[Arch-Angel]

The search for my car: The indian "Khoj"

Introduction:

A big hello to everyone here in Team-Bhp! I became a member here only recently, after being a longtime lurker. Used to read about almost everything posted here by the members at that time (2005-2006) and started frequent visits whenever my cravings for the machines increased to unbearable levels.

That aside, the main reason i made this post was because i really felt it would be good to give this girl( she and I just got close, and after i set my eyes on her, game over!) her space on our esteemed forums for everyone to see and share their opinions and experiences with their girls( the cars, my friends and now i can hear those suppressed giggles and guffaws aplently). The other reason was that i wanted to try my hand at writing. So feedback about the quality of my writing would be appreciated.

WARNING: EXTREMELY CHEESY/CORNY REVIEW MIGHT BE LIKED BY VERY FEW.
READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Part I:

The search for a car started around 4 months back. I had suddenly developed back pain as a result of driving on a stretch of chennai roads(well you have more holes than roads to give you a fair idea of the amount of torment and torture my hindside had faced, due to intermittent contact with the seat which used to slap my back everytime i drove into a pit: Plain Pain with No gain). My pulsar 150 had served me well, but due to my back pain, i had to come up with a solution.

There were a few options for me.

1.> Take the office cab:

This seemed to be fairly practical considering our cabs are mostly ford fiestas and indigos. Unfortunately, i had to take a trip with one of the cabbies once. This guy cranks the engine up, starts the music system and starts tuning in to some local radio station. To add to my misery of having to listen to some absolute nonsense on the radio, this guy turns back and starts talking with us(three of us on the unfortunate day, three). Now, to add to more problems, one the guys asked him to go fast since his wife was waiting for him(!). That was enough for him. The guy turned, one stare into the horizon and the guy floored the throttle, the vehicle squealed, trying the pull 4 people with all its might. I started praying to god, i never knew i had that much devotion to him on that day. Thankfully we all made it one piece, with our driver giving us this huge smile as if he had travelled around the world in 80 days. That was the last straw. I still might take the cab but not that driver. He goes alone from now.

2.> Try and put up with the pain:

A friend of mine advised me.

Friend: Dai Arch, i dont think going for your own vehicle is good now da!
i agree you are feeling pain, why not try Ravishankarji's yoga or Ramdev's exercises? Plus even if you feel pain, try and face it da! Remember da you are a man!

Me: Whaa? Whaaat? What does me being a man have to do with my back pain da! I asked you for a solution to my problem and here you are, suggesting yoga and the works.

Friend: Ok da, buy a comfortable moped.

Me:(Thoughts going around in my head: What a pointless debacle) Dai its ok, i will try and manage.

3.> Buy the car:

Needless to say, this seemed the most practical of all the options i had. I had paid heed to naysayers earlier and only managed to make the mess a little more complex. My granny asked me to buy the ambassador and drive it to work and said she had not ever heard of this ford, toyota or other brands. She said its got nice space. She might be old, but she did have a point. Features aside, the amby was a lovely car. Sadly, i didn't want to end up being asked to drop some person thinking i am a chaffeur appointed by the company. Friends suggestions ranged from all segments of the market. One friend went on to suggest the nano and i did feel though it was reasonably priced, i did not want to end up with a battery underneath my seat nor an engine behind me. I listened to all of it, getting more tired from the endless banter that was on offer to someone who had a "what car" question in mind. I decided to look at where all people with automobile queries head out to: Team-BHP!

So the typical indian style "khoj" for a new vehicle started out. I was keenly eyeing the i10/i20, swift vdi, figo and sail uva. I was in between a decision dilemma when i started discussing the issue with my mother.

Me: Ma, i really can't find a car and to add to my list of problems, there are a gazillion alternatives in that segment!

My Mom: Is there a car which you quite fancy?

Me: I guess i'll head into my office parking lot to find out.

