Team-BHP - Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)
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Quote:

Originally Posted by HTC (Post 5716247)
Now I'm curious.
What's that pvt msg is about? :)

lol:lol:
Nothing much. We just discussed around my injector issue

Gearbox oil is dripping and creating a small patch (3 inch dia) on the floor when the car is parked overnight. Yet to take it for repair. Dreading a huge quote from the Ford ASS.

Any feedback on how much it would cost to get it rectified?

Friends.. just a quick update. While returning back from Chennai, I noticed some jerks while cruising. Think this could be a fuel rail pressure issue. Need to check using a OBD scanner. I also think this is not the injector issue since there ZERO knocking while acceleration or idlling or while slightly blipping the throttle. Do t want to take it to Ford as their only response In envisage is to be FRP assembly replacement over a repair or the concerned parts only. I'll keep you posted. BTW, mine has now clocked c. 2.33L on the odo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StepUP! (Post 5526809)
10 years of blissful, fuss free ownership! Odo 101010!
Touch wood.
Attachment 2438177

I was able to capture a similar ODO reading (121212) in Jan 2024 after a blissful 10 years of ownership. This car never misses to bring smiles every time it is driven.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-image-3.jpg

Hi guys,

Just wanted to let you know that I got my 2013 Figo (petrol) engine overhauled for 26K from Ranjith automotive car care in Koramangala Bangalore. They did the head gasket repair/service in a lathe machine and other engine related works. I got this done because I had been having engine overheating issues since a year with no resolution from authorised service center. They said you need to replace the engine itself. Other service centre’s were also no good.

It’s been about 10-15 days since I took delivery and I am more than pleased with their work. The engine works flawlessly. Just like stock. No issues whatsoever. The car has done about 65000 kms till date.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikhilck (Post 5796792)
Hi guys,

Just wanted to let you know that I got my 2013 Figo (petrol) engine overhauled for 26K from Ranjith automotive car care in Koramangala Bangalore. They did the head gasket repair/service in a lathe machine and other engine related works. I got this done because I had been having engine overheating issues since a year with no resolution from authorised service center. They said you need to replace the engine itself. Other service centre’s were also no good.

It’s been about 10-15 days since I took delivery and I am more than pleased with their work. The engine works flawlessly. Just like stock. No issues whatsoever. The car has done about 65000 kms till date.

65k KM ? and Engine work? Did you not take care of the car properly? The 1.2 Engine on the Figo is very reliable if taken care of. Our car has done close to 1.10L KM! And still going strong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Slow (Post 5796894)
65k KM ? and Engine work? Did you not take care of the car properly? The 1.2 Engine on the Figo is very reliable if taken care of. Our car has done close to 1.10L KM! And still going strong.

I too was surprised when I learned that the engine had problems. It is sparingly and carefully used. I suspect the problem was caused by improper AC refill at the nearby Bosch service station. I had given the car there for AC refill as they quoted a low price of 2000 whereas the authorised service station quoted 20,000 to detect AC leak and refill. They said it’s a big job as the whole dashboard has to be removed to do it.

Shortly after the AC refill at Bosch, the engine vibrations became noticeably harsh. This was also the same time I first noticed engine overheating. So this is my assumption as to why I got the issue.

I observed one thing. When I fired my Figo after 3 weeks of parking, slotted in reverse but it was not moving, stuck as if there is a stone kept at the wheel. I slotted in the first gear, then also same behaviour.
I felt brake pads hugging the disc could be the issue. I pressed and released brake pedal 5-10 times. I think it's called brake pad priming. And bang! It was resolved.


On a different note, every time I drive my Figo, I simply can't stop admiring it's ride and handling. It's so well engineered. I have XUV7OO and second gen Figo in my garage. But, the way first gen Figo rides over bad patches and speed breakers without any drama is simply outstanding. Second gen Figo can't even hold a candle.
Ofcourse XUV has advanced and sophisticated long travel suspension. But Figo does it effortlessly and silently. I so so miss Ford's SUV which was supposed to be launched on XUV's platform. :crying

Life is short. It's messy. It's unforgiving. It's rewarding. Karma is a funny creature and whatnot. Here's a quick review that I penned about our family's Gromit. A 2014 Ford Figo (1.2P, Titanium). It's been a decade of ownership. One that's seen the car grow with us and one could say that we under-utilised the car. But the way it unlocked how much we could go around was immense. Here's something that I wrote for your reading. Have fun :)

Pros: -
1. Driving dynamics
2. Built Ford Tough.
3. The artic cooling tier Aircons
4. 1.2 NA is smooth, even after 10 years.

Cons: -
1. Rear windows go halfway down
2. Cabin noise is unusually high
3. 1.2 NA has lack of pull after a certain rev-range
4. Ford India's exit.

