[ChiragM]

The Ford Figo Facelift is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 5.23 - 7.70 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Aston Martin-esque face still looks very stylish!
• Peppy 95 BHP 3-cylinder petrol is much improved over the earlier lethargic 1.2L
• Powerful & efficient 1.5L diesel. Excellent driveability too
• Mature ride quality. Also, improved handling thanks to the fatter 195 mm tyres
• Well-packaged cabin offers good legroom, lots of features and a chilling air-con
• Titanium+ variant gets 6 airbags, while the 1.5 AT has ESP
• 5 year / 1 lakh km warranty with transparent + reasonable service costs
• We feel the pricing is fair for the package on offer

What you won't:

• 1.2L is good for a 3-cylinder engine, but the 4-cylinder 1.2s from Maruti, Hyundai & gang are superior
• Overall design (other than the face) feels old & bland compared to newer hatchbacks
• Some missing essentials (e.g. dead pedal) & some deletions (e.g. SYNC3, height-adjustable seatbelts)
• Lighter build is a departure from the usual Ford sturdiness
• Cabin width makes the Figo suited to 4 adults, not 5
• Automatic doesn't come in the top variant with 6 airbags
• Rear headroom is limited. Headliner brushes the heads of taller passengers
• A bit uncertain of how the long-term after-sales will be, with the Mahindra-Ford JV

This review has been jointly compiled with CrAzY dRiVeR. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

[ChiragM]

Since the Ford Figo has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the 2019 facelift. To read the full official review, click here.



Review Index:

Exterior

Interior

In-Car Entertainment

Driving the 1.2L Petrol MT

Driving the 1.5L Diesel MT

Other Points

[ChiragM]

The second-generation Figo hatchback could never live up to the name the first generation car created. In our official review of the second generation Figo, this is what Rehaan had to say:

Old Figo: Dated looks, great handling, connected hydraulic steering, heavy feel, limited features, underpowered engine.
New Figo: Eye-catching looks, ordinary handling, average electric steering, lighter build, loaded with features, cracker of a diesel engine!

There's no doubt that the new Figo has more mass-market appeal, however, Ford fans please note; it's unlikely to tickle you the same way as the old Figo did.

This was not what Ford buyers were looking for, and for others, the Grand i10, Elite i20 and Swift were better options. As a result, the hatchback bombed. While the Aspire & Freestyle continue to do 1000+ sales / month (nothing great in their respective segments), they are not as bad as the Figo's. Ford updated the car to try and once again appeal to the market, but it was a half-hearted attempt. The Figo S did raise some interest among enthusiasts though.



The Figo was overdue for a facelift, but Ford decided on a different strategy to see if it would work. Rather than getting the facelifted Figo in 2018, Ford launched the Freestyle, which was a cross version of the Figo. Apart from changes to the exterior design and interiors, it also got a new petrol engine from the Dragon series. The Freestyle was priced well and had an appeal to it vs the regular hatchbacks in the segment, resulting in a sales bump up for the Figo family. Next in line to receive changes was the Aspire, which came a few months after the Freestyle. Now, in a bid to make it look like a fresher product, Ford has introduced the facelifted Figo and added a new top-end variant called 'Blu'. The hatchback gets minor cosmetic changes similar to that of the Aspire. The Blu variant gets a mix and match of updates inspired by the erstwhile Figo Sports Edition, like the black alloy wheels & black roof. Must add that we hate the Blu's stickering job.

The engine and gearbox have been carried over from the Aspire. That's good news, as the new 3-cylinder Dragon petrol unit is much more fun to drive than the outgoing car's motor. The diesel is the tried and tested 1.5L mill.

Unfortunately, this is where the positives end. Ford has again messed around with the features list and some essential items are missing. The biggest one of them all is the famed SYNC3 system, which is available in all other Ford vehicles, including the Freestyle and Aspire. Talk about step-motherly treatment!!! Ford should have provided that system as the non-SYNC system is nowhere as nice to use as the SYNC.

