Ford Figo (2014)

Diesel hatches seem to be the biggest key to success for the car makers in India. Recently launched Ford Figo is a perfect example of it. This car has been a hit from the word go. There are two major factors which have contributed to its success. First the boom in our Indian car market for the diesel cars and secondly it’s trusted and tested diesel engine. Ford is relying very much on this car as they are looking for the trust of Indian buyers for their other cars as till now nothing much has worked in the favour of Ford except for Fiesta in India.

Ford unveiled its new small car 'Figo' in September, 2009 to compete with the likes of Maruti Ritz, Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz & Skoda Fabia. The company has managed to sell it it very good numbers and Figo is now one of the best selling cars in India. Ford India has upgraded the ZXi and Titanium variants of Figo. The ZXi now features tilt steering and USB port integrated in the music system. In addition to these two features, the Titanium variant will now come with factory-fitted alloy wheels.

Ford India has launched the much-awaited 2013 model of Figo in Indian market. It is available in eight variants, each available in 8 shades to choose from. The base model of 2013 New Figo is priced at Rs. 3.85 lakhs (ex-showroom New Delhi). New features of 2013 Figo are all-new headlamps, new tail lamps, new chrome grille, bumpers, new colour combination for interiors, electrically adjustable outside rear-view mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity, new steering column mounted controls for the music system and new design for the alloy wheels.

Exterior

Ford Figo is built upon the same platform used in Ford Fiesta which makes it look stretched in size. It’s longer than most of its rivals including Maruti Suzuki Swift. Visually Figo looks pretty balanced. Ford has not tried something extraordinary with its styling which has worked till now. The face of Figo is a sign of modernity; very unique set of new clear lens headlights are assisted on this car with a lean radiator grille sporting nothing else than a Ford logo on it. Below it you will notice a huge black colored bumper grille which is very much inspired from elder sibling Fiesta and looks like typical Ford. It also has round shaped clear lens fog lights with black surrounds.

Move to the side of this car and it looks very simple and sober. Its 14 inch eight spoke alloys wheels looks extremely cool with those bulgy wheel arches which improves its side stance, some of the dealers also offer roof rails with Figo for that extra sporty character. Top model is offered with body colored door handles and outside rear view mirrors. The rear of the car is not entirely new. Figo looks like the chopped version of Ford Fusion when seen from the back. There is nothing exciting about its back. In fact it’s very similar to old Tata Indica. It has tall tail lights with a big rear glass. The top variant also has a body colored spoiler with a brake light. The rear wiper is a let-down as it’s very simple and looks cheap when compared to its competitors. Rear bumper has few lines over it and its semi black in color with reflective lights. The overall build quality is very good but its fit and finish could have been better as there are some huge panel gaps.

Interior

The fit and finish of Ford Figo is better inside. It looks like a very composed hatch from inside and feels like a capable competitor. The overall effect is dark inside with most of the color being shining black .The top model is treated with a mix of dark magenta and red color. The fabric insertion on door trims along with the plastic quality feels premium. There is nothing much to complain about interior of this car. The three spoke steering wheel is similar to that of Fiesta and it now comes with column mounted audio controls (buttons). Its gear knob is very smartly placed, it not only looks cool but also feels driver oriented which is very is to use. Instrument cluster is very futuristic with a tachometer in higher variants. It uses a red back light for illumination which makes it convenient to read it. There is also digital trip meter, odometer, and clock with Distance to empty display.

Comfort and Convenience

Ford Figo is surely a comfortable car; especially for the front passengers. The front seats are very comfortable with adjustable headrests offering nice back support. Driver seat is height adjustable with power steering available for tilting in its top variant. Front headroom and legroom is satisfactory. Tall passengers at the back may complain about the legroom and headroom as with full seating of five, it’s a bit congested at the back. We won’t say it’s the best in class in terms of interiors space but it’s not worst either. Similar to Fiesta, Figo also has a powerful AC with heater. There are only front power windows which indicate at the cost cutting. We wish if it also had rear power windows as at this price you do expect these features to be standard. The top variant also features vital features like electrically adjustable outside mirrors, intelligent central locking with smart programmable keyless entry. Other features include rear defogger and wiper with electric boot opener.

Dashboard and Storage

Dashboard used in Figo looks very rich. It has an integrated central console with circular AC vents surrounded with silver finishing. It looks very calm and similar to the gear knob, the centre console is also driver oriented. The plastic used on the dashboard has soothing texture with two color options. The base variant comes in all black schemes while in the higher variants dashboard is offered in different color which is first in its class. It’s very shining color and does matches well with interiors. There is a big glove box in this dashboard with cup holders on its floor console. For more storage there is a removable parcel tray at the back with a massive boot capacity of 284ltr. It has one of the largest boot capacity in its segment and manages to beat most of its competitors including Swift and Ritz. Rear seats can be folded further to increase the storage space.

Music System

Ford has blessed Figo with a powerful music system. There is an integrated audio system in the central console. It’s a radio, CD, MP3 player with USB port in it. There are four speakers also with this audio system. Figo is also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. It offers full phone book access, call logs, call swap, hold, mute, privacy mode and SMS notification with audio streaming. The car also has a 12V accessory socket at its front. The 2013 model now features steering column mounted audio controls.

