Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven

[Akash1886]

Fantastic, Fast & Fabulous: Ford Figo Hatchback!​

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Ford has launched the all new Ford Figo Hatchback at Rs. 4.30 Lacs to 7.40 Lacs (Ex-Delhi)



The technical Specs of the Ford Figo Hatch: Petrol and Diesel

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Ford India returns again with yet another pleasant surprise. This time it is the hatch sibling of their instantly successful Ford Aspire. Ford has now launched the all new second generation Figo hatchback in the Indian market. Ford had shown the Figo concept for the first time in 2014. The car in flesh looks as promising as its elder cousin the Ford Aspire compact sedan which too is a new promising entrant to the Indian market. The all new Ford Figo hatchback is loaded with Performance, safety and has the bold and appealing character to it. Right from the looks to its peppy performance, the new Ford Figo does not fail to impress. Time and again, Ford has been instrumental in providing some of the benchmark vehicles to the Indian market like the Ford Fiesta, the Ford Ecosport and now the Figo twins. Since the new Figo hatchback has been launched very recently, the competition in the segment as well as in the market has spiced up manifolds. It would be really exciting to see how this powerful new entrant stands up to the most competitive segment of the Indian market.

Compact Sedan and Hatchback segment in India is the one which makes all the brands work hard to come out with nothing but the best. So, in the month of August 2015, Ford India introduced the all new Figo Aspire and priced it really competitively for the Indian market and yet again after a month, Ford has rolled out a smaller yet stylish all new Ford Figo. Sharing its name with the highly successful Figo model of Ford, this new Figo Hatchback looks more contemporary, sleek with a heavy dose of performance which makes it a well rounded worthy product. Following the foot-steps of the Figo Aspire, Ford has priced this new Figo Hatch as well at jaw-dropping and mouth watering price range starting at Ex-Showroom Delhi Rs. 4.30 Lacs. With the launch of new Figo hatchback, I am very sure that we are going to see a paradigm shift in the segment. So, enough said, let’s see how practically the all new Ford Figo Hatchback fairs in the extensive and elaborate test drive. I drove the new Ford Figo Diesel today in Noida itself and believe me right from the word go, on the traffic filled roads of Noida, the drive in this new Ford Figo was enthralling and exciting to the core.

 

[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Some of the Competitors of Ford Figo Hatch are:​

VW Polo

Hyundai Grand i10

Toyota Etios Liva

Nissan Micra

Honda Jazz

Tata Bolt

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/test-drive-reviews/20111-tata-bolt-review-test-drive.html

External Looks and Overall Design​

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Designing and deciding on the final look is a very significant aspect of a product. Talking of the Ford Figo, the first thing that you will note in the new Ford Figo is that it shares its looks with the Aspire, the compact sedan version of Figo. Design wise, the new Figo looks neat, well groomed and shares identical features to the Aspire like the front profile. The front profile is exactly similar and highlights the essentials like the front Aston-Martin resembling chrome grill. I have earlier told as well, Ford has not followed the conventional route like others by providing the hatchback first and then the compact sedan. It is the other way round here. We found the front design of the new Ford Figo to be pleasant to the eyes while still maintaining the aggressive and intimidating character. Moving towards the rear and here is where the Ford Figo hatch differentiates itself from the Ford Aspire Compact sedan. The boot is integrated and looks well designed and proportionate.

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Further adding to Figo’s style quotient are the sharply designed tail lamps completing the look very aesthetically. The subtle elegance of the entire look makes it a charming and cute hatchback on the road. The rear profile does not have any untoward design cues or any Spartan type inspiration rather it is in-line with the overall design and complements well. As you can see in the pictures, the design gets further accentuated with the body color of the hatchback and in my personal opinion bright colors suit the hatchback a lot. The well creased out lines of the Figo Hatchback give it a distinctive profile among the segment competitors.

Interior layout​

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Over here as well, you will find similarities with the Ford Aspire. Being the hatch version, Figo shows well laid out interiors and the fit and finish is nicely done. The cabin looks roomier than many other hatchbacks of the segment. The roominess of the cabin is apparent mainly because unlike the present fleet of hatchbacks, the Ford Figo is longer and let us assure you that the cabin will not be boring for you once you are sitting inside as though new Figo is a hatchback but the interior designing is at-par to the segment above i.e the compact sedans and here is where you’ll realize that the benefit of the increased length of Ford Figo hatchback gets ably translated into the cabin too. Not even for a moment did we realize that we are inside the cabin of a stereo-typical hatchback and that ladies and gentlemen is the aura and beauty of this brilliantly designed hatchback. Probably those who have sat/bought the Figo Aspire, may find a bit of difference in the plastic quality of Aspire and Figo hatch and is primarily due to the fact that Aspire is having 2 tone interiors with Beige color where as the Figo hatch has got all Black interiors.

