Team-BHP - Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)
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-   -   Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/74219-review-1st-gen-ford-figo-2010-a-62.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemithomas (Post 1786135)
Didnt you see the Front!! ITs more or less the same:Shockked: Maybe ford plans to make money from repairs since they are giving the car at this price:D

Yeah I noticed the same in the front. The radiator literally touches the front bumper. One member actually found a damaged one earlier.

Mustang101 any thing about the radiator? Why is it so close to the front bumper?

It can't be the length as the Figo is 3795mm that means another 20cms to go before the 4m length cap.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1752158-post475.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by k2max6 (Post 1752158)
Another thing that i found amusing was that the condenser is located very close to the bumper and would get easily damaged even in case of a minor accident:Frustrati.I made this point to the salesman there but he said this wont happen, as it is protected by the front impact beam.When i went out there was another car on display ,i was surprised to see that the condenser of the display car was indeed damaged.Take a look at the pics.
What do you say ?
On my way back i looked at a number of cars and realised that the condenser was atleast 5-6 inches inside from the bumper ; be it indica,santro,swift,wagon R etc.. Including the fiesta as well.

Ps: pics are there in the post as well above.

FIGO seems to be a value for money proposition, however I am a bit apprehensive about the 1.2 petrol engine thirst for petrol. I think the diesel one will sell well on its engine's merit, however the same does not hold true for the petrol.

Waiting for T-bhp members to come up & tell the petrol FE realities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostrider (Post 1786184)
And also - why will the Fiesta 2010/2011 be more expensive if it's made here? It can't be because labor's more expensive in India. It's simply because as Indians we're used to paying to much for cars. In our ignorance we often believe it's because of import duties, but the reality is something totally different.

Exactly, I feel the same. One best example is the Polo which is simply overpriced.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devu (Post 1785174)
.[*]Hate the fact that the lane and turn indicators are on the wrong side. Even after knowing it upfront, reminding myself and going on the second test drive, I still ended up starting the wipers.

Drive this for a week and you will realize that the indicators are actually in the CORRECT place. You will not have to move your right hand off the steering to mess around with the indicators. I hate it whenever I drive a car where the indicators are on the right side now. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid6639 (Post 1785037)
Actually my uncles car was just over a year old and there was no other problem at all. The hefty bill was because after the car stalled the driver tried to crank it causing more damage.

This is a valid concern. My brand new Fiesta did manage to wade through the monsoon season last Nov without any issues. It did go through some places where the water was deep. Not sure if it was above or below 0.5m.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RGK (Post 1785451)
While stopping - Give a slightly deep throttle and remove your foot - Key off immediately before acclerator comes to its default positon (may be less than a second). You wont see body vibrations. -- Standard switch off procedure of Diesel engines.

Do you drive a truck as a hobby? lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous (Post 1785599)
That said, There are hydraulic engine mounts in the Figo, right?

I think the mounts are rubber. The NVH levels are higher in the Figo compared to the Fiesta which has hydraulic mounts. Figo and Ikon NVH levels are near identical.
Quote:

Originally Posted by rejoycjohn (Post 1785787)
To conclude , my friend who was looking for a vehicle booked Ford figo , after test driving , beat , Figo and Polo . He booked Zxi - White - diesel .
5.92 On road Blore .

Congrats to your friend. But wait a second, the ZXi TDCI costs 5.92 on road in Bangalore? :Shockked:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower (Post 1786088)
@ Mustang101. Some more queries
  • Does the diesel have hydraulic or rubber mounts?
  • Does it have the infamous 'dog bar' from the Fiesta?

I am fairly certain its not hydraulic mounts based on NVH levels. What is the infamous Fiesta 'dog bar'? Is it the bonnet release that pokes out through the grill? That was a shocker when I got my Fiesta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilead (Post 1786354)
What is the infamous Fiesta 'dog bar'? Is it the bonnet release that pokes out through the grill? That was a shocker when I got my Fiesta.

It's a horizontal/diagonal metal bar behind the bumper that protects the radiator against dog hits.

This bar was customised for indian highways to prevent radiator damage when hitting cattle. They advertised it quite a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid6639 (Post 1786360)
It's a horizontal/diagonal metal bar behind the bumper that protects the radiator against dog hits.

This bar was customised for indian highways to prevent radiator damage when hitting cattle. They advertised it quite a lot.

Why is it infamous then?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gupta_chd (Post 1786632)
Why is it infamous then?

lol. because they advertise that the cattle dies but no damage to the car. It's inhumane hence infamous.:D

I drove the Ford Figo TDCi Diesel yesterday for a test.

