When Ford India launched the Figo in 2010 it was meant to rescue Ford out of turbulent air. The Fiesta, the ever-so successful sedan, was no longer able to provide with the volumes the company needed to generate and the competition had increased exponentially in the form of the Swift, i20 and even the VW Polo. Ford desperately needed a winner and it got one in the form of the Figo. Fast forward to 2015 and the company is in a somewhat similar situation albeit a bit more settled than 2010 with steady growth and sales figures but still lacking a good, competitive, well-rounded performace hatch.
No Problem.
In comes the all new Ford Figo. And when we say 'All new' it does not mean a mere facelift but a new modern package altogether. Complete design overhaul, new sets of engines, new modern interiors while still managing to keep the essence of the Figo brand somewhat intact. Here is a look at it with the grand daddy in the background. Old but not obsolete. ;)
Since the Figo and the Figo Aspire sedan are essentially the same cars with dimensional differences and a few interior differences etc., therefore some common aspects of the vehicle won't be disscussed in detail. The link for the comprehensive Figo Aspire review is here :
OLD FIGO vs NEW FIGO KEY ASPECTS
There is an obvious difference in the design philosophy of the outgoing model and the new Figo. The new car features the swept back headlamps along with the Aston Martin inspired grill at the front.
Previously, the top end Figo used to get dual front airbags with Anti-Lock Braking System. Now the new Figo offers 6 airbags including side curtain airbags(segment first) along with ABS and now EBD (Electronic BrakeForce Distribution) as well.
The old Figo had a 1.2L petrol and a 1.4L diesel as powerplant options. The popular 1.4L diesel churned out 69 bhp of power and 160 NM of torque which proved to be a quite a decent performer but lacked the outright grunt. The new Figo gets a 1.2L TI-VCT petrol motor, a 1.5L Ti-VCT petrol motor mated to a dual-clutch automatic box and a 1.5L TDCI diesel motor. The petrol motor offers an additional 20 PS of power and 10 NM of torque but the real difference is in the new diesel motor. It offers 100 PS of power and 215NM of torque, a healthy addition to the outgoing model and this truly THE performance hatch of this segment. More on that in our PERFORMANCE section.
The car also has more rear seat space to offer than the outgoing model and thus proves to be a good space to be even for tall people.
EXTERIORS
First things first, the Figo is definitely a head turner. There is no body crease which does not flow into the other perfectly. It looks like a well thought and tastefully executed piece of art. Right from the now trademark Ford 'Aston Martin' front grille to the muscular lines on the bonnet to the flowing lines along the side of the car merging with the tail lamps. It's almost as if the designers had an obsession with this project and decided to make the car into one of the most beautiful and aerodynamic vehicle possible.
The Aston Martin inspired grill with the chrome is definitely classy and a head turner to say the least. Even during our test runs and drives every passerby gave us a curious look. A bunch of kids even requested a photo of theirs to be taken with the car. Wasn't expecting such a response to be honest.
The head lamps have a swept back design layout which gives this hatch a good presence amongst any class of vehicles. The bonnet too gets slightly muscular creases. A subtle touch which looks good and at the same time does not happer vision of the driver as well.
Right HL
Left HL
The Ford emblem sits in the middle on the lip and takes a change from the previous 'front grille' position.
The front quarter angle also gives a good angle to look at the Figo. Ford has gone for a dynamic curvacious design philosophy unlike some of its competitors 'fluidic' concept. We feel this design will age better than the more edgy ones offered by the manufacturers because of its good mix of contemporary and dynamism. The side doors also get strong lines which create good contours and in turn enhance the side profile of the vehicle.
Another side angle shot. The Outside Rear View Mirror have integrated turn indictors as well. The wheel arches are slightly muscular and are not oversized with respect to the proportions of the tyre and rim. Moreover the roof sweeps low towards the rear to aid a better aerodynamic design.
The sweeping roof clearly evident. The creates better stability during high speed driving and it is a design philosophy adopted directly from Ford's sportscars like the Mustang and the GT.
High quality alloy wheels look good and provide even better handling characteristics to vehicle. More on tyre performance in our PERFORMANCE section.
The sweeping headlamps look nice and have almost consistent panel gaps around them.
Rear quarter panel shot. The triangle tail lamps are nicely integrated and provide good illumination as well. We feel Ford could have be even a bit more aggressive in its design and would have still remained quite classy and subtle. Still, it is more than good enough.
The ground clearance is quite good. At 174 mm it is the highest in the segment with swift at 170mm, Polo at 168 mm and the i20 at 170 mm as well.