The next day at work, during the lunch break, i headed down to the parking lot and started looking at cars. Quite a few looked good. The alto 800 and the k10: "petrol vehicles", i said to myself as i walked on and i spotted quite a few i10s and i20s. The i20 asta abs had a jawdropping list of features which can put a lot of 30Lakh cars to shame. Out of budget sadly and i just trodded on. Then, voila! She stood there in the most unassuming manner, her eyes curved toward the top. Her lips closed with a number plate in between ( i spoil romantic moments, lol) which read a TN10 X XXXX. I went near her, touched her, as smooth as a baby's back. Then by mistake, tapped on the metal part to check the metal construction quality. "BLARR PAIYON PAAIYON PAIYON" I had managed to disturb her slumber and she decided to retaliate by letting everyone know that she had been tapped (). The security rushed to the location to find me sheepishly grinning and i ended up saying something funny, i know this because the rigid face of the security guard, who had himself been disturbed from his slumber by the car alarm, smiled and laughed his way back to his chair.

The Hyundai twins:

A few months later, i decided to take a closer look at all the vehicles i had seen earlier, so that i don't inadvertently miss out on something good that might have been unnoticed during the parking lot expedition i had undertaken earlier. I test drove the i10/i20 kind of similar, but i certainly felt that i20 felt slightly artificial to drive. It was a good car, but somehow, it didn't appeal a lot. Also since i didn't want to spend a packet on the asta abs variant, i had to let the car go. The i10 was comfortable and the interiors spoke for itself. Hyundai had done its homework in the interior department well. Rising costs of petrol didn't give me much of choice.

Their positives:

-Interiors were just lovely!
-Tons of features on ASTA ABS of i20, nifty little features which brought a smile to my face

Why did i not choose them:

- Rising petrol costs might put a hole right through both pockets and through me as well.
- The i20 diesel had sufficent muscle, but no ABS = no choice at my price point. I had to look for other options.

MS Swift Diesel: <MS- Maruti Suzuki>

The next contender for our coveted spot(!) was the MS Swift VDI. Since i have heard the MS A.S.S is one amongst the best in India, i had decided to go look at this as well. The weekend came and off i was to take a look at this car by myself. The swift is a good car, but i had noticed the rear windows had gotten smaller. My mother would certainly be against this. The rear seats didn't appeal and the interiors were ok in my opinion. The car was good, felt better than the old swift regarding the turbo boost at 2k rpm. Its much linear and relaxing now. The plastic definitely needs improvement. Come on MS! Externally, she is quite the looker too.

Its positives:

-Lovely design- personal opinion
-Sporty nature of the car

why did i not choose it:

-Rear bench could fit two legless people, maybe fit people who are 5 feeters or a touch below 5 feet 7 inches according to my head.
-Costly for what it offers in the top end ZDI.
-Rear windows are claustrophobic. Why sacrifice space in the name of style?

The Chevrolet Sail U-VA:

This car, i would say quite appealed to me. I had gone to check this car out too, very similar to the figo and this car comes with SDE Smartech Engine for the diesel variant which is nothing but our fiat national engine in a different tune. The interiors were quite spacious and felt airy. The AC worked well and i felt it was a well rounded package. The rear space was in a league of its own. This car is all about drivability. However, no seat height adjustment was available. I am a 6 footer and i did fit comfortably, but i wanted a seat height adjustment so that i can get a fine-tuned driving position where my back,neck and everything else is at complete ease. That aside, its a good car.

Its positives:

-Spacious
-Very driveable: light clutch and the national engine under the hood and the braking was satisfactory.
-Split seats: Good enough for having some luggage and a third passenger.

Why i didn't choose it:

-No driver seat height adjustment. Somehow i felt this should be made standard.
-That ugly rear! Somehow i feel this car was released with a lot of hurrying and GM did not have enough time t0 complete the design. The font looked great though. This is again a personal opinion with no offense intended to owners.