Colour Dark Grey: Top end Diesel Titanium Variant with ABS, Airbags and so on.
Since it was a holiday here the roads were absolutely empty and it was a nice experience. Here goes;

1. Engine/Performance/ Turbo/Noise-level/ Torque etc: Quite punchy once it gets going. Initial movement a bit sluggish. Once Turbo kicks in around 1500-1800 Rpm, it surges forward powerfully.
Noise levels from the Diesel are really pretty high. can clearly hear the chug chug in the cabin - unlike the Fusion and Fiesta.
Torque levels are pretty good especially on the flat surfaces - foot off the accelerator in second and third gear still chugs one happily around light corners and in a heavy traffic situation this can be a boon.
2. Handling/ Steering/ Tyres/ wheels etc: Nice and crisp. Good steering - very light and very easy in the city. Takes curves etc very well, but I did feel the lack of gutsiness around corners on account of the absence of alloys and slimmer tyres/ smaller rim size (175 - R14) as compared to the Fusion with its 185 tyres, 15 inchers and alloys.
3.Clutch & Gears: clutch very soft indeed. really very close to the "petrol" driven car feel in that sense. Not heavy and irritating. gears are nice, click well and have a good short throw. (However, it is slightly funny when putting into reverse gear since there is NO reassuring click to psychologically reassure one that it is indeed in Reverse). overall nice gear feel. But one needs to downshift to second especially when going slow when one approaches a sharp-ish corner or when going on an 25 degree + incline.
4.Comfort levels/ Quality levels/ AC etc: with the seats pushed entirely back, the driving position and leg room are excellent for a city hatch back car. However, with me sitting in front with the seats pushed back, it will really be a killer squeeze for anyone sitting behind me.
Rear Seat comfort is ok, but lack of rear headrests is irritating. Severe lack of under-thigh support for a chap like me with long legs - driving seat, passenger seat and all rear seats- this is a big disadvantage.
Headroom is pretty good both in front and rear despite the sloping roofline at rear-side, but the rear sitting position is quite upright and therefore can be a pain for long journeys.
Plastics and other bits and pieces- quality levels are very good indeed. Feels like one is getting decent value with no fiddly cheap bits and pieces lying around. enough cubbyholes by and large and a pretty nice size glove compartment/storage area in front.
AC is very comfortable. Yesterday morning around 11am was reasonably warm in Bangalore. AC blower on Position 1 and on cool, I felt nice sitting in the Figo. The AC is pretty powerful, comfortable and doesnt really cause any havoc on the car's performance at all. Would have been nice if they could have had the option of Climate Control.
5.Accessibility to controls/ readability of the gauges etc: all well on this front for the most part. Helped along no doubt by my long arms. It is irritating that they still havent changed over the indicator stalks and wiper stalks - these are still designed for LHD countries and can be a pain. If India indeed is so important to them then why cant they make this small change? The electric mirrors etc are a great help.
6.Braking effect: ABS kicks in quite well when one treads hard on the brakes. Pretty clear feedback on the foot from the ABS system. Very nice secure feeling to brake in a dead straight line. Took no more than a couple of seconds to reach dead halt from a standard speed of 50Kmph.
7.Load/Luggage: They dont have a split foldable rear seat which is very sad. Rear luggage space is quite limited at 284 litres - but enough for a small family to go on a trip. Rear parcel shelf is a bit irritating. Couldnt fit a golf bag into this car at all. Would have either irritated one rear passenger because the top of the bag would have stuck in his ear OR would have had to put the entire rear seat down and of course remove the parcel shelf completely. Thats sad. (Indeed I noted a similar problem in putting in my golf bag and trolley in the Fusion (despite its foldable rear seat), which is one of the main reasons I didnt buy it 2 years back in preference to the Scorpio.)
8. Pricing/Value: at 6.37 lacs on road bangalore for the top end Titanium Diesel, its not at all bad value for a next-level roomy-ish, family hatch (in comparison with many other offerings in the market.) Add another 17000 Rs for 4 nice alloys and possibly another 20000 Rs for a nice tyre upgrade/upsize and there you are. at 6.7 ish on road, it comes a bit expensive, but still worth-while. Frankly the Titanium Diesel version is the only one of the variants worth considering, in my opinion. Its got a nice driving position view, a pretty commanding stance and a nice "big car" feel about it, which adds to the feel good factor.
9. Overall: I think it is a very good effort by Ford all things considered. Quality aspects inside and outside are very good indeed, in comparison with Maruti and Hyundai's tin box impressions. The looks- especially from the front, take a bit of getting used to- looks a bit like the International Fiesta Hatch and has shades of the Ford Ka visible in its front end. Personally I prefer the Fusion's looks and the similarities between the Figo and Fusion are quite visibly marked.

This is a nice, middle-of-the-road, predominantly city-use family hatch, which frankly offers a very good value option for consumers. Not a performance super car, nor a stunning head turner, but more than adequate for the purpose/utility it was built for. Occasional highway rides in it also will not come amiss because of its bigger car feel and the safety/ security features.
Essentially, ideal for a young couple with one or two small kids and their luggage.
A cheerful car and a great effort by Ford and I really quite like it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostrider (Post 1786184)
Not necessarily. Yes, the 2010/2011 Fiesta is drop dead gorgeous, but there are other cars here that look better than the Figo.

Consider the Swift - it's more than 6 years old now, and it looks better than the Figo. So do the Jazz, the i20, the Polo, and the Beat.