So, what's new on the outside?

Front gets smoked headlamps along with a new bumper featuring a revised grille and air dam:


The new rear bumper is the biggest change at the back, along with the decals for the Blu variant. There's too much happening at the back with black inserts in the bumper + decals:


The refreshed Figo measures 3,941 mm in length, which is 55 mm longer than the old car (mainly due to the revised bumpers), while its wheelbase has reduced by 1 mm and now measures 2,490 mm. The car also measures 1,704 mm in width and 1,525 mm in height, which makes it 9 mm wider than the outgoing car:


For the Blu variant, lot of design elements have been taken from the old Figo S. All the blackened out parts look tastefully done:


However, we are not fans of the excessive stickering on the boot lid and on the sides. IMHO, it spoils the sporty look of the car:


Headlights get blackened bits inside. It looks much better than the outgoing car's full chrome effect. No LED DRLs or projectors here. This is a miss from Ford as these are features that the market likes:


Thanks to the blackened areas, the remaining chrome now stands out. The Figo S had no chrome bits at all:


The grille gets a thicker border finished in black and tiny hexagonal elements finished in a black as well. Looks incredibly classy in person:


A close look at the new grille design. The Titanium variant gets a silver grille with a chrome border:


Air dam is now slimmer and gets 2 horizontal slats. Also notice the rubber wind deflector down below:


Foglamps sit recessed and are surrounded by a blue insert. The Titanium variant gets a chrome insert:


No request sensors on the doors. Sucks. Why? Because this car has an engine start / stop button and passive keyless entry would have made it complete:


The Figo Blu gets 15" alloy wheels, which are identical in design to those of the Aspire, but finished in black. They are shod with 195/55 Apollo Alnac 4G tyres. This wheel and tyre combination enhances the look of the car. Other variants continue to get 14" wheels shod with 175/65 section rubber:


Fatter rubber not only improves the handling, but also the stance of the car:


The chrome insert on the front fender has been replaced by a black one on this variant:


ORVMs are finished in black and come with integrated turn-indicators:


The black and blue stickering on the sides gives away the variant details. Only the Blu variant gets this:


The Blu variant also gets a black roof, which is just a wrap. This is also available as an accessory for lower variants:


The shape of the tail-lamps is the same, but the design elements are new. Clear lens element on the indicator / reversing light gets individual horizontal lines instead of the "pair of lines" on the pre-facelift (reference image):


A close look at the black and blue stickering on the boot lid:


A look at the Titanium badge and Blu stickering. Only the diesel engine gets a mention on the boot, while...


...the petrol has nothing:


Reversing camera is tucked away above the number plate:


New rear bumper gets revised styling with a W-shaped black insert and 4 parking sensors similar to the Freestyle and Aspire facelift. While we are not fans of this moustache-shaped insert, it is not a dealbreaker:


Black insert has fake air vents at both ends:


The bumper appears to have a larger lip than the old car, which contributes to the additional length compared to the pre-facelift (reference image):

[ChiragM]

So, what's new on the inside?

The cabin retains the black theme of the old car. Changes include a tweaked instrument cluster, piano black inserts and a 7.0" touchscreen head-unit:


Steering wheel is identical in design to the old car's. However, it is now leather-wrapped and gets piano black inserts instead of silver:


Steering-mounted control buttons get a change in graphics. The button for voice commands has been replaced by a mode button. The updated Figo does not get voice recognition:


A close look at the white contrast stitching on the steering wheel:


This instrument cluster, which debuted in the Freestyle and is also found in the Aspire, now makes its way to the Figo. The overall shape and positions of the dials are the same, yet it has small changes like the colour of the dial's center (area within the blue outlines is black, earlier it was grey), markings for the speed / rpm levels and an updated MID:


The MID shows the Ford logo on startup; all else is the usual stuff:


The updated MID is a better dot matrix type display which comes with a temperature gauge and also shows outside temperature, odometer, trip meter, range, average speed, average fuel efficiency and instantaneous fuel efficiency in liters per hour:


The MID also shows warnings when the doors are open. But unlike the Freestyle and Aspire, regardless of which door is open, the symbol always shows the front passenger door. This feels like a step backward. Warnings for the hatch and bonnet have been provided as well. Also note that the MID mentions the hatch as 'liftgate':


The MID suggests upshifts & downshifts, with the gear number. Newbies will appreciate:


New engine start button is located to the left of the steering. Press it without the clutch and a green light blinks on it continuously. Weird that the car has an engine start button, but not passive keyless entry!


