[-NUT-case]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just for the record : No one offers a 10 year unlimited mileage warranty in the States.

In fact they do and that too, one of our very own market leaders, Hyundai!
Just to make my myself clear ,I did not say 10 year unlimited warranty . What i said was 10 year warranties AND unlimited warranties, on different aspects/parts of the car.

Please have a look at this Hyundai warranty for the US.
America's Best Warranty: Auto/Car/Vehicle Protection-10 Yrs/100K Miles | Hyundai

[sanjayc]

As always, great review, GTO.

In the past couple of months, having visited 3 Ford A.S.S - 2 in Chennai & 1 in Kolkata, can confidently say, that FORD is pulling out all stops in having a consistent look & feel across all its dealerships. To start with, they have introduced this 8-step (or is it 7) "Quick Service" kiosk style concept, wherein step-by-step guide is displayed for customer benefit and how the whole thing works. Have a feeling they are gearing up for Figo launch and subsequent support. There will always be kinks here & there (as with all products, let alone cars..took my Fiesta yday for 1st free service and noticed the middle rear seat belt missing..apparently removed by the 3M guys who did the interior cleaning job. But at the same time, they agreed to replace the chrome decklid handle since I complained it has started turning yellowish..not looking like it is chrome color..no tantrums about free replacement here). With the amount of vehicles being sold and serviced, at the same time expectaion of services at the lowest price point possible, cannot expect any mfgr/dealer to increase the manpower proportionately..not only manpower but real estate requirements as well...after all, any vehicle that comes in, will require an avg of 4-5 hrs at least..hell, it takes min 90 mins for a water wash!

Couple of days back, ET has a news item wherein it was pointed out about entry of foreign dealership in India..like AutoNation of US. In the same article, it mentions that while is US the dealership margins ar 10-15%, in India, it is 2-3% at best. Not sure how far it is true! But if it is to be believed, it is not surprising the level of service we get at the ***es.

As far as high maintenance cost is involved, the myth needs to be debunked in a scientific manner backed with statistical data, i.e, ratio of cost of OTR vs cost of regular maintenance over a period of 4 years with extended warranty offered by Ford. No idea about this since I have owned only Ford cars (Ikon, then Fiesta). So what's the median cost/year for regular maintenance among all brands avlbl here?

As per Ford's own brochure as well as some ACI figures, Ford compares favorably with Swift/City maintenance / parts costs, sometimes lower. Is this true?

Recently did a CHN-CCU up/down drive in Fiesta..details here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post1700474 . Considering the experience, assume the Figo build quality will be on par with Fiesta.

Am surprised at the comments on lack of rear PW being a put-off..I mean who uses it frequently. In fact, don't we have lock/unlock switch controlled by the driver for cars avlbl with all 4 PWs. If cost can be substantially reduced by removing this feature, I am all for it.

[prince_pervez]

Looking at the Fiesta comparo, I doubt its a small car. might put the Swift to shame. Great review as usual GTO. Thanks!

[motor spirit]

GTO,

Does the doors shut with a " thud " , like in a Punto or the tinny sound as in others.
do we feel that robust built

[Guna]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Looking at the Fiesta comparo, I doubt its a small car.

The angle in which the photo is taken is making the Figo to appear bigger (due to the pespective) then Fiesta. In fact it appears as big as a Fusion in the picture.

[Amartya]

Was going through the review again and the absence of the dead pedal irked me.

From the pictures it is clear that the Figo has a very nice and wide footwell. With so much space on offer, why doesn't Ford offer a dead pedal? For a car with brilliant dynamics that is sure to be a delight on the highways, a simple dead pedal can make a lot of difference in driver comfort. To me it's an irritant greater than the missing rear power windows (don't really care about that too much)

Another question: If you look at the pedals, the clutch and brake pedals have rubber molding with horizontal stripes and the accelerator pedal has vertical ones. Why is it that way?

[anachronix]

Originally Posted by Guna

The angle in which the photo is taken is making the Figo to appear bigger (due to the pespective) then Fiesta. In fact it appears as big as a Fusion in the picture.

I have seen the convoy of Figo myself here in Chennai on test and trust me, the Figo is BIG and will put many small cars to shame if its launched with the price tag expected!

@SanjayC, agree with you on the maintenance part! I have 2 generation of Ford ownership experience.

The maintenance cost for the Ikon was high during the 2005 & 2006. But I have seen the prices come down gradually since Ford put some efforts on localisation. No hastles with my current Fiesta and my experience at the A.S.S has been really high. There is no beggarish attitude when it comes to replacing things under warranty like the experience I recently had with the top seller of our country!