The Girl at last, the ford figo:

Last but not the least, i had taken mom to the showroom to see the figo.The initial encounter with the figo had left me rather smitten. The MPL ford showroom in Teynampet was chosen and we headed out. The route was congested due to the CMRL project which is underway. I had contacted their dgm Mr Gajendran who assisted in pointing us to the showroom location and he welcomed us in. I told him i had come to see the figo. He pointed out a yellow figo titanium tdci. I entered the cabin had a quick look around. It was spacious. The plastic quality and panel gaps were consistent and good. I had heard that the earlier figos used to scrape speedbreakers when fully loaded and when i put forth this concern to Mr Gajendran, he said the newer figo's had their suspension slightly tightened and the issue was addressed according to him. The showroom staff were pretty decent. For some reason, they wanted me to go for the non-abs variant. I told them that safety is the prime concern for me and i am not buying a car without abs. My mother liked the the car as well. That was when i decided to go ahead and book it.

Her positives:

-A good city car with no turbo lag.
-Good bunch of features.

Her negatives:

-No temperature gauge:" Listen babe, i know you are hot but i don't want you to become too hot to handle".
-Steering mounted audio controls are placed below the steering wheel on a stalk that looks like a mushroom on the side of trees. Absolutely imperative that ford places them back on the steering wheel.
-Transmission hump: Slightly prominent but it could have been less.
-Rear power windows: "Y U NO PRESENT?" was the question in my mind. However, she was based on another woman! The old fiesta mark V platform is her mom and she was a 2 seater.
the figo had an indian dad who performed "jugaad" and added the rear seat and windows. Was discussed a long time back. One of the common negative topics when it comes to all figo owners.

I know what people are thinking by now. "You are buying a car whose negatives you listed are more than the other cars you compared!". I got more here than what i paid for!

That concludes part 1 of many more to come.

Part II: Test drive impressions

I had left out the test drive impressions earlier since i did not have enough time to conjure up a good looking report. Anyways, read on for the test drive impressions for the figo.

What car: The ford figo titanium tdci

About the car:

The ford figo, which was marketed in many developing countries based on the old fiesta (Mark V) platform, made its way to India after its debut in New Delhi in Sept 2009. She went on to take it against some of the segment's top contenders. Something i heard from the showroom was that figo had an understated appeal: Not too flashy but at the same time quite the cute looker. The sales picked up and people took notice of the newcomer in town. Fast forward a few years and Ford India realised that the figo needed a subtle makeover to keep up with the competition. The theme name they came up for the new figo is "Kinetic Design" a design that will move you, just like the car will.

That main things that seem to be added, or atleast the ones i found noticeable were the tiltable steering, the suspension(more on this in the test drive section), the steering mounted media controls(near the steering on the left, there is a control stalk and they call it steering mounted controls!).The rear lamp changes were quite conspicuous, with the turn indicators now being housed on the bottom end of the lamp as opposed to the top one-third the old figo had. The rear lamp's crystal portion used to round off along with the rear hatch window, in the new one, the red portion rounds off the rear window. The headlamps, i did notice a subtle difference regarding its curvature but other than that, not much of a change. The headlamps on the old figo were notorious for their rather poor illumination; A victim of a slightly different design. The new figo's headlamps had a slightly more even illumination and a slightly better throw on both high beam and low beam.

The old figo's front still looked a tad better, for reasons i am still pondering on. One more subtle difference is that the chrome around the logo in the front area in the new figo, the earlier one had it cutting across the length. The grill in front has a change as well, it seemed to make the open mouth sort of expression in the earlier figo to something which looks like a kiss, embracing the market romantically, are we? One more thing i heard was that when the figo comes under a panic braking scenario, the hazard lights begin to blink. I am not aware if the outgoing figo had the same feature so i listed it here anyways.

The rest, identical, including the 284 Liter boot space!

The Test Drive:

A brief discussion regarding the changes had ensured between the DGM (Mr Gajendran) and myself. I wanted to know if the pleasant handling characteristics of the older figo had been changed by a lot. Only way to find out was to sit in there and try it for yourself!