The Figo facelift also gets rain-sensing wipers. The intermittent speed dial now adjusts the sensitivity of the auto-wipers:


Identical headlight controls as the outgoing car, but with one important addition = the Figo now gets auto headlamps:


Front doorpads are identical in design to that of the old car:


Chrome door handles replace the silver ones of the old car:


Blue inserts replace the silver ones of the old car:


All variants get fabric seats with new detailing along with blue contrast stitching as well as 'Blu' branding:


A close look at the fabric upholstery and detailing on the seats...


...as well as the blue contrast stitching:


The 'Blu' branding on the seats looks tacky and not well-finished. It's almost like an afterthought:


If you get careless with the accelerator, the drive can get jerky not only for the driver, but also the passengers. You have to modulate the clutch release & accelerator input nicely / smoothly to avoid these jerks. They are mild, yet noticeable in both, the petrol and the diesel. We think it is due to the drive-by-wire system's tuning:


Changes to the center fascia include a new touchscreen head-unit with fewer buttons below (its functions have been covered in a separate post later in the review) and piano black trim around the air-con vents and head-unit:


The Titanium and Titanium Blu variants come with a 7.0-inch touchscreen head-unit. Unfortunately, Ford has not provided the SYNC3 system, which means it does not support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay:


Since there is no SYNC3, the 'SYNC' badge has disappeared from the center fascia. 12V power socket gets a new cover with a thin chrome border:


New 5-speed transmission is taken from the Aspire and Freestyle. Nice to use, despite a small amount of notchiness:


Leather gear boot gets contrast white stitching. The diesel's gear shifter gets a collar, which must be lifted to engage reverse:


The Freestyle gets a TCS-off button here (reference image). In the Figo, ESP + TCS + HLA is offered only on the Petrol AT. Ford should've given it here too, especially on the top variant which has 6 airbags:


New IRVM gets automatic day/night modes:


Behind it is the light sensor for the dimming:


Sadly, the seatbelts now lose height adjustment! Ford's continuous addition & deletion of features can get frustrating:


The roof bezel houses the cabin lights and the mic. It too is now finished in black:


The driver and passenger sunvisors are finished in black to go with the black roofliner:


Rear doors are identical to that of the outgoing car, except for the blue trim and the chrome door handles:


Fabric-upholstered rear bench gets new detailing and blue contrast stitching:


Ford has listened to customer feedback. The rear seats now get adjustable headrests. They come with 3 levels of adjustment. Here's a look at the headrest at its lowest position...


...and at its highest position:


The Figo now gets an all-black roof liner. This, along with the all-black interior, could make it claustrophobic for some:


The sticker for the curtain airbags is taken from the Freestyle. Looks crude compared to the outgoing car's unit (link):


Like before, the spare is a 14" steel wheel shod with 175/65 section rubber. It has a speed limit of 80 km/h:


Key fob is now needed only to lock / unlock the car from the outside. It gets a boot release button:

[ChiragM]

In-Car Entertainment

As mentioned earlier, the Figo facelift comes with a 7.0-inch touchscreen head-unit system. However, Ford does not offer any variant with the Blackberry (QNX) SYNC3 system found in the EcoSport, Aspire and Freestyle top end variants. This system is nowhere near as good and is laggy to operate as well as buggy. Ford should have at least offered the SYNC3 in the Blu variant. In the days of smart connectivity features in cars, Ford has missed a trick as this system doesn't even support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

