Space & comfort of a sedan inside a hatchback

 

Exterior The figo is not an eye catcher, but as days go on, the styling grows on you. The styling is rather mature than being funky. The bulged wheel arches give it a muscular look. The rear lights look good and is practically useful. The side profile of this car is the best to look at. The roofline also looks aerodynamic.The EYE shape headlamp looks good. build is solid. the gaps are uniform. Steel used is solid and i hope will protect the occupants in case of an accident.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) This is figo's trump card. space is massive when compared to all other hatchbacks and the space can be compared  to even mid size sedans. the seats installed by ford are so comfortable and makes long journeys fatigue free. The plastics in the doors are solid. The KENWOOD music system with auxillary port sounds fantabulous. The plastics in the dash are solid , but the quality is not as good as  VW POLO or HONDA JAZZ.  The A pillar does not have a glass  and it obstructs the vision badly in case you are turning along a right curve. The controls are all placed close to the driver. cheers to FORD. The let down here is the positioning of the bonnet opening lever on the left side which is very tough to acces for the driver.  The AC with its 148 cc compresor is mind blowing, cabin cools superbly in 10 min with just 50% of the AC switched on. given the state of current day cars, the cabin definitely sounds noisy. FORD should definitely do something to reduce cabin noise. The hydraulic power steering is beautiful to use offering good feedback.  FORD  could have given a dead pedal which is useful in highway drives. quality of the plastic used in switches is good. boot is massive and looks like a kid can sleep inside it. The bottle holders on the door is innovative but tin holder on the centre console is missing. i hate this. Egress is good as the door opens wide. Ingrees will definitely be tough for taller guys as they have to bend the head as well as legs. driving position is great with good visibility of the road.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The alpha series 1.2 litre motor churns out 71 bhp of power, which is definitely low for a 1200 cc motor. The engine feels more like a diesel engine with a turbo charger particularly when driving in higher gears. The torque and pick up is really bad till 1500 rpm and only then, the engine picks up. The pick up is not great like the swift or any other maruti car . The figo is rather relaxed than being racy. The gear box is fantastic with precise shifts. One aspect of figo which all it's owners will hate is the fuel efficiency. The car returns only 10-11 kmpl within chennai city and things dont improve much with the AC switched off.  I would attribute this poor figure to the 148 cc compressor of the AC and the kerb weight of the car (1060 kg). The bad effect of the AC is trasalated in all the gears and RPM's. The strongest part of the engine is it's mid range. High speed overtakes in highways with 5 ppl on board definitely needs a change of gear from 5 th to 4 th.

Ride Quality & Handling SIMPLY THE BEST OF BOTH THE WORLDS.  In this segment , The FIGO offers best in class ride quality and handling. handling at high speeds is a breeze complemented by the steering and excellent suspension. Low speed ride is good with the suspension absorbing most of the potholes. Lane change manuovres in highways inspire confidence. the tyres offer nice grip in most tarmac. The car is rarely affected by cross winds at high speeds. 

Final Words Buy the FIGO if you want a car that can give you the space and comfort of a sedan inside a hatchback. This car appeals more to a married guy rather than a college guy. fuel bills will definitely bite your pocket given the current day rates of petrol. I would sacrifice the fuel efficiency for the excellent ride and space it offers. This car is good for tall and fat people. Finally, buy FIGO, ENJOY DRIVING. this is an excellent combination of a driver's car and a comfortable hatchback.

Areas of improvement:

1) PLASTIC QUALITY ON THE DASH BOARD.

2) REDUCTION IN CABIN NOISE.

3) INCREASE IN POWER OF THE ENGINE AND FUEL EFFICIENCY.

4) OPENING OF MORE SERVICE STATIONS IN RURAL AREAS AND OFF BEAT LOCATIONS.

suspension, space, solid build,VFM, RIDE AND HANDLING, comfortfuel efficiency, thick A pillar obstructing vision, too much cabin noise