Driving Dynamics:

I just drove for a kilometer along the roads adjacent to the showroom just to get a hang about the car. As they say " Women's makeup changes the way they look, but not their heart", this held true for our lovely figo as well. Its the same 68 Bhp turbodiesel 8V-SOHC unit that did its duty in the old figo and with the tuned suspension setup, i felt assured that this car would have slightly better characteristics. I cranked her up, and she started and settled into the normal diesel clatter that we all are so accustomed to hearing in our car's diesel mills.
Slot her into the first gear and release the clutch, she just moved in the subtlest of ways, no need of much of accelerator input. She just moved on like a ballerina in her slow, yet steady motion. Slot into the next gear and give her a slight nudge on the throttle and she will move. For one moment, i was confused on how she drives;petrol-esque for the lack of a better adjective. This goes to say a lot about this lovely lady's driveability on our roads. Pulling from standstill on second gear and third gear at 20-30. Top speed achievable is said to be 160-170; something i will never do on our city roads no matter what. So testing this will have to wait on some private track. The tuned up suspension, for some odd reason introduced some strange rocking motion when going into undulations and though she never buckled under pressure, she did rock up when going inside the fairly large potholes most chennaites might be accustomed to. This might be suspect to those over-inflated tyres. So slow down and try and understand her. (Somehow all car topics end up in relationship advice as far as i am concerned).

Cabin Comfort:

Not much of a change compared to the old figo, the seats did seem a little different now. Not very soft but at the same time, not too hard. The controls still seem to be fairly primitive considering all the advancement in technology. The stock ICE sounded good. Even the local radio sounded good, so that is a definitive plus. The meters are all analogue and it is surprising that a temperature gauge has not been included in even the top-end models. The ovrms are electrically adjustable. The rear windows seem to have the old handle style mirror adjustment. Come on ford, a top end variant with no rear power windows? They roll down only partially, by the way. The driving posture for me was good since both steering Tilt and seat height could be adjusted. The rear bench was comfortable and here is a bit from the conversation i had with my mother on this.

Me: (opening the door and asking her to get inside) Ma get in.

My mother: (Goes and sits inside, feels the seats and her face lit up with her trademark smile) Comfortable, much better than the swift.

Me: When did you sit inside a swift ma?

My mother: One of my colleagues dropped me near the bus stop da. It wasn't very comfortable in the rear. (Had any car had a name like Hanuman,Krishna or Rama, that would have been my next car, considering my mother's influence over my purchase decisions. She is slightly the devotional type. Ma if you end up reading this, i put this up as a joke! And guys, she does read stuff on team-bhp whenever she gets time)

One of my friends commented after sitting inside a figo and that left me in splits
"Dai Arch, the car has enough space to run a family inside da!".

Summing it up:
A lovely city car which drives very well and has a great poise on every type of roads; except for the extremely bad ones. A nice stock ICE system and the chiller of an AC which makes driving comfortable under all conditions.

What you will like:

1. The car's drivability and handling:

The new figo is just as driveable as the old one was. She was fairly composed over the regular undulations. We did go into a pit with 4 people and the car did not bottom out, the suspension was worked on for sure. I did notice the rocking motion earlier but that could be because the tyres could be overinflated.Rest of the drive was something i loved. This car should be driven in a sedate manner to enjoy it to the fullest.

2. Cabin Comfort:

The figo doesn't disappoint here. The ICE/AC and the comfortable seats make it a good commuter's car. Needless to say, i have seen a lot of figo taxis in town.

What you might not like:

1. Not exactly a true refresh/facelift:

a.) Change of lamps: check
b.) Addition of media control near the steering: Check
c.) Rear Power WIndows : ?? Not available
60/40 Seat Split: Not exactly a dampener but the power windows and 60/40 rear seat split would have made this a true refresh.

2. Center hump on the floor:

Though not very prominent, it is there and this can make things uncomfortable if a fifth passenger decides to join you on your rides.

3. Plastic quality: Fit and finish can definitely be bettered. Kind of satisfied but i tend to demand more from a manufacturer like ford.

4. No rubber beading around the stalks: I would have loved it if this were present but sadly, left out due to cost cutting i feel.