 

[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Seats and Storage Spaces



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Now talking of the seats, frankly the rear seats appeared compromised on headroom. The reason for this according to me is the re-designed rear profile and tweaks done to the roofline to complete the design. A person of 6ft height will rub his head on the roof carpet where as a person of height 5’10” would manage to sit comfortably. If I talk of the seating comfort in terms of under-thigh support, it was quite good and I did not feel anything missing in this respect so easily I can conclude that the seats of the Figo hatch are comfortable and supportive. Another important aspect is the backrest in front and rear. The backrest of the driver’s seat was really comfortable and while driving I did not feel any issue like hardness et al.

The cushioning of the seats and backrest give ample comfort to driver and passengers alike. The posture of driver majorly depends on the back rest so for me finding the accurate driving posture in the Figo Hatchback was not at all tough.

So, now moving on to the knee room, hatchback owners often have this query as to whether the passengers will get adequate knee room or not and specially those who sit on the rear seats. So on this front, I got two passengers to sit in the back row. In the pictures below you can see that how comfortably a medium built person of 5’7” will sit with front seats pushed back a bit. Also note, the seating comfort when two passengers sit at the back. The front seats are pushed back for a tall driver like me who is 6Ft. yet there is ample knee room for the rear passengers. Talking of the legroom, over here I felt that the space is lacking and the reason being the transmission tunnel in the rear has big hump that also makes the seating of a 3rd passenger a big problem. If I consider a healthy tall person like me seated at the back, then only 1 more passenger can sit next to me. In no ways can the Figo Hatch accommodate 3 pax in the rear seat.

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Coming to storage space, the new Figo Hatch is full of storage spaces like cup holders and quite a useful few cubby-holes that can store bottles and other belongings like coins, mobiles et al.

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[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

The Dashboard Layout and Instrument Cluster​

Also check out the center console of the Ford Figo Hatch (Trend) Variant.

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As we all know, Figo hatch is the smaller version of the Ford Figo Aspire Compact Sedan. My test car, Figo Titanium Diesel had Black and Silver dashboard which was a refreshing change from the Beige and Black combo of the Aspire. It is a common perception Beige gives a premium feel to the car but let me tell you, even the Black and Silver interiors of the Figo hatch looked really nice and most importantly the Beige interiors are not easy to maintain on daily basis unlike the Black and Silver combo. The cabin with this color combo feels neat but not as bright as it would look with the Beige. The plastics have got no rough edges and overall, the dashboard looked neatly executed. The center console accentuates the overall cabin experience and adds up to the zing feel. The center console reminds of the Ford Aspire but still looks contemporary than some of the competitors. The display of the center console is clear and easily readable even if glare of the sun is there on the dashboard. Also note, the Instrument cluster is same to the one in Ford Aspire.

Ford Figo’s Fabulous Features





Also note the Trend Variant AC and absence of SYNC.





The Ford Dock

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Ford has equipped the Figo hatch liberally with user friendly features which will certainly be a major factor in considering it as a VFM buy. Ford deserves to be duly appreciated for the same. Ford has provided the driver side airbag as standard fixture across Figo variants and from the second variant onwards i.e Ambient, all trims get dual airbags with a maximum of 6 in the top-end variant Titanium+ as standard which is a really brilliant effort by Ford. Talking of other safety features like ABS and EBD, they are offered only in the titanium and titanium+ variants of the Figo. Extending further the feature line up, Figo Hatch offers in its Petrol Titanium AT Version features like ESC, HLA. Apart from the fabulously equipped safety features, new Figo Hatch boasts of a host of comforting features that include keyless entry, climate control AC, Bluetooth, AUX, USB connectivity et al and adding to the list are some 1st in class features like The Ford MyKey, MyFord Dock and the Sync App-link.

Internal and External Lighting​

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The headlamps of Ford Figo are swept back and that swept back design accentuates the front profile of the Figo though in none of the variants of Figo, Ford has provided with projectors or LED. The cabin lamp is a single unit with no additional sun-glass holders. Talking of the Tail Lamps, they are sharp and extend to the rear quarter panel slightly and surely complement well to the B-E-A utiful design of this car. Not giving an option of projectors in top model is a cost cutting measure in my opinion. The roof mounted stop lamp has integrated windshield washer as well and adds to the safety and visibility at night. Coming to the Fog Lamps, they are variant specific and similar in shape as that of the Aspire.