When one looks at the Figo, it comes to the notice that it is actually quite a big hatchback. It has strong, flowing and dynamic lines neatly placed across the body. A design which will age just perfectly with time.
The wheelbase i.e. the distance between the front and the rear wheel has been marginally reduced to aid better handling in the city but surprisingly the Figo turned out to be a good performer on tight long bends at good speed which says a lot about its stability. More on that in the PERFORMANCE segment.
Small chrome badging in place of the traditional side turn indicators (now on the ORVM) looks neat and not overly done.
The ORVM turn indicators.
The mirror size though, has been reduced and it's not really a welcome move as it does hinder the driver's rear vision a bit by not providing enough...you guessed it... VIEW!
The rear profile of the car is executed very neatly and the Figo manages to look sporty and classy in the same breath. The streamlined rear is slightly tapered towards the end and it helps in better aerodynamic air flow over and through the sides of the structure.
Tail lamps look beautiful and on looking closely one can notice how the creases on the boot and the sides are designed to merge seamlessly with the tail lamps.
The boot space layout has been changed a bit. The depth of the booth has been increased so as to increase the capacity. This has no affect on the passenger cabin space as the car dimensions have grown overalll as well from the previous generation Figo. The boot gets an electric release button.
The grip to open up the boot has been provided in the base. The good thing is that while opening the boot to get the ideal grip, one automatically stands at such a distance that the boot hatch does not hit the person operating it. We would say, a positive by-product.
Some more exterior shots
INTERIORS
The interiors, in typical figo fashion, have been retained in 'Charcoal Black' theme for that serious sporty feel. We have to say Ford has managed it quite perfectly and the cabin does feel premium. The plastic quality is good and feels built-to-last.
The dashboard has a clean and practical layout and wraps around quite beautifully. space is free up around the knee area for both the front co-passenger and the driver with intelligent management of the space via the usage of curves and scoops.
The steering wheel has mounted controls, again unfortuantely on the left hand side. If you want to know why 'unfortunately', kindly read our Figo Aspire Comprehensive review.
The thumb countours in the steering wheel is trademark Ford and provides easy and very effective grip on the steering wheel.
The brushed aluminium finish in subtle places gels perfectly with the all black themed interiors and makes the cabin feel, in our opinion, even better than Beige interiors of the Figo Aspire.
The instrument cluster has sea lime backlight which feels quite soothing during the night.
The panel gaps are slightly visible in the rear when given a close inspection. but the plastic quality throughout the vehicle is consistent and good.
One also gets rear parcel tray. Other than placing of some itsy bitsy items the other siginificance of this will be covered in the Audio/ICE segment.
The front co-passenger seat was adjusted and moved back to allow a 6ft 1 inch frame to sit comfortably at the front. Taking that into context, the Figo as oodels of space in the rear. The car can very comfortably accomodate Four 6ft frame passengers without creating any fuss.
The rear gets Coat hook handles. A very nifty feature.
PERFORMANCE
Coming to business now. This car is clearly the segment topper when it comes to performance and Yes, we say that after putting even the VW Polo GT TDI into context. This car has the capacity to obliterate any other hatchback in its segment.
We tested the 1.5 L diesel motor which churns out 100 PS (98.6 BHP) of Power and 215 NM of torque. Compare that to the segment benchmark VW Polo GT TDI 1.5 L diesel with 103 BHP of Power and 250 NM of Torque and it may seem that the Figo has its hands full but that is far from reality.
Standing start/launch : 0-100 kmph
The Volkswagen does the 100 in 10.27 seconds. The Ford, does it in nearly 8.9 seconds. Almost 1.4 seconds faster than the current fastest car in the segment. It not only beats the Polo but it annihilates it when it comes to the dash to 100 kmph. INFACT, the BMW 320d does the 0-100 kmph dash in 8.9 seconds so basically the Figo is as fast if not faster than a 320D to the 100 mark. The reason for such a stark difference between two top notch cars is that the Ford Figo does not have any turbo lag whatsoever. In the Polo, the turbo kicks in at 1800 RPM and one feels the sudden surge of power more popularly known as the 'kick' but all that is superficial when it comes to real world performance. Afterall, a power delay is a POWER DELAY. Hence, the Figo is the clear winner in this battle.
To throw some more light, the Swift hatch does the 0-100 kmph in the region of 13.8 seconds. The diesel i20 does the same in 13.1 seconds. The Figo is a car made for overtaking other cars be it in the city where it simply pounces on the traffic or out on the highway.