Engine and Gearbox

Ford Figo is available with two engine options; one each for petrol and diesel. The petrol unit is a 1.2LDuratec DOHC engine. This 4 cylinder engine is specially crafted for Figo. It achieves a maximum power of 70 bhp at 6250 rpm with a torque output of 102 Nm available at 4000 rpm. Diesel motor is the one which has established Figo prominently. Ford has played safe with Figo and offered it with the same Duratorq engine used in its expensive sedans like Fiesta and Ikon. It’s a 1.4L SOHC common rail diesel engine which breathes out via 8valves.It churns out a peak power of 68 bhp at 4000 rpm with a maximum torque output of 160 Nm available at 2000 rpm. Both engines are mated five-speed manual gearbox. There is no automatic transmission offered by Ford in Figo.

Acceleration and Performance

It’s the diesel version which has created the buzz in the market. The trusted DuraTorq engine powers this car. This engine is very different than Fiat’s Multijet engine which is used by most of its competitors. It feels very relaxed at low rpms which mean Figo suffers minimal turbo lag. Unlike Fiat’s engine the turbo doesn’t kick in suddenly, the power delivery is very linear especially in the mid-range. It is a SOHC engine due to which it’s much audible in comparison to others. At high speeds it feels much restrained and the car suffocates for power once pass 3000rpm.It also turns very noisy when rev hard however there are least signs of vibrations. Even after accurate gear ratios, Figo is a bit slower than its competitors like Swift and Ritz due to its heavy weight.

The car does 0-100km/hour in less than 16 seconds and can easily go pass the speed of 150km/hr. The performance of this engine is much suited for city commuting as on highways its less amount of torque can be experienced at the time of overtaking. If you compare it with cars like Chevy Beat, it’s much refined and powerful car but you will have to work hard on it to leave Swift behind. The petrol version of Figo is not that popular in the market. This engine never feels peppy and responsive when compared to its competitors like Swift and i10.The car feels underpowered as you will frequently have to work on its gears to get the maximum out of it. The power and torque are not sufficient for this car as it’s on the heavier side. The power to weight ratio is disappointing. In fact when you drive the diesel variant of Figo, you will find that engine to be more powerful. Even the timing claimed by ford for both these engines to reach 100km/hour mark is almost similar. Things get worse if you get CNG kit installed with this engine as it is not compatible for CNG. There is almost no reason for people to buy the petrol version as you have other brilliant options available at this price offering much more power.

Mileage

Despite being heavier than others, the diesel version of Figo is very fuel efficient. In city it can give you a mileage of around 14-15km/ltr while on highways it can even return you around 18-19km/ltr. The petrol version is neither powerful nor fuel efficient. Expect anything around 11-12 km/ltr in city conditions and on highways it manages to give around a fuel efficiency of 15km/ltr. With Full seating and AC, these figures may decrease.

Ride and Handling

Ford Figo is rock solid in this department. As we told you before it shares the same platform of Fiesta which means good suspension and handling. The steering is very responsive and easy to use. Its turning radius of 4.9m could have been reduced as it’s hard to park this car in tight spaces. Otherwise it functions really well; it doesn’t feel dead at high speeds. The heavy weight of this car allows it to stay grounded. At high speeds it remains solid on road and gives you the confidence to drive it faster. Suspension system of this car is specially tuned according to its weight and Indian road conditions. You feel very relaxed inside as heavy potholes are digested easily. Its extended wheelbase (2489mm) and high ground clearance makes it a calm car around corners. It remains under control at sharp corners and there is negligible body roll.

Braking and Safety Features

Ford Figo has disk brakes at its front with drum brakes at the back. The top variant of Figo also features ABS with EBD for precise braking. Other vital safety features include Front Dual airbags with PATS (passive anti-theft system).

Variants

Ford Figo is available in eight variants - 4 of petrol and 4 of diesel: LXi, EXi, ZXi, Titanium, Diesel LXi, Diesel EXi, Diesel ZXi and Diesel Titanium.

Shades

Ford Figo is available in eight shades: Diamond white, Panther black, Moondust silver, Chill Metallic, Sea grey, Kinetic Blue (New Shade), Colorad red and Bright Yellow (New Shade).

The Top of the line "Titanium" variant of Ford Figo comes with: Body Coloured Bumpers, Full Wheel Covers, Body Coloured ORVMs, Chrome Finish Radiator Grille, Air Conditioning, Power Steering, MP3 Player with 4 Speakers, Bluetooth Phone Interface, Rear Washer and Wiper - Power Windows, Remote Central Locking, Remote Boot Opener, Remote Fuel Lid Opener, Driver Seat Height Adjustment, Removable Parcel Tray, Rear Defogger, ABS with EBD, Dual SRS Airbags, Electrically adjustable ORVMs and Steering column mounted audio controls.

Warranty

Ford Figo comes with a warranty of 2 years/100000 kms which can be extended further.

Value for Money and Verdict

Pricing is the best thing about Figo, especially for the diesel version. It’s one of the most economical diesel cars in its segment except Chevrolet Beat which is less powerful and refined than Figo. It’s very cheaper in comparison to others like Ritz and Swift and this is the biggest advantage of Figo. Its diesel engine is very refined and trusted and when it comes to performance, it’s not that bad either. There are many reasons to buy the diesel version of Figo which includes its fuel efficiency, space and most importantly its price.

At this price you get a durable car with smart design and technology. With Ford’s warranty, you should not be worry about its maintenance either. Though you will have to compromise on power with its diesel version but it will save your lot of money. We are not surprised about the failure of the petrol variant and we don’t think things will change in future also. The way Figo is appreciated with its diesel engine; in future, we expect it to be the largest selling car of Ford in India. It’s completely worth to have this car as it fulfills almost every wish of yours.

Maruti Ritz Diesel vs. Ford Figo Diesel