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The boot lamp is well integrated and light-up the boot for better visibility in dark. Ford has kept in mind the importance of such small but significant features!

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[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Engine Performance, NVH, Ride and Handling, Transmission and Steering​

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Just like the Figo Aspire, the Figo Hatch too has been launched with three engine and 2 transmission options i.e 1.2-litre petrol with 88PS and 112Nm which is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission then comes Ford’s bigger engine i.e 1.5-litre petrol with a 6-speed dual clutch transmission. As mentioned in my Aspire review, the AT is present only in Petrol 1.5 L. The 1.5L Petrol AT provides 112PS and 136Nm. Finally, there is one option in diesel and i.e 1.5-litre diesel which provides 100PS and 215Nm. The diesel engine just like the Aspire, is a pocket rocket.

Since I drove today the 1.5 L Diesel with manual transmission, the diesel mill to me felt very responsive and full of agility. No lack of torque and this powerful engine made my 8 km Test Drive today a wonderful experience. Since it was morning time, there was traffic too and in that traffic, the car proved to be a blessing with its agile driving manners and though I seldom like overtaking, but with this car, I went ahead and overtook with ease. Now coming to the mid-range torque, so, in the mid-range as-well the engine felt very active and responsive but once I accelerated it to a higher speed range, the noise became evident and its transmission to the cabin was very much felt which made me realize, afterall, I am driving a diesel.

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Moving on to the transmission, just like Aspire, the Figo Hatch gets 2 choices i.e 5 Speed Manual and 6 Speed AT. As I drove the Manual transmission so I actually did not find any absurd issue with it and Ford has worked hard in providing an effortless and well-meshed transmission. We all often complain about the strain of driving a Manual car in city but for sure the Figo Hatch will change your thoughts once when you drive it. Big Thumbs up to Ford here!

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Moving on to another important aspect which is the Ride and Handling prowess of Figo Hatch, As mentioned even in the Aspire review, the ride of the Figo Hatch also is the same. The suspension is on the stiffer side a bit but surThough there weren’t any major potholes but still where ever they were, the Figo went over them with ease without scrapping though a bit vibration was felt by me. I asked my uncle who accompanied of the rear seat jerks, he said not much was felt and he felt comfortable while being seated. In his words if I may put, “Bahut Behetreen hai ye gaadi”

If I talk of the braking and handling manners of the Figo, then I’ll say, it gets full marks from my end. Turning and cornering capabilities are superb. Though I am not really into high speeds and all but based on the feedback that I have got from Polo Owners about the TDi, I can safely say that, Figo hatch does not fail to impress either. It in my view has got the caliber to challenge the segment competitor in performance. While turning and braking, I found the body roll to be well controlled which further enhanced the handling prowess of the cute hatch. Also. Figo’s front disc and rear drum braking provides it with really good braking ability and the braking to me was very much linear and it did not sway left or right when I applied brakes.

Talking about one of my favorite aspects, the NVH, I did not find any difference in terms of NVH of Diesel Aspire and Diesel Figo Hatch. There is the same issue of un-refined low-speed NVH levels in the Figo aswell. The unrefined engine noise is evident at speed range 20-40 km/h. The NVH at low speeds is still poor in my view because, after driving much refined diesel hatchbacks from competitors, I would say Ford needs to address this issue in both Aspire and Figo Hatch. Today too I tested the car’s noise level in idle, I would hate to say, even Figo failed here. Though once you gradually increase the speed, the Diesel NVH begins to improve like the Aspire and once the Figo is past 1300-1500 rpm, you’ll have far better NVH and in-cabin experience. So, NVH levels inspite of all best efforts yet remain a sore point for an otherwise brilliant hatch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAj3Y2fftRA

Coming to the steering, I have now driven both the new Figo twins, so with my experience, I can say that the power steering that's equipped with tilt feature is a decent performer. It felt very smooth and comfortable to drive. I would like to repeat myself here, “Half the battle is won, when you get a good input and driving ease from a steering.” I felt no pressure while driving it and like many others which I have driven, the steering of the Figo hatch really feels apt for city driving. It is responsive and not lifeless. It gave me a rather confident feel when I drove the Figo today at 70-85 km/h.