Brakes
We were very satisfied with the brakes the vehicle is equipped with. The ABS+EBD works beautifully in tandem and the result is a safe, sturdy and quick stopping vehicle. We conducted the test on secluded closed patch of a private road and the results were quite impressive.
We emergency braked from the speed of 110 kmph. The behaviour and composure of the car under such stress was remarkable. Just to put in context the surface we tested on was very dusty and therefore the braking distance actually increased due to the slippery surface of the dust. On a better road, the brakes would've performed even better, perhaps stopping the car 2-3 meters before at least.
Here is the video link for the test :
DISCLAIMER
Kindly do no try such activity in a publicly accessible/uncontrolled environment. While the above test was conducted under the supervision of our team we DO NOT advise the participation of our audience towards such activities. All the test done are executed on closed patch of roads with any potential traffic controlled. Public Safety is our paramount and we do not advise our audience to flout the rules. Thank you.
Handling/Body Dynamics
The Figo is an exceptional handler. In the hands of a capable driver, it really shines. It has the ability to react to every subtle inputs by a driver even when going sideways at 80-100 kmph. Infact, it is an even better performer than its elder sibling,the Figo Aspire.
Where the Aspire suffers a bit due to the extra momentum it carries into the corners due to the protruding boot, the Figo handles those same curves...Better.
Body Roll is minimal thanks to the neatly tuned suspension and springs. The ride quality has improved from the previous Figo due to the slightly softer springs but it still remains a very proficient handler. One does not get a Boat like feeling while tackling corners like in the Hyundais or the Tatas. Where it loses out a bit is in the mechanical grip scenario. While comparing the handling test videos of the Aspire and the Figo from our blog, you'll observe the Figo is just a tad bit more hesitant in turning in. The initial grip from the tires+ the lighter weight+ shorter wheelbase does not really help it take the long sweeping corners with absolute ease.
The comparison video are up on our YouTube Channel : Ayan Som
Here are the video links to our tests :
Steering Feedback
The EPS(Electronic powered) unit in the new Figo is one of the best EPS unit out there. But for the enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like a hydraulic powered steering of the Fords and even the FIATs. The feedback is as true as possible from an EPAS unit. The pull drift technology basically compensates for any unwanted steering movement and helps the driver out without him even noticing it.
The steering reacts to the subtlest of changes/corrections made by the driver and is really a pleasure to control. You can get up every morning and take a ride in this car just for that BIG grin it puts on your face with that performance, nevermind commuting.
There is a very slight deadzone which will only be evident to the most careful of observers/drivers. Rest, just like for the Aspire, it is the most 'hydraulic feeling' EPS unit one cant get their hands on in the market right now.
Tire performance is slightly better than that of the Aspire in the mid-med high speed scenarios. Where the Aspire slides and tongue slaps just a tiny bit under spirited driving through the traffic due to extra rear movement because of the added weight and momentum of the boot, the Figo maintains its composure and oozes out confidence to push further.
The 1.5 L Automatic even comes with the Hill Launch Assist technology where basically the car holds on to the brakes for 2-4 seconds after the drivers has disengaged them on an incline surface.This allows one to peacefully strike the balance between the clutch and the accelerator for an ideal launch without any backwards movement, which mind you, on an hill can prove terminal to the safety of the occupants.
SAFETY
With 2 Airbags as a standard feature across the range and 6 airbags for the Titanium+ model. The Ford Figo has definitely taken the competition to a different level.
Add to that, it gets Anti Brake-Lock System+ Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Electronic Stability Program+HLA(Hill Launch Assist) + Traction Control System for the 1.5 L Petrol Automatic.
The ABS prevents the wheel from locking under emergency braking situation and you can get to see it works in our brake test video above.
The EBD distributes the brake force as per needs of each individual wheel depending on the rotation speed of each wheel. Really helps when taking bends on a hill or a mountain.
Body Strength
Ford has always been known to make vehicles of exceptional build quality. With time, its not possible to judge the sturdiness and effectiveness of a structure simply by its sheer weight. The metal sheets are still strong but the crumple zones have been improved to absorb the maximum amount of energy during an impact. While, composite materials have been intelligently used in places such as the front and rear to reduce cost without compromising on the safety.
Infact, the Figo build quality felt better than that of the Aspire. The roof is definitely better than that of the Aspire. Even though, Ford may claim that both the Aspire and the Figo are of exactly same build but we just expressed our observations.
Auto door lock
The doors lock automatically once the car reaches a speed of 20 kmph.