Why the name?

I love cartoons. Animated movies and shows make me unreasonably happy. One of my favorite characters as a child was Gromit from Wallace and Gromit. The clay-animation style reminded me of another show, Shaun the Sheep (both made by Aardman Animations no less) and when we bought Gromit initially, I didn't name it. But as I grew older, it seemingly reminded me a lot about Gromit. Loyal, ready to take on anything and sensible. Just like Gromit.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-download.jpeg

Here's a pic of Wallace and Gromit for reference's sake :D

How did it happen? (Context)-

We needed a car. Full stop. The family was fed up on relying taxi and tourist services to go places so we decided we needed a car. So...how did we go about this decision? This was 2014. Almost everyone and their nan had a Swift. The next hottest thing we had was the Grand i10 which was just released. Mother dearest was insistent on a small car because it would mean "everyone can drive". So, the list went: -

City->Swift->Xcent->Grand i10->Micra->Etios Liva->Figo.

Budget? 5.5 lakhs.

Goldilocks....goldilocks....(retrospective on first car)

Honda City: -
City was the first choice that we had. But this was in 2014. And our parents had just gotten their license. And finances were too tight to suggest something as outrageous as a City.

Suzuki Swift: -
Honestly, my father didn't like the Swift for one reason. Commonality. He needed a car that was a statement in a way. Where is the joy in blending? Plus, the driving experience felt lifeless at best which I didn't like. So off it went.

Hyundai Grand i10: -

We were dealt a bad hand by Hyundai because we literally showed up when their local network in Salem was getting a revamp. I do not know how many Salemites exist on this forum but long-term city residents would remember Ramani Hyundai. They literally shut shop sometime in 2013-14. So, Golden Hyundai was the sole dealing hand in Salem for Hyundai and they had an air of arrogance with them right from day one. I was there for the Test Drive. The SA assigned to us was nice but was a bit aggressive in the sense that he wanted to secure a sale. And that unsettled parents dearest so off went Hyundai from the list.

Nissan Micra: -

The Micra was literally a "what if" because the car mechanically was good. But size was at a premium. And this was very evident when I got smashed in with the sales executive next to me, in the rear. So Nissan went away.

Toyota Etios Liva: -

Our family friend had one. It was objectively too little car for what we wanted. The interiors looked so bare and empty. Backseat was so-so and the mechanics suffered from the same fate as the Swift. Appliance-tier. Where is the personality?

Ford Figo: -

Ford was an outlier in the sense that we never considered the Figo initially. "Too expensive for us no?" was the perception. And it all shattered when we (more precisely, parents dearest) went to the showroom. It was in a corner exit of the Kandhampatty highway stretch. After getting disappointed at Nissan, we went to the Ford showroom. And it was a straightforward and special experience from the first meet to the delivery day and beyond.

Rockcity Ford (RIP to them and the Susee group) was the dealer. And the TD sold both my parents on the Figo Petrol (I know this forum loved the Diesel mill but for a first time buyer, that Petrol 1.2 was such a gem.) and the Titanium model fit our price needs and we booked one, scheduled for delivery on June 2014. Price? 5.18 Lakhs.

.....happily ever after! (delivery day experience for first car)

I remember the delivery day. My father remembers the PDI day more. It was yet another school day and I come home to find a more exciting air around the family. I was told to dress up. So I did. And the SA (his name was Rajesh and the last I checked on him in 2019, he’s at Nexa) showed up promptly in an Ecosport and it was exciting. While the family and aforementioned associate to family were getting sorted on paperwork and accessory installation, I remember almost touring the showroom. They had a Global Fiesta on display and the Ecosport of course (my father kept ridiculing me to this day saying that the SA asked father dearest to keep an eye on me) and I remember that we were the last car to be delivered that day. It was almost sunset. I vividly remember standing outside the showroom and staring at the tall Ford signage and telling the SA about my tales on how I played with Ford Hot-Wheels cars and whatnot. It was a special experience. And one that I will always regret for not documenting properly.

What does it look like?

The Figo follows Ford's New Age styling design cues from the ealy to mid 2000's. It reminds me a lot of the Fiesta rally cars that used to compete in the WRC's Super 2000 class.

It's a pretty special car to me. For me, this is when I started growing a keener eye for Ford cars because they looked European in design but still stayed Indian in their approach for their India-spec cars. The car's colored in the factory named Sea Gray (family's reasoning for that color is because they saw an Innova in the same shade and fell in love with it) and it may look dull but it does accentuate the car's fine lines well when kept under the sun.

What does it ship with?