That ends part II.

Delivery day (on 21st March 2013):

"Rohit! Rohit! get up!" (Rohit is my nickname-after typing so many Arch-Arch in the forum in the above note, I am already feeling like one. So i decided to use my nickname lest i start feeling like an inanimate object) exclaimed my mother, gesturing towards the clock and showing me that it was 6:00AM. I just yawned, looked up to the sky and began questioning my mother's action of waking me up so early: "WHY!". Anyways i was off to work and the delivery was scheduled to be at 5:30PM.

On a lighter note: The forecast for the day for me was: "You will find the girl you have always dreamt of and there is a high propability of you meeting her today". People might understand how much that means (clue: My figo is being delivered today!).

Delivery time: 5:30PM

I had rushed out of office after giving this as an excuse which was surprisingly granted! I reached the MPL car delivery point in T-Nagar. As it is a custom for elders in my family to bless any new item that is being purchased, i had taken my mom and my granny along for the delivery of our family's first car(first one, as in purchased by me). The MPL guys did explain all the features and in case anyone has driven a tata car earlier, one will wonder why the controls are in reverse! That said, you'll get accustomed real quick. So back to the topic, the delivery happened and it was all smiles for my ma and my granny! Thats all, we hopped into it, had the puja done reached home at 9:00PM. The process was clean and incase anyone does decide to buy a new figo from MPL ford teynampet, do ask for Mr Gajendran and mention that Mr Lakshman(thats my real name, atleast on my birth-certificate, hah!) had mentioned about you! He is a good man and ensured that everything happened on track. Also mention you are a Bhp-ian to be assured of a pleasant experience.


Part III: Detailed Impressions and Pictures

The external looks:

A front look of the new figo: notice the grille and headlamp design.



A closeup of the front-fascia



The 8V-SOHC - 1.4L Turbodiesel TDCi engine that does the heavy lifting. No extra tuning in the facelifted model except that a newer ECU firmware comes flashed to prevent issues the earlier one faced. The engine bay does look slightly cluttered.



The rear of the car is a place where changes can be observed as well.
Look at the rear indicator and the rear lamp position: They have been interchanged. I also love the fact that the rear gets rounded off so beautifully.



The next important factor: Boot space. This has a big boot compared to hatch standards. Here is a picture of the boot: All 284 Litres of it.



The internal Looks:


A view inside the cockpit: Plane-like? No. But it is a nice place to be in.



The rear bench looks fairly comfortable as well. Once can't help but notice the rear legroom. Also note the pockets behind the front seats. A detailed photo will be present further down this post.




A closer look at the internals:

Driver-Side:

The steering wheel:

The steering wheel is the typical three-spoke design carried onward from the old model. The plastic quality is good but a leather-wrapping will improve the grip as i feel it will become slippery if your palms get sweaty. The steering has only tilt adjustment through a handle below.



A closeup of the steering wheel to show the plastic quality:



The Dash:

The meters:

The meters are the typical analogue dials for Tach/Speedo/Fuel Gauge with the ODO/Trip/DTE being an LCD backlit screen. Shockingly, no temperature guage is present. In my opinion it is a must have. Although one can get the lcd display to display diagnostic info including engine temp/battery voltage



A youtube video to show the same: I have a doubt whether the video uploader is a tbhpian or not.

Figo Diagnostic

Other Details:

The ORVMs are electrically adjustable. Just turn it toward the direction of the ORVM to be adjusted and just use it like a Joy-pad to change the alignment of the mirrors. they work on both the Axes: X,Y.



The headlamp stalk comes to the left now. Not on the "right" side like in the TATA vehicles. The Wiper stalk is on the right side with multiple options as well. The steering-Column media controls. Absolutely idiotically placed right below the steering wheel, it will interfere if the steering is kept at the lowest tilt setting.




The HeadUnit/AC:

The Headunit is a decently good with some good features: Good stock music system with a nice sound system. FM/CD Playback and USB/Aux in support. It also has bluetooth to pair your phone. Call logs/New sms notification/Hold/Mute are some of the features.
The AC is quite a chiller. Currently using it in fan speed-1.