Moreover, if the seat belts are not worn, apart from a reasonably loud chime the ICE volume control also freezes the volume control to zero until the seat belts are worn. A very nicely thought feature considering how most of the Indians take seat belts as a safety feature, very lightly.
Mileage
In the reaal world scenario, in the city, the Figo returned a mileage of 17-19 kmpl and out on the highway that mileage is surely to go above 24 kmpl. Even during our tests, the real time mileage indicator showed a healthy figure.
Maintenance
This is where Ford has traditionally struggled to convince its customers. The general notion is that Fords are a nightmare for the wallet and will suck you dry for maintenance. Well, time to get back to reality folks.
The service interval is set at 10,000 km. The normal service cost is in the region of Rs 4,500 - Rs 5,000.
The front bumper cost is Rs 1,600 and Rs 2,400 with body coloured paint.
The Head Lamps cost Rs 2,200.
The suspension cost Rs 800- Rs 900.
We placed straight facts because maintenance and service should be void of any discrepancy.
Bottomline is, Fords are not any more expensive to maintain than what any other car in its segment is.8
AUDIO/IN-CAR-ENTERTAINMENT
This is one area where almost all the manufacturers do not pay any heed to and that's because even most of the consumers dont give any attention as to what kind of an audio set up they are being given with the car, which is a shame really.
Anyhow, the Figo gets a good head unit which has good OUTPUT rate and can even handle aftermarket, good quality speakers quite brilliantly.
In the rear Ford has provided a parcel tray which an audiophile can use to install an oval 693 or component speakers only thing one needs to take care of is that no cutting/shredding of any wire should occur as it will void the warranty completely. The boot will act as a sound chamber and there will be a natural kick from the speakers. Although, nothing is quite like a subwoofer punching those low frequencies out.
The front door speakers are positioned quite well, like not near one's foot but rather above one's knee height. That makes it quite audible and provides a much better surround effect.
The speakers are paper cone ones and the bass provided by them will fade away within a year of usage as the cone material is paper and that generally gives away after constant usage. The good news though is that one can swap to aftermarket speakers from Blaupunkt/Pioneer or if one wants to go further to Focal and other high end brands and not feel the need to change the head unit as it has substantial power output to handle superior speakers.
NOISE AND VIBRATION HARSHNESS LEVEL
The Figo has a surprisingly quiet cabin. Even though it carries a powerful diesel engine, the diesel clatter is pleasently absent in the cabin. There is a nice humming sound of the engine which filters into the cabin and only when you push the engine hard can you hear some noise inside the cabin. The insulation levels are good it feels like a car from one segment above. A first for its segment, the NVH levels are low and the cabin feels like a good place to be in. Even the noise from the suspension travel is well concealed and the road noise levels are good but can be further improved by changing to a superior quality rubber.
WARRANTY
Ford is givng a 2 year/100,000 kilometer warranty for the Figo. Although, one can extend it to 5 years via a 3 year extended warranty package. So overall 5 years of peace of mind is something pretty good as some of the customers start thinking about changing cars post this period.
OUR VERDICT
Exteriors 8.5/10
Ford could have gone even more aggressive with the styling and still pulled it off. But it still remains a very good looker, the Figo.
Interiors 8.7/10
The all black theme really does the magic here. Plus the space was quite a bit for a hatchback to our surprise. The glove box could have been a bit bigger.
Performance 8.7/10
We've broken down it down into different parameters. For enhanced performance, the Figo needs just a bit fatter tires.
Acceleration 9/10
Braking 8.7/10
Handling & Dynamics 8.5/10
Safety 8.5/10
Mileage 8.2/10
Since no extensive and reliable data was available therefore we would take the safer route in saying it is a very efficient car but being performance oriented, it's better to be a bit pessimistic.
Maintenance 8/10
The modern Fords are much easier to maintain and are reasonably pocket friendly as well.
Audio/ICE 7.5/10
The addition of a rear parcel tray makes the Figo earn an extra 0.5 points over the Aspire in what is a very identical audio setup. All manufacturers in general need to start providing good audio setups with such products.
NVH levels 8.2/10
One of the quietest and most powerful diesel engines in its segment, the gentle humming at idle is good to the ears.
Overall, the New Ford Figo gets a score of
8.4/10
It's a good package with good handling and performance characterstics. Has everything to be a segment topper especially with the image the brand Figo already has. A good everyday family hatch with the performance to set the track on fire on the weekends.
A special thanks to Ford for providing us with the vehicle.
Till next time...
Seats belts on.
Drive safely everyone.
- Ayan Som.
Videography credits - Mr. Piyush Pant
Photography credits - Mr. Ayan
