it was deleted in early 2017. I do miss the mirror on the driver side. I actually asked for the visor with the mirror during the first service, but the part was 'on stock-order' and not even available with Ford anywhere. Has anyone got this retro-fitted?

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153200.jpg

This dock is very helpful while using maps. A great feature to have, but I'd rather have a screen or a bigger infortainment system in its place. The base is rubberised and has a good feel to it. You can feel a rubber ring of similar texture around the rotary headlight switch.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153217.jpg

The controls for the lights and for opening the boot-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151754.jpg

Look at all the storage space-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151649.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153042.jpg

Need I say more?

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-storage.jpg

That being said, there are no bottle holders at the rear doors which is a bummer.

The intermittent wipers are good to have and not many cars in the segment get this feature(the Baleno doesn't). During my second test drive of the Baleno, it was raining and at that moment of time, I just realised how useful this feature is. People who haven't used this feature won't miss but those who have will definitely yearn for it.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153249.jpg

The MID displays a variety of information right from the instant fuel economy, average fuel economy, distance to empty, average speed, outside temperature, a single trip meter and the odometer. You also have an option of either activating or de-activating the economy mode. While in economy mode, the MID prompts you to upshift(no downshift) on the go so that you can achieve the highest mileage figures. You can use the button the extreme end of the indicator stalk to shuffle through the MID and long press to reset any of the values.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153531.jpg

Well spaced pedals, missing the dead pedal though-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153412.jpg

Mirrors are electrically adjustable and foldable-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153436.jpg

The ORVMs are sufficiently wide-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153509.jpg

The notchy gearbox-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_153132.jpg

The boot is fairly spacious-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152721.jpg

It has a small slot on the underside-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152735.jpg

Well, the car is pretty spacious be it width wise or horizontally. The headroom is a tad compromised and as long as you find the rear headrests useful, you won't have a problem with the headroom(if you are around 5'8" or so).

The maximum legroom at the rear-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152103.jpg

The minimum-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_151945.jpg

Legroom at my driving position( I am 5'7" but I have a much more relaxed driving position when compared to some other people I know. I have got this from my father )-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152131.jpg

Depiction of the maximum and the minimum legroom available-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152451.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152506.jpg

The rear seats-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152422.jpg

Last edited by Samurai : 5th February 2018 at 12:17. Reason: typo
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

Interiors, space and related features Contd.

The glovebox is size too small-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0079.jpg

And is very chunky at that.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0080.jpg

The IRVM provides a decent view though the thick C pillar obstructs visibility. Day night mode can be altered manually.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0081.jpg

Grab handles are ordinary fixed type. Thumbs down Ford. It looks cheap.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0083.jpg

The rubberised ring/surround around the headlight switch-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0086.jpg

While the car has ample storage spaces, the storage immediate to the charging point is not very accommodating though it is nothing much to complain about.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0078.jpg

While the interiors look average during the day, they come alive at night. I love the way the interiors look at night. The blue light looks soothing.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0063.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0064.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0065.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0066.jpg

The Exteriors and related features

The car looks very elegant and it looks the best in its segment IMO, bested only by the Polo and the Elite i20. It offers a nice blend between elegance and funkiness. In fact this is what I appreciate in Ford as a brand. There design language is somewhere between the Europeans and the Japanese, wherein your car neither looks too bland nor too funky. Just the right amount of subtleness and quirkiness.

Here's the front view of the car. I really like the Aston Martin grill.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152841.jpg

Here's the elegant rear.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152758.jpg

It comes with rear wash/wipe and defogger.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0070.jpg

The side profile. The alloys are simple yet elegant.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152816.jpg

The rear quarter view-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152825.jpg

The headlights leave a lot to be desired. During the 1st service of the car, I asked the SA and even Ford directly if I could change the headlamp to better ones of the same rating to which I got a negative reply citing lapse of warranty.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152851.jpg

Accessories and additions

Accessories installed with pricing from Ford-

1. Parking sensors- Complimentary
2. Chrome door side protector-4200
3. Illuminated scuff plates-4200
4. Waistline chrome-2800
5. Neck pillows-450
6. Mudflaps-1000. I opted out of the basic package worth 5.5k which included floor mats and mudflaps and got only the mudflaps fitted.