Looks is really really subjective, I think. I think it's up to a individual's taste and should not be debated unless it is really claustrophobic. E.g. My order of the vehicles you mentioned in terms of looks: i20 > Punto > Polo > Figo > Swift > Beat > Jazz. stupid:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilead (Post 1786354)
Drive this for a week and you will realize that the indicators are actually in the CORRECT place. You will not have to move your right hand off the steering to mess around with the indicators. I hate it whenever I drive a car where the indicators are on the right side now. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 1786737)
It is irritating that they still havent changed over the indicator stalks and wiper stalks - these are still designed for LHD countries and can be a pain. If India indeed is so important to them then why cant they make this small change?

As mentioned by Gilead, it's quite comfortable actually to have the indicator stalk on the left side. I can have my right hand on the steering always, especially while taking turns. In fact, even being a new driver, I drive only with my right hand on the steering. I can say that once you start using, it hardly takes 2-3 days to get adjusted.

Saying this, I also agree that people driving more than 1 car will find the differential position somewhat irritating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostrider (Post 1786184)
Not necessarily. Yes, the 2010/2011 Fiesta is drop dead gorgeous, but there are other cars here that look better than the Figo.

Consider the Swift - it's more than 6 years old now, and it looks better than the Figo. So do the Jazz, the i20, the Polo, and the Beat. These cars were all styled using a clean sheet of paper and were designed ground-up, like the Figo, and they have better aesthetics.

And also - why will the Fiesta 2010/2011 be more expensive if it's made here? It can't be because labor's more expensive in India. It's simply because as Indians we're used to paying to much for cars. In our ignorance we often believe it's because of import duties, but the reality is something totally different.

I also own a Ikon. So I know what you mean. The 2010 Fiesta hatch is an all new development and that's why I think it will be costing more. Figo earns considerable cost savings by using the existing platform, sharing parts bin etc. But all said, I agree that there could have been some design flare thrown across (Esp in the rear)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilead (Post 1786354)
Congrats to your friend. But wait a second, the ZXi TDCI costs 5.92 on road in Bangalore? :Shockked:

I did the maths. Ppl from Bengaluru pay 4% (On-Road price) more than in Chennai. Talk about being taxed to death!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RGK (Post 1785451)
...About Diesel start stop.
While starting - Engine should not vibrate or shake the body. Normally Engine mounts are made of high quality rubber with steel wrapper. I think mounts are hydraulic now a days - Techies can tell more.

While stopping - Give a slightly deep throttle and remove your foot - Key off immediately before acclerator comes to its default positon (may be less than a second). You wont see body vibrations. -- Standard switch off procedure of Diesel engines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous (Post 1785525)
How many turbochargers have you destroyed until now?


Quote:

Originally Posted by RGK (Post 1785542)
I was expecting these.
- Purely to avoid vibrations. Make it idle , then you can give a twist or punch ( do not know the exact english term) in your pedal and switch off - Vibrations will/should be definitely lower.

:Frustrati:Frustrati

@RGK,

Please do not give such suggestions! A certain amount of vibration will be present in diesel block, period.

As for the "standard" procudure, I am sure we have come a long way from the days of the Matador engine and their likes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilead (Post 1786354)
Congrats to your friend. But wait a second, the ZXi TDCI costs 5.92 on road in Bangalore? :Shockked:


Its 5,87 actually which includes extended warranty + mats + mud flaps. The road tax for the Zxi TDCI is 65K! Which I find is atrocious given the condition of our roads.

And the sales person tells me that by April 1st the price will go up by 5-10K depending on the model. :Shockked:

Im left handed and prefer to keep my left hand on the steering wheel all the time rather than my right hand.
All the RHD cars that we are generally used to driving in India have the indicator/flasher stalks sitting on the right side.
Therefore it does take a bit of getting used to because its not much fun inadvertently activating the wipers, allowing them to scrape along the windshield without benefit of the washer spray, when one is trying to indicate before taking a turn, especially when driving in dry, dusty conditions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayukh (Post 1786854)
As mentioned by Gilead, it's quite comfortable actually to have the indicator stalk on the left side. I can have my right hand on the steering always, especially while taking turns. In fact, even being a new driver, I drive only with my right hand on the steering. I can say that once you start using, it hardly takes 2-3 days to get adjusted.

Saying this, I also agree that people driving more than 1 car will find the differential position somewhat irritating.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Slow (Post 1786891)
And the sales person tells me that by April 1st the price will go up by 5-10K depending on the model. :Shockked:

:Shockked: Why is it so ?? Is it only for the diesel which would be upgraded(?) for BS4 or for the petrol also ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyWheels (Post 1786856)
:Frustrati:Frustrati

@RGK,

Please do not give such suggestions! A certain amount of vibration will be present in diesel block, period.

As for the "standard" procudure, I am sure we have come a long way from the days of the Matador engine and their likes.

I stand corrected. Let me make it simple switch off procedure.
I did the same in Figo and found no vibration. Let me check again and confirm.

Infact Matador showed the way of Dieselising cars in India - right.

Vibration will be there in all diesels but how it is being aborbed and insulated is the concern.


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