With Figo targeting volumes, it would be better if there are more A.S.S centers and manpower to handle these volumes!

[aseem]

Somehow I feel Ford seems to have lost the plot with their offerings in India and Figo is no exception. All their offerings in our market are a generation old and they just keep re-launching them at reduced prices and limited additions. The Figo is no exception and it already looks dated even before its launch. Taking a look at Beat, I20, Polo, I10, Punto, the car already looks a generation old both internally as well as externally.

If you look closely the design is a mere cut and paste of Ikon hood + Fusion body and rear. In my view the front does not gel with the body and rear of the car. Its just too low slung and dated in my eyes. This car is more a Aveo UVA sibling/competitor given the dated interiors, uninspiring design and hopeless petrol motor than competition for any of the new kids on town. For that matter the specs of the petrol motor even make i20 kappa 1.2 look good.

The only saving grace here is build quality, frugal/refined diesel and interior space. For everything else you have mastercard (I know, I know....poor joke)

[GTO]

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

In fact they do and that too, one of our very own market leaders, Hyundai!

Nope, this is only an engine + powertrain warranty. Not bumper-to-bumper which is the standard in warranties and immensely more useful to the car owner. Hyundai offers a bumper to bumper of only 5 years in the States, and of late, they have started offering a 5 year warranty in India as well. Of course, there is a small additional charge for this, but I do believe its well worth it. Link to thread. BMW also offers 5 year complete coverage packages in India, while most other manufacturers are already offering upto the 4th via extended warranty (except Honda who has made 4 year coverage standard). Mercedes, Toyota & Skoda offer the lousiest warranties in India.

Note that, with American driving conditions (long freeways, high average speed), the engine is usually the last problem area that needs attention. Compare that to India, where the low average speed and bumper to bumper traffic result in a higher rate of wear and tear. Further, Hyundai smartly doesn't offer the 10 year warranty to the second owner (in case you sell the car) in the States, fully knowing that most cars are sold in the 5th / 6th year. Further, Hyundai is one of the few manufacturers offering this kind of warranty, only to build trust in the brand. It's not like every manufacturer offers a 10 year warranty in the States and doesn't do so in India.

Originally Posted by sanjayc

In the past couple of months, having visited 3 Ford A.S.S - 2 in Chennai & 1 in Kolkata, can confidently say, that FORD is pulling out all stops in having a consistent look & feel across all its dealerships.

Originally Posted by anachronix

The maintenance cost for the Ikon was high during the 2005 & 2006. But I have seen the prices come down gradually since Ford put some efforts on localisation. No hastles with my current Fiesta and my experience at the A.S.S has been really high.

That's good to hear. Anything that keeps the customer happy...

like AutoNation of US. In the same article, it mentions that while is US the dealership margins ar 10-15%, in India, it is 2-3% at best. Not sure how far it is true! But if it is to be believed, it is not surprising the level of service we get at the ***es.

Dealership margins on the sale of cars is lower in India. However, they more than make up with profits from their service station, sale of accessories, loan / insurance commissions and RTO processing fees.

Am surprised at the comments on lack of rear PW being a put-off..I mean who uses it frequently. In fact, don't we have lock/unlock switch controlled by the driver for cars avlbl with all 4 PWs. If cost can be substantially reduced by removing this feature, I am all for it.

Certainly not a major turnoff to me. I'd rather have a car that handles / rides well and comes kitted with ABS / airbags, than one that is flimsily built but high on the extras.

Originally Posted by motor spirit

GTO,

Does the doors shut with a " thud " , like in a Punto or the tinny sound as in others.
do we feel that robust built

Not tinny at all, yes the Figo feels solid. The "thud" isn't quite like say an Octavia, but it's there nevertheless.

The Figo is no exception and it already looks dated even before its launch. Taking a look at Beat, I20, Polo, I10, Punto, the car already looks a generation old both internally as well as externally.

The Figo certainly lacks the contemporariness of the Beat or the i20. But its not far off from how the Swift, Ritz, i10 and Punto feel (in terms of being modern).

[anu21v]

Originally Posted by HammerHead

Looking at the current competition,IMO Figo 1.2 base will be placed between Beat (base) and Ritz petrol (base), which means it will start @ INR 3.75 Lakh.
That will be a good price I guess.

Well my thinking is, if 1.2 Starts at 3.75 then 1.4 MJD would atleast start at 4.55 which would be too high to dent Swift DDIS sales. My expectation is 60%-70% of Figo Sales would come from Diesel since 1.2 is not really beating the competition i10/beat/ritz/swift on lot of parameters.