The Ford logo comes up on the screen on start-up:


Physical buttons below can be used to access all the major functions of the infotainment system, including the home screen, audio, navigation and the phone:


The home screen shows a compass, the audio playing and the name of the phone connected via Bluetooth. The user interface is similar to that of the SYNC3 system, but has some lag. It's not a deal breaker though:


Music can be played from various sources. Access to the radio is from the task bar below. BHPian Chetan_Rao has reported that his Android phone was not recognized when connected via USB:


The audio section shows only the song being played, along with the album name and the artist name. No album art here (like in other Fords):


The radio function is different from the rest of the audio. It would have been simpler to keep everything together like in SYNC3:


The audio settings include the usual fader / balance adjustments...


...and the equaliser settings:


The display settings allow you to change the brightness...


...and also switch from day mode to night mode:


It took a few attempts to pair my Mi A2 through Bluetooth. Even CrAzY dRiVeR's phone took 2 attempts to connect:


Navigation is through Navimaps from MapmyIndia. This screen comes up when you turn the navigation system on. Nice touch:


A safety warning is displayed before the navigation comes on:


The navigation system lags a lot and is extremely slow to respond. It can get frustrating and could be a deal breaker:


No Google Maps as there is no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The slow in-built navigation is the only way out:


The navigation system shows the path already traversed in blue with yellow dots:


The system indicates to the driver which road to take. This feature is a good addition:


You can enter a new address or search from previous destinations:


The system also gives you a list of various POIs:


The different settings available for the navigation system:


Some of the general settings of the system. With 'Auto switch to Navi' on, it automatically switches to navigation after a short period of inactivity:


You can also update the maps and the infotainment system here:


If the system needs your attention, this symbol will come up. In this case, one of the doors was open:


The system also shows the specific door, including the hatch, that is open. No warning for the bonnet. Notice that the warning symbol on the top-right turns red when the warning screen is opened:


Touchscreen doubles up as a display for the reversing camera. Resolution is good:


Reversing camera clarity is good even at night, but it does not get dynamic guidelines. You get a parking sensor display on the right:


The time and date are displayed when the system is shut down:

[ChiragM]

Driving the 1.2L Petrol MT

Ford really knows a thing or two about building competent 3-cylinder engines:


Ford earlier launched the 1.5-liter Dragon series engine in the EcoSport. The Aspire, Figo and the Freestyle get a downsized version of the same to fit into the <1,200cc bracket & take advantage of the resultant lower taxes. Marketing reasons too, so as to position the EcoSport's 1.5L as a clear segment above. This 1,194cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine develops 95 BHP @ 6,500 rpm and peak torque of 120 Nm @ 4,250 rpm. The Figo is hence down by 303cc, 26 BHP and 30 Nm when compared to the EcoSport. The engine is paired to a 5-speed MT. However, the automatic variant gets the EcoSport's 1.5-liter unit with a 6-speed torque converter.

The kerb weight of the car is 1,016 kg, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 94 BHP / ton and torque-to-weight ratio of 118 Nm / ton. The Figo is obviously similar to drive as compared to the Freestyle; however, the low end felt a tad duller than the Freestyle's as the Figo has taller gearing.

This new 1.2-liter unit is down on one cylinder compared to the earlier 1.2-liter, yet it is much, much better. While the old Figo's motor was lame, this one actually has some character. It is a very welcome replacement. Ford does know a thing or two about designing small 3-cylinders (we commented on similar lines in the EcoSport review as well); simply put, this new 1.2L is very impressive for a triple-cylinder, although the competition's 4-cylinders (especially from Maruti & Hyundai) are indisputably superior.