The pedals/The gear lever/Transmission:

The pedals are the synthetic material coated type. Felt they had good spacing. Some metal inserts on the pedals would definitely make them look cool. Ford does have a sport pedal set for Rs 750/-



The gear lever is made out of normal stuff again: Feels good to hold it. But again, leather wrapping would have been helpful. Propable that one's hands might end up slipping if their palms are sweaty. Other than that, leather wrapping would have made it look classy and i didn't like the silver color on it. The car has a 5-Speed manual transmission. For one, the ratios are pretty decently spaced out. You wont have to shift down in slow moving traffic unless its at a snail's pace.



The IRVM:

I really like the RVM of figo for some odd reason. It has a good design which allows the entire rear hatch window's visible area to be covered. A picture of RVM with yours truly holding the camera . Good things have good side effects!



The cabin light on top. I tend to call it a utility lamp, is essentially a low wattage lamp with the plastic diffuser on top. I didn't feel the illumination was quite adequate but hey, one doesn't need it light up like a street lamp.



The AC vents use the circular adjustment to rotate the vent. It will close fully but some air will come out. Its kind of negligible so i'll let that slip.



The driver seat does have the length/Height adjust that the earlier model had.
Not a new feature but i just thought i'd attach an image.




Passenger Side:

The vanity mirror is only present for the passenger side.
On a lighter note: Women drivers may cause accidents due to constant peeking toward the passenger side vanity mirror to adjust their makeup! Jk: They also have a second IRVM !



Passenger side mirror also has power window switches. I heard that the earlier figo didn't have illumination on the power window switch on the driver side(controlling the passenger side), which is true even for the facelift. But the passenger side switch is illuminated. I am not sure if its visible in the picture.



The legroom on the passenger side is fantastic. I just love the oodles of space over there!



The parcel tray has quite a lot of room. You can keep stuff over there. I found a USB cable running inside. I would have loved a socket in the Head unit instead. Why should i sit with the tray open while i connect my pendrive? (I do know i could connect it and put it inside the glove box and forget about it. The question is why?).



The rear seat:

The view from the back to the front: trying my hand with photography.



I quite like the rear legroom and the figo doesn't disappoint one bit. I could comfortably sit behind and enjoyed moving my feet around.



Take a look at the rear seats! They are quite good but don't exude the premium feel like in the i20/i10.



There it is, the transmission hump. It isn't very uncomfortable per se, but a little subtlety would have definitely helped. Would have to check it out after seating a third passenger.



I did end up choosing the accessory pack from the celebration edition. Incase one did not notice the spoiler earlier, here it is



Also, the scuff plates:



The reversing sensors:



Last but not the least, the GPS unit:



Also, i got the celebration edition covers for the seats. Pretty good. I paid a total of 16k for the pack after giving away the accessory bonus and my old seat covers.

A parting shot of the figo before she was registered.



There are a few things i would have liked to see:

1. Illuminated Key insert Location like in the manza
2. A slightly more sprightlier engine. 68 ps makes it slightly sluggish
3. Better plastics and interior design.

Other info:

1.> The stalks are interchanged in position. Wipers on perfect days?
2.> The Bonnet release is near the passenger leg area. Why there of all places?
3.> Petrol/Diesel tank input is essentially a switch present near the driver foot area. Cannot be opened externally.
4.> There is a rear-wash/wipe facility as well.
5.> The boot has a nifty light.
6.> Pulling the lamp knob will activate the flood lamps.

Credits:

I would like to give credit to GTO for the awesome ford figo thread, VidyutJi for his feedback during the process of making this thread and all the Bhpians for making me a better citizen and a better driver. A big thumbs up to all of you.

Vehicle Info:

The vehicle has done about 96 kilometers as per the odo. Will hit the roads soon and rack up those miles.

