Ford’s first hit at the Indian hatchback market is the Ford Figo. It is Ford’s answer to the Marutis, Hyundais and Tatas out there. Two years have passed since this car was launched and it still commands a decent holding. The holding may not be in the same league as the Hyundai i10 and also the Maruti Swift, however this is one Ford product which holds its value true and well. Finding a used Ford Figo is a difficult task in the second hand market whatsoever with owners sticking with their cars like leeches. However, since Ford Figo is one relatively new car and there aren’t many models on sale yet, we have got the few tips for buying a used one, if at all you spot it. We have also listed some of the used Ford Figo cars that we have in our inventory.
The looks may not excite many but it’s a practical design and one which would age gracefully unlike the uber cool Beat. Things to look out would be the head lamps or even the rail lamps which tend to accumulate water, if at all a head lamp replacement was ever carried out. Moreover, the underbody should be checked for any damages since a fully loaded Figo easily scrapes speed breakers. The tyre wear and tread pattern also need to be checked into considering that the Figo comes in a diesel trim as well. Additionally check if the body work has got any damage to it and also if there are any scuff marks and stuff. Paint job for the Figo is a costly thing and one which many second hand Ford Figo owners wouldn’t want to do immediately. At the rear, check for rusting tail pipes. Many first batch Figo cars were reported with rusting tail pipes. If the car that you are eyeing is from the first batch, then this thing needs to be checked. The head lamps cost a cool Rs 4,400 for a pair while the tail lamps cost Rs 2,610. The front and rear bumper are relatively cheaper at Rs 1605 and also Rs 1505.
In the interiors, this is one car which is fully loaded to the brim with features and some that the competition doesn’t offer as of now. There are some cheap quality materials used by Ford in the lower parts of the dashboard, however, this can be easily ignored given the point that not many would actually take a glance there. If the one you are looking at is the top end version, then it must have got the Bluetooth audio system with aux and USB input. There are not many useful storage spaces inside the Ford Figo and one has to literally search for them. As for the space, the front seats aren’t as good as the ones in the Swift while the rear ones are just about enough for two with three jostling for shoulder space. Unfortunately, there is no power windows provided at the rear and the rear quarter glass rolls only 60% down. The boot space is just about average and as per the norms in this class.
The Ford Figo remains a fun to drive automobile thanks to its well distributed chassis weight as also the steering wheel which exudes a smile everytime one gets to steer this car. The Figo sports MacPherson strut at the front with dual mounts and an independent twist axle beam at the rear. It is one well tuned unit and absorbs everything that the Indian roads have to throw at it. Like discussed before, the car can sometimes ground over speed breakers, especially if its fully loaded. For a replacement, the front damper costs Rs 1205 while the rear one costs Rs 940. The suspension doesn’t need much looking into and is generally a trouble free unit. The steering wheel is electric in nature and doesn’t disappoint with its predictability and that complements the flickable nature of the car as well. The noise levels have been kept down in this car by a great degree and also the diesel sounds sedate for some time. However push it and its evident that there is a diesel engine under the hood.
Ford has given two engines in the Ford Figo and chances are that one would be staring at the 1.2 liter petrol engine rather than the 1.4 liter diesel engine. Both the engines are reasonably powerful, however, they do struggle to make power once fully laden. Both the engines are known to be trouble free units. The diesel, however, just like the earlier Accent CRDI doesn’t take too lightly to low quality or adulterated fuel. Chances are that the diesel engine would need a clean inspection from some qualified personnel from Ford India, if at all, it is up for sale. The petrol in the meanwhile shouldn’t have a problem unless it actually has been ill maintained. The service manual says that there should be two services in a year which works out to be 5k kms or 6 months whichever is earlier. The regular servicing would cost Rs 1500 each. The Figo’s clutch is light and it stands good for both the petrol and diesel models as well. However it is recommended that if the model one is eyeing has got over 50k kms click on the odo, then its better to change the clutch. The gears of the Figo are also smooth and slot in correctly. For the power that the engine generates, Ford have correctly configured the gearing system. If the clutch feels hard on the diesel engined car, then its time to get the clutch release bearing and other related parnaphelia checked.
There is a general buzz that Ford products tend to be very costly to maintain over the years. This is one thing which Ford has been struggling to dispel with and the Figo is a good platform for it. The fact that Ford sells more than 5 Figos each month means that the service and stuff have really improved. Align to that, the running costs. A petrol engined Figo would give an approximate mileage of 13.6 kmpl while the diesel engined one would give 17.4 kmpl. Moreover, Ford are pricing their spare parts at a lower price than what most of its competitors are doing. Coming to the prices, even though the price difference between a new and also a year plus older Figo may be just about a lakh rupees, it is worth investing in it. It is a sensible as also to some extent, hassle free car to own. A second hand Ford Figo price would be Rs 3.96 lakhs for the top end petrol model while a used Ford Figo price for the diesel would be around Rs 4.8 lakhs. Moreover the insurance cost would be Rs 14k for the petrol and the diesel would set one back by Rs 16k.