Press the clutch and push the engine start button to fire her up. At idle, there are some vibrations felt on the steering wheel, floor and a little on the gear lever - it is not a deal breaker though & these are well controlled. Open up the door and you will see it mildly shaking when the engine is cold (it's okay when warmed up). We also noticed that whenever the A/C compressor kicked in and out, there was a small bit of shake in the cabin. That said, it is noticed only at idle rpms - e.g. when waiting at a traffic light. Other than these irritants, the motor is acceptably refined at lower speeds and it is difficult to make it out as a 3-cylinder engine. Regular folk won't even know. We found it interesting that the engine idles a bit higher than we're used to - we even saw it idling at ~1,000 rpm (petrol's are usually in the ~800 rpm range). Guessing this has been done to lessen vibrations at idle.

The Figo moves off the line without any effort. The low-end brings decent driveability (decent, not exceptional), making the Figo easy to drive around in the city. Even with a full load, the car never felt under-powered. Overall power delivery is linear, the low-end is fair and the car responds decently to throttle input. 2nd gear over a speed-breaker? No sweat, but if the speed drops too low, slip the clutch a little bit with additional accelerator input, else the engine will stall. The accelerator pedal's travel length seems to be a bit more than we see on such small hatchbacks. While I am not complaining, some folk might (at least the ones who notice it).

The mid-range is decent, but it does feel flat at times (this is a small 1.2L at the end of the day). The Figo revs to 6,800 rpm (we saw 6,900 on occasion too) and the top-end is adequate. You'll enjoy revving the engine on the open road; just as well since the motor does need to be worked hard to perform. Power delivery doesn't come effortlessly, no. The car is quick when driven hard and yes, the engine note never lets you forget that there is a 3-cylinder unit under the hood (classic 3-cylinder thrum is very much present). We like the sound tuning and found the engine note to be on the sportier side (note: aam junta might find it noisy). This, the well-weighted steering & the suspension tune actually make the Figo fun to drive on the expressway! Vibrations? Most people won't even notice them on the move.

It is not a manic motor though & we distinctly remember the EcoSport's 1.5-liter unit to be rev-happier. This one also likes to rev, but the rpm needle doesn't climb up as fast.

The gearshift's action is nice with well-defined gates, although it has a little notchiness to it. The gearbox has a medium-length throw; in such a fun to drive car, I'd have expected a shorter throw gearbox. The clutch pedal's weight is average and it is well calibrated. The pedal isn't as light as say a Grand i10 though and its weight could bother you in bumper-to-bumper traffic. One issue we did notice - when you are revving the car and making aggressive upshifts, there is a noticeable jerk. So, it is not a very seamless drive when this car is being flogged hard.

While overall NVH levels are good, the engine does get audible past 3,000 rpm. When you accelerate, there is that classic 3-cylinder thrum that we all recognise from the Maruti 800 days. The engine is heard on the back seat too, although it’s not harsh. Post 5,000 rpm, the 1.2L gets loud. Enthusiasts will like the sporty sound, but their family members won't. Must add, the NVH levels definitely seemed a little better than in the Freestyle. There is the lower cruising rpm level, yes, while the tyres might also be contributing as they were different from our Freestyle demo car.

In terms of fuel economy, the Figo carries an ARAI rating of 20.4 km/l for the manual transmission and 16.3 km/l for the automatic. 3-cylinder engines are inherently more fuel-efficient, thus owners should be satisfied with the real-world economy figures.

The engine bay looks cramped and messy, partly due to the lack of an engine cover. By simply adding a piece of plastic, Ford could have made the engine bay look cooler:


Even the petrol gets a full insulation sheet (many petrols in this price band skip it):


Proper "cold air" intake. See how the piping brings in fresh air right from the front of the car:


The firewall gets an additional silver heat insulation sheet, on top of the regular insulation:


No underbody protection offered:


Attention to detail! The hoses have a protective cover where they could rub against each other:

[ChiragM]

Driving the 1.5L Diesel MT

The diesel engine is identical to the pre-facelift. No changes here:


The excellent 1,498cc, 4-cylinder diesel mill puts out 99 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 215 Nm @ 1,750 - 3,000 rpm. Where the more contemporary diesels (e.g. Honda's 1.5L) have a 16 valve DOHC (double overhead camshaft) valve train, Ford's TDCi engine is an 8 valve SOHC (single overhead camshaft) unit. Renault-Nissan's 1.5L & Toyota's 1.4L D-4D also employ 8 valve SOHC diesels. These are honest, robust old-school mechanicals. On a recent poll, BHPians rated this engine as the best 1.5L diesel in India (link).