I forgot what the feature-list looked like till I had to look it up for this long-term report. But here's a rough list on what is available with the Titanium version of the Figo: -

a. A 4-din Audio Infotainment system with MP3, FM, Bluetooth, Aux
b. A 4 speaker system that's played everything from Ilayaraaja to Kanye West awfully well.
c. Call connectivity offering Phonebook access and attending calls and streaming them live.
d. Power windows up front, manual rollers out back
e. DTE meter and Door open alert
f. Rake adjustable steering column

How safe is it?

Ford's always had safety as priority in it's cars. They made solid built cars, that took Indian conditions well. Here's a quick list on what the Figo's Titanium tier shipped with:-

a. Central locking that gets enabled after crossing 8km/hr
b. Keyless entry.
c. ABS with EBD (was key influencer in decisions)
d. Dual airbags, for driver and co-passenger
e. Fog Lamps in the front
f. Immobiliser built in

What's your use case? (General driving patterns)

Our family were initially low-mile drivers. Most roads in Salem can be tackled on a two-wheeler unless you're ferrying more than one person. And there were the 6-7 yearly trips to the farmhouse on the outskirts of Dharmapuri, 80km up and down. With my sister's admission at a medical college near Gromit's birthplace in Chengalpattu, the trip mileage became higher with 490km back to back. And then I ended up in Bengaluru. Driving distance? 366km back to back. Otherwise, our driving patterns and need is not as extensive as others. That would also explain why in 10 years we have only clocked 39,852km.

How good is the running gear?

The engine is a 1.2L Petrol unit. The engine's FE sits somewhere around 11-13 on city roads while it goes to 14 on the highway. The engine's low-down grunt is impressive. For the most part, you can just drive by releasing the clutch and mildly applying throttle. It's got 70HP and 102NM of torque. And it shows ever so slightly in the way it starts straining after 3500-4000RPM. The engine's noise note is a bit like the 2nd alto in an Acapella group. Impressive bass note but it starts getting more stretched as the vocal chords of the engine go high. It's not unusable but it does face that struggle.

Mated to this gearbox is a 5 speed manual. Ford never sold an Automatic with the 1st gen Figo. And it's a fine unit, comes close to the Japanese on the fronts of clutch lightness and gearshifts. Reverse is a mild hassle at times when it doesn't slot in right but it works as intended.

How does it drive?(General notes on driving and handling)

The car has a Independent McPherson strut suspension up front while the rear sits on semi-independent Twist Beam. Steering's hinged on a Hydraulic Power Unit. The best way to explain the Figo's driving dynamics is by illustrating it with an anecdote. On the highway stretch between Hosur and Bengaluru, there was a S-corner, for slowing down. I remember our family driver not noticing it initially. And we basically had a moose test. At 60km/hr. The car turned with almost zero body roll. I'm not kidding. The car's left and right corners ducked slightly and it didn't even lose momentum in the slightest. The car's handling experience has been impressive and it's clear that Ford's put in effort to provide the driver with maximum response to the wheel and it shows. It's an impressive city and canyons car in that sense.

What's the owner experience like?

In the initial years of ownership, it was awesome. Since the car's driving usage was so low-mile, it was often the cleanest car in the showroom's service bay, with regards to kilometres consumed. Shoutout to Rockcity Ford and the Susee group. Till they shut shop in Salem sometime in 2018-19, they've been an excellent showroom. Service was done promptly and the service bill came up to some 4-5K at best.

After Rockcity went out of business, Golden Ford picked up the slack (PS:- I don't know if this outlet is related to Golden Hyundai) and they continued what we had to say about Rockcity. Hassle free experience for the most part. But it could have been better, especially with regards to quality consistency. Often, faults would rear up without any explanation. One such error was the Air conditioning. Why is it that the air conditioning system kept going flat 10 minutes into the drive? Turns out there was a piece of foam from the system that got lodged out the way for it to pick it up and restrict airflow seriously. This issue required us to go to the showroom multiple times. And then Ford just announced that they are leaving in late 2021 and left us with the place we currently service our car at. Springfield Ford. And they do a more-than-acceptable service job for a brand that's not selling in India. And the service costs have ballooned up to 8-9k per service. And that's concerning.

So, what next?

If things fall in place, Gromit would be relegated to training duties. I've had the privilege of almost inheriting this car. And it will be mine when our family upgrade from Gromit. And I intend on taking it around South India on a road trip if all things fall in place. If not, city and backroad usage it is. But I know it will serve me well as long as it physically can. I have some hygeine level updates in mind such as a tyre and suspension overhaul. Overall, it's a clean package of a car and for that, I salute Ford India. We're all waiting for you. Make your move.

Thank you.