To all the viewers/readers: What is your opinion about this car? Wan't to share something regarding the car or feedback regarding this thread? Go ahead and fill up those textboxes with your thoughts! Waiting to hear from each and everyone of you!
The END !

[Blow Horn Ok]

Congrats on the purchase! I am sure you will love the dynamics of the car. I believe its first TBHP review of the refreshed figo. The car still offers a brilliant package for the price. Apart from few niggles, I am quite satisfied with the performance of my car. I hope, most of them would be sorted out on the refreshed one.

Do update pictures and Driving/Service report.

Drive Safe!

[Arch-Angel]

Thanks BlowHornOk, i guess i'll call you BHO(like our GTO). The car hasn't arrived yet, we still have a few formalities to complete before she comes to our doorstep. The photos and a detailed comparison between both will be done by me.

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

A friend of mine advised me.

Friend: Dai Arch, i dont think going for your own vehicle is good now da!
i agree you are feeling pain, why not try Ravishankarji's yoga or Ramdev's exercises? Plus even if you feel pain, try and face it da! Remember da you are man!

Me: Whaa? Whaaat? What does me being a man have to do with my back pain da! I asked you for a solution to my problem and here you are, suggesting yoga and the works.

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

My Mom: Is there a car which you quite fancy?

Me: I guess ill head into my office parking lot to find out.

The next day at work, during the lunch break, i headed down to the parking lot and started looking at cars. Quite a few looked good. The alto 800 and the k10: "petrol vehicles",i said to myself as i walked on and i spotted quite a few i10s and i20s. The i20 asta abs had a jawdropping list of features which can put a lot of 30Lakh cars to shame. Out of budget sadly and i just trodded on.
Then, voila! She stood there in the most unassuming manner, her eyes curved toward the top. Her lips closed with a number plate in between( i spoil romantic moments, lol) which read a TN10 X XXXX. I went near her, touched her, as smooth as a baby's back. Then by mistake, tapped on the metal part to check the metal construction quality. "BLARR PAIYON PAAIYON PAIYON" I had managed to disturb her slumber and she decided to retaliate by letting everyone know that she had been tapped. The security rushed to the location to find me sheepishly grinning and i ended up saying something funny, i know this because the rigid face of the security guard, who had himself been disturbed from his slumber by the car alarm, smiled and laughed his way back to his chair.

Corniest initial review I've read in a long time, "Blarr Payion Paayion" etc. Looking forward to a more factual ownership report, and some pics.

To break your heart, the Figo isn't really an American lass. It was conceived and sold for developing markets, and was neither designed nor ever sold in USA. Nevertheless, carry on romeo!

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

To break your heart, the Figo isn't really an American lass. It was conceived and sold for developing markets, and was neither designed nor ever sold in USA. Nevertheless, carry on romeo!

Well, atleast her dad is American!

[Vid6639]

Moderator's note: Thread moved from Assembly Line to Ownership section. Thanks for sharing!

Excellent detailed review and superb pictures.

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Excellent detailed review and superb pictures.

Thanks a lot for providing feedback all the way .

[Blow Horn Ok]

Thanks for the detailed pics. Like others have you also experienced less cabin noise in the new figo? Somehow, one would require a keen eye to notice that rear spoiler. I have also planned to go for the scuff plates on the next service visit. At present, The door sills are filled with scratches. Is the reverse assist system effective?

I noticed that the finish/grain on the hornpad is slightly different in your car! Or is this same with older Titanium's with air bag? Posting a Picture from this thread and a picture of my car's hornpad for reference. Mine is a 2010 Exi.

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

Thanks for the detailed pics. Like others have you also experienced less cabin noise in the new figo? Somehow, one would require a keen eye to notice that rear spoiler. I have also planned to go for the scuff plates on the next service visit. At present, The door sills are filled with scratches. Is the reverse assist system effective?