You'll feel the cabin shake as you start the diesel, switch it off or even rev it at a standstill. The clatter is audible and the diesel does make its presence felt. That said, the overall NVH of the car appears to be a little better than the older one.

Spend 10 minutes with the Figo diesel and it's very obvious which the superior engine is. While the petrol offering has improved, it is the diesel that is our pick.

Given its power & torque ratings, the pleasing performance is no surprise. The diesel offers fantastic driveability in the city. There's healthy torque at low rpms; it's certainly not dead below 2,000 rpm as some other hatchbacks are. The engine has some serious anti stall too - you can take it down to unusually low revs without the motor giving up. The Figo diesel possesses a tractable nature which makes it very practical for the daily office <-> home commute. Throttle response in the city is satisfactory and you won't need to downshift too often. Turbo-lag is well-controlled. Even when the turbocharger does kick in, power delivery is on the linear side.

While the 1.5L diesel will keep city slickers happy, the highway is where this engine truly shines. Slam the pedal down and the diesel Figo crosses 120 km/h with ease. Yes, it's very quick in a straight line & will leave you grinning. The strong mid-range ensures that highway overtaking is quick & easy. Importantly, you won't be downshifting as often as in the Figo petrol on the open road. The TDCi revs to ~5,000 rpm when needed, but that's really pushing it. Actual progress is slow after 4,000 rpm, prompting you to upshift earlier. There's also an unwanted boomy / drone sound that creeps in at those rpm levels. While the diesel is a fast performer, its calm cruising ability is equally impressive. The ARAI rating has marginally gone down to 25.5 km/l (outgoing car = 25.83 km/l).

NVH levels are kept in check. Though the engine's note does filter into the cabin, it's not excessive at regular rpms. Vibrations are felt on the pedals though, and they are directly proportional to the engine rpm.

The 5-speed manual gearbox is nice to use, although it's not the segment best. The gearbox does the job for the most part - the gates are properly defined and the throws are short enough. The clutch pedal is heavier than the petrol's. No, it isn't cumbersome, but some competitors do have clutch pedals that are lighter and have a shorter travel range.

The bonnet gets a full insulation sheet:


Unlike the petrol, there is no silver reflective sheet on the firewall:


The diesel is also missing an underbody protector, but it is offered as an official accessory (link). We strongly recommend it:

[ChiragM]

Other Points

• The Figo facelift handles better than the outgoing car, but we feel it's all down to the fatter tyres. Compared to the 175/65 R14 rubber of the old Figo, the facelift gets 20 mm fatter rubber (195/55 R15). These make a noticeable difference to the grip levels. Of course, the lower Ambiente and Titanium variants come with the 14" wheel size. So, there's no difference there.

• We had shown you a blank circular space in the glovebox of the Aspire sedan (link). Strangely, this is missing in the Figo hatchback:


• The glovebox in the old car got a cut in the plastic (link). This is missing in the new car:


• Since the Blu is the top-end variant, it comes with side and curtain airbags:


• We didn't get to drive the 1.5L Automatic as it wasn't part of the fleet. Here's our review of the same engine & gearbox in the EcoSport. Ford doesn't seem too interested in selling this variant as it is not available for test drives at almost any dealership throughout the country based on BHPians' feedback.

• The Figo comes with a 5 year / 1 lakh km standard warranty. The first 2 years are the factory warranty and the remaining 3 are extended warranty (but standard with the car). Ford should have simply called it a 5 year warranty instead of confusingly terming it as a 2 + 3.