1. Chrome door side protector with 2. Chrome waistline strip

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152559.jpg

3. Illuminated scuff plates-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152544.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152549.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152524.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170902_152531.jpg

4. Parking sensors-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-img20170831wa0026.jpg

5. Front neck pillows

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0087.jpg

6. Mudflaps

These sit quite flush with the car.

Rear-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0088.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0089.jpg


Front-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0090.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0092.jpg

Other than that I also added the 3M noodle mats and got my steering leather wrapped from Orchis, Vikhroli. Even though at these were slightly expensive investments at 5.5k and 2.5k respectively, they are worth it.

The (Nappa)leather wrapped steering with contrast red stitching-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-20170919_170651.jpg

The 3M noodle mats-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0077.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0075.jpg

Last edited by AYP : 3rd February 2018 at 16:24.
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Conquering the heart and mind with my Ford Figo Titanium TDCI!

Miscellaneuous

The car has many unique features and quirks.

You can choose to keep the rear foglamp and the front parking lamp of a single side on after you park the car. This may be useful in a situation if you have to park your car on a dark patch of road for a short to medium duration. This can be done by engaging either the left or right indicator after you have turned off the ignition. Just turn off the ignition, lock the doors and see the lights in action. The system is quite intelligent. If you engage any of the indicators before turning off the ignition or if your indicator stalk was already engaged before turning off the ignition, the lights won't come on after you lock the car. Smart! There is still a small chance that a driver might stop his ride while the indicators are still on but a faint chance that the indicators get engaged after the ignition has been turned off until it is by the driver's will.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0059.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0060.jpg


You get one remote key and one standard key with the Figo. A thing which I observed is that if I try to unlock the car with the standard key, the car alarm gets triggered and doesn't stop until I start the ignition. Also, if I try to open the boot manually with the key while the key while the car is locked, the alarm still gets triggered. Is this a normal behaviour?

I really don't like when a car honks every time you lock it or unlock it. Though there is a sense of safety in hearing the car speak to you while fulfilling your command rather than just doing it without making any noise. Ford offers you the best of both worlds. Press the lock button once and it locks and press it twice within 5 seconds and you hear a honk. It is also helpful to locate your car. Pressing the unlock button multiple times has no effect though, other than the car getting unlocked.

(Image taken from the official review)

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fordfigo16.jpg

The front passenger seats like to press against the centre console.

(Image taken from the official review)

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-fordfigo19.jpg

All the doors open in 3 stage action. Just like the Jetta and the Fiesta. The doors feel super light when compared to the Jetta. Though they are heavier than Maruti and Honda. The Amaze had the most hollow sounding doors among all the cars I had considered.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0073.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0074.jpg

The 12V port-

It just stays on all the time. While it does have its benefits, I'd rather not have it. Initially, when I used to use the port, the flap which covers the port kept on making rattling noises. I have now adjusted it such that the head of the flap rests on the gear lever cover. No rattles!

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0093.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0094.jpg

The instant average display on the MID is something which I really appreciate.

There is a cloth like covering below the passenger's seat only towards the centre console. It observed it recently while I dropped the 'SILK' through the dreaded gap between the centre console and the seat. However, it had been trapped between the central area and this piece of cloth. I was quite impressed with this small yet significant feature until..

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0097.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0096.jpg

I observed the driver's seat and didn't find any such covering there. I am only half impressed now.

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0098.jpg

Niggles

A minor yet almost constant rattle from the passenger seat belt housing/B pillar. The Fiesta did not have a single rattle, the Jetta does have them. The worst being the one from the tray which is present behind the armrest at the back seat.