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[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Tyre(s) and Alloys: My test car had Apollo Tyre with the same OEM Tyre and Rim Spec of the Ford Aspire. 175/65 R14. I wish Ford up-sizes the spec of the Tyre in both Figo Twins to R15. All in all, I can say that the Tyre(s) gave much needed support to the ride of the car and the grip on the road was very good and the car remained stable while driving.

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Small but important aspects of the new Ford Figo Hatch: Although, Figo Hatchback is a viable and strong contender of the hatchback segment but there are some small things which need to point out, one being the seemingly smaller boot. I feel the Swift here scores over the Figo. Inside the cabin if you’ll seat 5 pax, it won’t be comfortable at all. Look wise, I feel, Figo is genuine attempt by Ford and with its superb driving manners it would be a pleasure to drive it in the city traffic. It is a car that fits the requirements of a enthusiast as well as a regular buyer alike. With such pocket friendly prices and loads of features, the Figo hatch will surely be hard to resist.

Some salient features of the Ford Figo Hatch (Titanium)​

• Steering mounted controls.

• Height adjustable front seat belts.

• Driver seat belt reminder

• Electric Boot Release

• Gear Shift Indicator

• MID Feature

• Passenger and Driver Vanity Mirror.

• Driver seat height adjustment.

• Rear Parcel Tray

• Front adjustable headrest

• Auto door Lock at 20 km/h

• Foldable rear seat.

• Power-fold ORVMs with integrated turn indicators.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB4NsxEjuEg

 

[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

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What I Liked in Figo Hatch.

• Responsive Diesel Engine.

• Superb Clutch and Transmission.

• AC was fantastic.

• Paint finish superb.

• Feature loaded.

• Well Priced.

• Well designed and finished interiors.

What could be better!

• Provision of Diesel AT

• Boot space needs a thoughtful re-work

• Idle NVH needs to be re-worked.

• Tyre Upsize can be done to 15”

• No Push Button.

• Boot Lid button integrated in headlamp leveler panel. Should be below driver seat.

• Alloy designs could be better.

• Front Wipers not up to the mark.

• Integrated rear headrests.

• Lack of headroom in rear.

 

[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

A Closer look on the finer points of the Ford Figo

The Aston-Martin look-alike front grill



The neatly placed front fog-lamps



The Body Colored ORVMs* (Variant Specific) with indicators have good viewing space.







Rubber lining provided on the roof to cover joints and increase aesthetic appeal.



The AC Vents.





Boot Door Cladding



Slim and elongated outer door handles for good grip

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[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Underbody flap for avoiding stones, pebbles and drag.



Rear Parcel Tray.



Thick Rear Wiper



Neatly integrated power window switches.



The headlamp leveling device is integrating the boot release button







Neatly tucked in Exhaust.



The FM antenna.



Neatly designed emblems.



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[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

ORVM adjuster in Trend Variant



Passenger and Driver Vanity Mirror





Inner RVM.



Climate Control Sensor: Available in Titanium Version but not in Trend Version.





Over-head grips with coat hooks.



Neatly tucked rear seat belts



Some more storage places.

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[Akash1886]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Silver color inner-door latches



Seat Back Rest Adjuster



Steering mounted controls.



Dashboard Ventilation vents



Speaker Grill design



Wheel Well Cladding



Folded Rear Seats





Door Pads Finishing in Black Color.

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Some important tit bits

Figo GC =174mm

Available in 7 shades

Fabric Seat Upholstery

Some important links

Official launch coverage

Ford 6 Speed DCT Details

Ford Figo Aspire Test Drive Review

Some Final Pics of the Ford Figo Hatch. The Colors provided in it are Gold, Red, Blue, Grey, White, Silver and Black.

All pics and videos of this test drive review are only for The Automotive India. Any re-use needs full credit to TAI.​

Regards

Akash

 

[350Z]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Note: Thread Now Live. Great review, Akash.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[GrandRk]

Re: Ford Figo Hatch Diesel MT Driven.

Great review as usual from Akash. Does the back design of these two hatches look similar in this angle ?

 

[kecha]

Great reviw Akash. Nice to hear good things about the car i booked.
But honestly, the biggest issue i see in this car is the rear headrest. Its just not confortable.

 

[Music_Swift]

Thanks for the review Akash Bhai.Figo is one of the best hatches at ₹9L budget.If we need an hatch,Figo is my choice.Titanium is the more VFM IMO.Its priced at ₹8.1L on road Hyd and if I want to make her hot hatch,I would get her 195/55R15 tyres with Alloys,Remap etc.