• Service interval is set at 10,000 km / 1 year (whichever is earlier). Ford has also included the service costs in the brochure:


• The recommended tyre pressure is 30 PSI for 1-3 occupants and 35 PSI for a full load. Lower variants with 14-inchers have a 35 PSI recommendation all around:


• The top-end Figo Blu is available in 3 colours - Oxford White, Moondust Silver and Smoke Grey. The other variants are available in 4 other colours - Ruby Red, Deep Impact Blue, Absolute Black and White Gold.

• The Ford Figo facelift brochure can be viewed here - Ford Figo Facelift.pdf

• Disclaimer: Ford invited Team-BHP for the Figo test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Official Reviews. Thanks for sharing!

[jailbird_fynix]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

• We didn't get to drive the 1.5L Automatic as it wasn't part of the fleet. Ford doesn't seem too interested in selling this variant as it is not available for test drives at almost any dealership throughout the country based on BHPians' feedback.

This is most disappointing by Ford India. Especially, in this day & age, when the consumer demand for automatic is already quite high.

Excellent review as always. The car is definitely a looker! Also, very impressive that the top variant (~7 lakhs?) comes with 6 airbags. Even newer & more premium cars from other segments / brands don't give us these.

[Aafaq]

It certainly misses out on few essentials like Projector setup, request sensor on doors which is present almost in every car in its competition, also the engine bay looks cluttered without a cover.
Nevertheless I feel this is one of the powerful hatchback available in the market within this price range.
Awesome review!
Cheers

[myavu]

Excellent review Dear Ford, please add Sync 3 Android Auto / Apple CarPlay. Then TDCI Blu is a well-rounded car for me.

It's hard to understand Ford's variant logic. Anyway volumes are down. Sync 3 systems are manufactured for their global cars in India only. Kit all their Indian models (at least top variants of Manual and ATs) with it. Ford has nothing to lose.

[neil.jericho]

Did Ford save the Sync3 for its 2020 round of updates? Its interesting to note that the service costs of the 1.5 litre petrol are lower than that of the 1.2 litre petrol! Its nice that Ford has an annual service schedule unlike that of some offerings from Honda and the rest.

We have a Ford Figo 1.2 that my Dad drives and though the steering feel is light for a Ford, it does its job without complaint. Im not a big fan of the dials and font used by Ford recently, they look decidedly downmarket in comparison to their competition. My perfect Figo would be the 1.5 L with automatic, the suspension and rear spoiler of the Sport edition, SYNC 3 and 6 airbags. In the Ford Focus RS blue shade, please!

[adi.mariner]

Excellent review. Rated 5 Stars. The white car in the Titanium Blu variant with the Black Roof wrap looks really nice. However why do manufacturers do not launch the Automatic version in the top variant? A couple of years back when trying out automatic hatch-backs for my Father, I had called a Ford dealer (don't remember the name) in Mumbai regarding the automatic variant for a Test drive (the DCT was available that time). The dealer was not aware about such a variant and finally we got the Grand i10 home. With the increasingly choked city roads, an automatic is a boon.

[Mlanuk]

Thank you for the detailed review. I test drove the Petrol Titanium Blu a couple of days back and my first reaction in the drivers seat was that it felt a lot more premium that what I expected (based on the price point of competitors).

I thought the seat position was too low but seeing that it comes with height adjustment, I think it was probably in need of a haul up. However, overall visibility was good and the dash and seats give a fairly 'snug' feeling, helped also by the black interiors. Yes, the engine note was fairly recognizable as a 3-pot and didn't sound very refined. The boot seemed a notch smaller (again, looking to competitors except for the Swift).

If I were to be a stickler for the smaller things, the buttons around didn't feel cohesive - the start stop button, the ones below the touch-screen, the AC panel and the inside lever to unlock / open the doors - have different textures and feel. I guess this is because this is an evolutionary design. The rear seat, which I will end up being on while in the city, did not feel great at all. Low roof, thin cushioning, not the best of upholstery - this was a deal breaker for me.