Buying a used Ford Figo

In Brief

The Ford Figo was launched in 2010 and was responsible to make Ford a prominent force in the Indian car market. The hatchback feels like a big car with plenty of space for occupants and storage and has excellent ride and handling characteristics. The Figo comes with a choice of petrol and a diesel engine, is solidly built and has a good amount of kit on offer on the top-end variants. The Figo may not be a very attractive car but comes with tried and tested mechanicals and we value reliability as much as styling in India, especially in the pre-owned car market and so the baby Ford is poised to age well. It was launched at a fairly competitive price as well so pre-owned Figos will not be too expensive to buy.

On the Road

The diesel Figo is the more popular choice for buyers and you will find more of the TDCi variants than the petrol in the used car market. That’s because the diesel is a huge mile muncher for a small car. It packs 69PS of power from the 1.4-litre duratorq motor, which isn’t much and isn’t too fast on the highway but it’s stability and handling help it maintain high speeds once you build momentum. The 1.2-litre petrol has 71PS on tap and lack punch compared to other petrol motors in this segment. Both cars come mated with 5-speed manual gearboxes.

Moving In

The Figo’s interiors are unexciting but neatly laid out. The red inserts and lighting on the instrument cluster do brighten things up but the dark interiors otherwise are quite dull. The flip side is that as a used car, you will spot lesser stains and dirt on the inside, which is a good thing. The plastics are of the hard-wearing variety, also good for a used car. Ford added a few features like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity only recently so you will not find these features on the Figos entering the used car market. What you will get are standard features that ran at the time including ABS, Airbags, a music system with USB and Aux input and front power windows. 

Efficiency

The petrol Figo has a ARAI certified efficiency of 15.6kmpl and the diesel returns a much higher 20kmpl. With regards to current new car standards, these aren’t too good.

Buying used

As most pre-owned car trends go, it takes at least three years since the launch of a car to start seeing many examples in the used car market. So effective 2013, the Figo started being seen on sales lists across India and soon there were a few crucial attention areas for the hatchback. First is the underbody – the Figo has a tendency to scrape the underbody due to its weight and low ground clearance so get the underbody checked at a workshop for damaged parts and stay away from them. 2010 and 2011 batches of the Figo were also recalled for power steering and rear suspension related jobs. If you are hearing unusual sounds from the rear suspension, it’s most probably a cracked torsion beam.  Check for power steering fluid level in the car since the fluid delivery hose was prone to leakage. Besides these, do the usual checks for air-conditioning, all electrical like power windows and music system and the lights all round the car. 

Money-Wise

An almost 4-year old 2010 model Figo diesel in top titanium trim will cost you anything between Rs 3.85 lakh to 4.25 lakh and you can add about Rs 40,000 more for a year younger car. The petrol Figo will cost you between Rs 3.15-3.5 lakh for the titanium trim adding Rs 35,000 approximately for a 2011 car and so on. It indicates a medium level of depreciation and of course depends on the state of upkeep and mileage clocked.