Originally Posted by sidindica

To me, the figo looks just OK, a timid car with a bold face. Still, it will work here.
Thank god I did not buy an I 20, looks a bit girly to me.

My thinking, its too timid and very much can very much go the way Getz and Uva has gone. Infact with its looks and space i think Getz and Uva would give it run for the money looking at their current lower pricing. Don't think it will hit Swift sales at all, probably Beat/Ritz or i10 is the target for Petrol engine. Swift and Vista are targets for Diesel i think.

Even for me i20 looks girly along with Spark and A-Star ofcourse.

Originally Posted by diesel_head

Honest and unbiased review GTO! I was looking forward to this for some time now.

As an ex-Ford India employee, I truly hope the Figo does well.
My take, sales for Ford India in Jan 2011 might look like this:
Figo: 3500
Ikon+Fiesta: 2500
Endeavour etc: 300
TOTAL: 6300

I would be surprised if Figo touches that sales after first three month. Customers are spoilt for the choice in 3.0 to 4.5 Lakh segment and even A-Star and Punto are not selling more than 4K right now, so quite tough for Ford to touch that mark.

I think the exteriors are too bland and customers would immediately compare it with their current (Con)Fusion and will take the sales/success cues from there. The best selling point for this car would be 1.4 MJD and the sales/service experience. I hope and Wish Ford gives a better sales and A.S.S. experience than Maruti, which in itself is a bit too much to task.

GTO: can we include current Fusion in Comparo table to see how and what they have bettered in Figo from Fusion.

[diesel_head]

GTO
True. But again, the Figo (especially diesel) doesn't have a single major flaw. The Vista has typical Tata issues and the Swift its stiff ride + poor backseat comfort. The Ritz doesn't have any serious product flaw, just as the Figo, but the market hasn't taken kindly to the rear end design. The Figo diesel is, in many ways, an all rounder. Good build, acceptable fit & finish, FE engine, nice to drive, compliant ride, better room than i10 / Swift, big boot.....it's only Ford that has to pull up its dealers, quality of service and cost of ownership to make it work."

Agreed. But its not the existing Swift and Ritz Ford has to watch out for. Its the Jap biggies they have to be wary of. The Etios and Honda small car might be more than a match for Figo. Not to mention the next-gen Swift. Ford's baggage (dealers, percieved maintance costs) will not help either. To maintain decent sales figures (4500 units a month atleast) they'll have to do some deep introspection. There's a reason why Ford doesnt attact good dealers. Also it needs to have a regular product refreshening programme - and i mean reskinning of a few panels atleast- to stay afloat.
Figo has tremendous potential, i hope they dont squander it away.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Great review GTO! (as usual!!)

The car looks appealing to me minus the red/pink dashboard.

Lets see how thety price it!!

[cogweelz]

As expected the Review is classy.

What i think:
1. The placement of bonnet release is way unthughtful.

2. Figo is 'New' Fusion, there is no much difference for a lay man except the front grille.

3. I wonder what the designers were smoking when they had the dash given such a shade. I would go ahead with reflections rather than this aesthetic disaster.

4. The wheel caps should have been designed different than the Fiesta ones or should have been moulded like Beat.

5. The air-con controls look old school, and fonts are bit big.

6. Absence of Rear Power windows even in top-variant is bewildering, Ford is acting wierd here.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by erohit

Moreover why rear windows only go down 50-60% ? Is this a design flaw? Or Am I missing something?

There are 2 reasons why rear windows go down only 60%.
1. The height of the car. ( it is a good 100 mm shorter than the Swift)
When the height of the car is reduced to have better road hugging characteristics,
proportionately the height of the doors(below the glass portion) also reduces.

2. The size of the windows.
The rear windows are really large in FIGO, so for such a large glass window
to go fully inside it is practically impossible unless it is a long 3 box sedan.

If you have a small window like in Swift or Beat it would have gone inside fully,
but what is the point in having rear windows that go in 100% but are so small ?
Ultimately its the outside view for the rear seat passenger that matters.

PS: Even the erstwhile Matiz had rear windows that opened only 60% and it had no wheel arches to block its way down. That prompted people to think that it is a safety feature to prevent kids and pets from jumping outside!!!

[arnabchak]

@ GTO

Wonderfully crisp and detailed review.

Agreed..The Dash board looks simply pathetic.
Moreover, why would anyone want the bonnet release switch on the passenger side?

No PW in the rear. That I guess is a big flaw.
Miss the good old temperature gauge though.