First service

The First service was done during late November. The car had run 2400Km. Only routine checks were done and the bill was zero.

I'd like to summarise my doubts and queries so that the fellow BHPians may find it easy to answer them.

1.One thing I noticed about the Ameo is that the front doors close with a 'thunk' whereas the rear doors close with a 'thud'. I also tried this with a Polo and the Vento as well with the same results. To the owners of these vehicles, do feel the same with your car?

2.The BHPians who own 1.5 TDCI Figo twins, what is the mileage you are getting? And what is your driving style and driving conditions. I am getting an average of around 17 with 65-35 usage in favour of highway with a foot that is slightly heavy on the accelerator.

3. A thing which I observed is that if I try to unlock the car with the standard key, the car alarm gets triggered and doesn't stop until I start the ignition. Also, if I try to open the boot manually with the key while the key while the car is locked, the alarm still gets triggered. Is this a normal behaviour?

4. Has anyone got the sun-visor with mirror retro-fitted in the later variants? Do you have the part number?

5. When the diesel level in the car is high(around 80% or more), I can hear the sound of diesel hurling inside the fuel tank. It is like how water sounds inside a bottle which is kept horizontally. The effect is much more pronounced when sudden brake is applied? Has anyone else experienced this with the Figo or any other car? I have never experienced this in any other car.

A few more shots

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0067.jpg

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0068.jpg

With my friend's Fiesta-

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0069.jpg

With the beasts

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-between-beasts.jpg

Lest We Forget

Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd-imag0071.jpg

Last edited by AYP : 3rd February 2018 at 17:43.
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Old 5th February 2018, 09:56   #10
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re: Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 5th February 2018, 11:36   #11
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re: Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

EXcellent post on detailed selection process and the initial experience!

Ford Figo diesel was the only other shortlisted car by me when I purchased my Punto Evo (Aug 2016). The difference was very, very small but what made me choose Punto Evo over Figo were the looks, clutch, NVH and seating and other such small factors.

But sadly (to me) it appears Punto is not even in the initial check-list by purchasers.
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Old 5th February 2018, 15:51   #12
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re: Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

Great post and astute observations!

On the Elite i20 petrol, while I had read various reports noting that it feels underpowered, I was recently driven in one over the Republic Day long weekend, and if you keep the car in the powerband (above 2.5k RPM), the acceleration beyond this level is pretty good and she's able to keep up with most highway traffic. Lowdown torque is definitely an issue, guess this is a function of trying to squeeze higher fuel efficiency.

I drove a Ford Ecosport diesel (a Revv-car) from Delhi to Agra on the YEW, and the engine is a stonker, great pulling power and extremely tractable.

Enjoy your car and wish you many miles of safe driving!
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Old 5th February 2018, 16:08   #13
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re: Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

Neatly scripted ownership report.

Ford has increased the availability of child spare parts thereby bringing down the service costs. Also, the service relationship (Ford and dealer interaction with the customer are mandatory now) is far better than before.

Happy and Safe Motoring AYP.

Last edited by RGK : 5th February 2018 at 16:23. Reason: Missing word
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Old 5th February 2018, 16:24   #14
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re: Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

Good report there Ayush and an excellent choice of car as well. With the daily rising cost of petrol, a frugal diesel totally makes sense. The Figo is one of my favourites and it is my first choice when I have to use a Zoomcar.

Spacious, practical and that 1.5 diesel mill. Also the upgrade to Titanium for just Rs. 30,000 is a no brainer.
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Old 5th February 2018, 17:08   #15
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re: Conquering the heart & mind with my Ford Figo 1.5L TDCi Titanium! Now Code6'd

Beautifully written review AYP!!! Enjoyed reading it fully.

Silver suits the Figo very well. It was my choice of colour but I had to give in to my wife's liking of the Ruby Red shade.

Wish you many happy miles with the car and have fun owning it.
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