I noticed that the finish/grain on the hornpad is slightly different in your car! Or is this same with older Titanium's with air bag? Posting a Picture from this thread and a picture of my car's hornpad for reference. Mine is a 2010 Exi.
Attachment 1065343

Hi BHO,
Let me answer your questions:
The cabin noise is indeed less in the new figo. I guess they have either given a better insulation( no under the hood insulation as far as i noticed) in what i presume must be the firewall area and the doors. The doors have the same rubber beading running around along with a glass fibre lining. So i guess that its doing its job.

The reverse sensor is an audible alert type. Really sensitive to even the leaves of a tree i had parked near it. When the leaves moved, the alarm chirped . It works fine as far as i know but i rely on the entire mirror setup as well. As far as scratches go, try the old technique of a rubbing powder and then wax/polishing it if you have time during the weekends. But door sill scratches i feel might be comparatively easy to remove.

The plastic quality seems different but its only with the texturing i feel. Somehow even the new fiesta seems to be having a similar textured plastic in many places. ex: The gear shift. Perhaps the parts binning is common for both. I feel the one in GTO's review has a similar plastic as the facelift,



Vs Facelift



Another thing is your logo seems embossed whereas the one in GTO's review and mine seems sunken in. as in, bevelled.

[arvind71181]

Great review of a very nice car. I might have looked at the Figo if not for the fact that my brother already owns one (in the same color, but petrol).

The car handles very well and takes all curves with aplomb. Only wishes are a little more mileage for the petrol version and probably a little more power.

Wishing you many miles on the car. Keep the updates coming

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by arvind71181

The car handles very well and takes all curves with aplomb. Only wishes are a little more mileage for the petrol version and probably a little more power.
Wishing you many miles on the car. Keep the updates coming

Thanks for dropping by! Absolutely true about the petrol version being an underpowered car. I just wish it had a better engine. My dream car would be the i20 body/interiors/ford-ecoboost engine/figo handling/Honda A.S.S in the segment we are currently in.

[Arch-Angel]

Ok here it is. A minor list of tweaks and opinions i have regarding the figo.

* Thinking of adding chrome impact strips on the side and front,rear. this will set me back by 6K.

Regarding the stuff i need to do to keep her clean, what all am i supposed to do?

1. Shampoo
Recommended brands please
2. Waxing?
3. Polish?

Please help me out with this as she is still in factory paint, which is supposedly waxed by the guys at ford.

[EagleEye]

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

Regarding the stuff i need to do to keep her clean, what all am i supposed to do?

1. Shampoo
Recommended brands please
2. Waxing?
3. Polish?

Please help me out with this as she is still in factory paint, which is supposedly waxed by the guys at ford.

If you clean the car daily in the morning before you take it out, that's more than enough. Once in two or three months you can give it a waxing/polishing either yourself or by taking it in for a detailing.

Also take care to park the car in shade as much as possible, dark coloured paints fade in the sun much faster than light colours.

Let me also congratulate you on the purchase; I enjoyed the excellent write-up as well. The Figo is an excellent handler and can be driven with great confidence on any kind of road. Wish you many miles and smiles.

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by EagleEye

If you clean the car daily in the morning before you take it out, that's more than enough. Once in two or three months you can give it a waxing/polishing either yourself or by taking it in for a detailing.

Let me also congratulate you on the purchase; I enjoyed the excellent write-up as well. The Figo is an excellent handler and can be driven with great confidence on any kind of road. Wish you many miles and smiles.

I do have a duster handy for those morning quick cleanups and the vehicle is parked under a shady place (A bunch of trees, risk of bird droppings and tree sap). So i got a nice cover for it.

Also, thanks for dropping by and offering advice and i am glad that you enjoyed my thoughts on this lovely little car.

A second question: What visual mods can i have on her? The color being sea grey doesn't seem to give me a lot of options. (P.S: Inspired by KathikK's Punto)

Also, which is a good interior perfume for the car? Suggestions welcome since i am a n00b when it comes to car perfumes.

[EagleEye]

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...car-smell.html

The above is a pretty extensive thread about car perfumes. Personally I like the Figo without any visual mods and normally don't do anything to any of my cars. Maybe I'll stick a team bhp sticker one day..