Attached below are some pictures: -

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_20240815_221023.jpg

-Key of Gromit, standard issue for Budget Ford cars at the time. Has remote locking and boot unlocker.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-hiddoc-1-1.jpg

-Invoice of the car's sale. Rest easy, Rockcity Ford.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_11_20240815_202713.jpg

-Frontend view of Gromit. Follows the lines emblematic of global Fords of the 2000's.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_9_20240815_202713.jpg

-Backend shot of the Figo. It's very reminiscent of the Gen 5 Fiesta.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_12_20240815_202713.jpg

-Side shot of the Figo. It's a looker, despite the dull shade.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_6_20240815_202713.jpg

-"The other side". The car's silhouette is unmissable and simple at the same time.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_17_20240815_202713.jpg

-The Interior of the car as seen here. The plastics are colored a subtle shade of Navy.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_16_20240815_202713.jpg

-39,852km of happiness. They're colored a fine shade of red, for visibility.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_13_20240815_202713.jpg

-The infotainment system and centre console. On closer sight, it looks like a smiley face. Very welcoming.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_1_20240815_202713.jpg

284L boot. Class defining for the time. Can accomodate 2 cardboard boxes of supplies and soft luggage, easy.

Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010)-photo_15_20240815_202713.jpg

1.2L petrol DuraTec engine. Pure fun. Can get a bit strained, like a vocalist.

Quote:

Originally Posted by funnysaltbrick (Post 5824345)
Life is short. It's messy. It's unforgiving. It's rewarding. Karma is a funny creature and whatnot. Here's a quick review that I penned about our family's Gromit. A 2014 Ford Figo (1.2P, Titanium). It's been a decade of ownership. One that's seen the car grow with us and one could say that we under-utilised the car. But the way it unlocked how much we could go around was immense. Here's something that I wrote for your reading. Have fun :)

Brings back fond memories of my first car - a Sea Grey (same as yours) Ford Figo Titanium TDCi purchased in 2014 at Rockcity Ford - Susee Group, Trichy. The fantastic machine taught me so many things about cars and driving. Sold it in 2021 after completing 1.1L kilometers and upgraded to a Honda City i-VTEC. It was absolute fun driving the American Beauty. Till this day I miss the driving dynamics of the Figo. You have maintained your car very well!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACKBLADE (Post 5824603)
Brings back fond memories of my first car - a Sea Grey (same as yours) Ford Figo Titanium TDCi purchased in 2014 at Rockcity Ford - Susee Group, Trichy. The fantastic machine taught me so many things about cars and driving. Sold it in 2021 after completing 1.1L kilometers and upgraded to a Honda City i-VTEC. It was absolute fun driving the American Beauty. Till this day I miss the driving dynamics of the Figo. You have maintained your car very well!

Thanks for the compliments! Also glad to hear that you have graduated to a City. Our car's often the cleanest in the parking lot for a reason. It's been taken care of like royalty. After all, it's the first car in the family :)

Can you imagine getting a car at around 5 lacks today? Just don't sell it. I am holding the diesel 2010 sample despite the injection issues. Yours is petrol and less susceptible to failures. Maintenance is not difficult even if you decide to ditch the authorised workshops. Just find a good mechanic, procure original parts through contacts or boodmo and you are set.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok (Post 5824765)
Can you imagine getting a car at around 5 lacks today? Just don't sell it. I am holding the diesel 2010 sample despite the injection issues. Yours is petrol and less susceptible to failures. Maintenance is not difficult even if you decide to ditch the authorised workshops. Just find a good mechanic, procure original parts through contacts or boodmo and you are set.

Thank you for your words. As mentioned, I plan on inheriting the car from father dearest for my personal use when we get a sibling for Gromit. Also parts availability isn't an issue as of now. Ford India has been very much clear that the parts network won't dry up. Boodmo also has spares and this would be a way to learn the insides of the car as well so thanks again for your words :)

Drove my diesel figo for about 25km in traffic & bad roads (Bangalore) today after many months. I used to use my nephew's car when I needed to go outstation and my scooter for any local travel or go with the driver.

It has run around 51K KM in the last 11 years. It is mostly used in the family as I don't drive it often. I want to replace it, but cannot match any other car which gives this experience (in this 6-10L price range). Fronx is good too, but I find it too light, does not give that planted feeling which I desire.

My Figo still brings that smile on your face when you drive it. That steering, planted feel, absorb all road problems, music system, AC. I can go on. Frankly this is one of the best cars we have owned in the family. Yes, I like to drive our Innova (diesel again), but I love the amazing feeling when you drive this Figo. Maybe I feel so because it is my Figo :D

The first car that my father gave me to learn driving was a Paprika Red 2014 1.4Tdci titanium. What a machine, compact, great steering and heavy on the ground.

It's car like these that makes one love them.
Features are something that's killing cars. let your sight be on the car. features should come second.


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