This is for everyone who thinks or thought, Figo is a replacement of the Fusion. A more detailed ownership report of the Fusion is here

Looks

Barring the nose, the rest looks an awful lot similar to the Fiesta MK5, hugely popular as also what the Fusion and Fiesta Sedans in India are based on

Keeping in mind that both are based on the Fiesta MK5 platform, looks are pretty similar, except that the Fusion is about 15% larger in almost all dimensions. But that apart the Figo warms up when you step inside. The clay console is a little strange at first (tested the Titanium) but it grows fast on you specially with the matching Coral displays on the ICE and the DTE. Seating position is low and seats are a lot smaller if compared to Fusion. They are a lot firmer as well.

The usual Ford bits are expected, headlamp control, switches and knobs are borrowed from Fusion and Fiesta and that’s clearly visible. The cubby holes placed strategically are also welcome. It probably has one hole for every possible electronic gadget that you may wish to carry.

Space

The general footprint of the car from outside is small, but its not. It definitely has better space for front passengers as compared to Punto and a much larger boot only comparable to Jazz. We are not talking Fusion here, and I don’t think anyone wants to carry Futons and Cots in their Figo’s either. Headroom felt a little short for tall fellows. I am 5′7″ and it had scope for 3″ more in my opinion.

With front seats going all the way back, you can easily fit 2 and a 1/2 children at the back (Clarkson lingo)

Boot

One word sums that up. Gigantic for the price you pay to buy this car.

From the side and back, it has a strong resemblance to the Fusion and Fiesta MK5 as well

Ride

Here it completely shows its colors, compared to the Fusion (first gen 1.6 +) the ride is very soft and the engine noise is well contained within the cabin. The engine racket that comes into the Fusion cabin has been eliminated from this one and things feel a lot more quieter unless you start revving the motor. But that happens in a City as well so we are not going into that.

Handling

The plasticy steering wheel is not great to hold, but it’s direct for sure. The car turns and moves like a Ford, just with a flick of a finger. The steering weight was neither Honda – Video gamish nor Fusion – Truckish. Adequate would be the ideal word. Putting two hands on that small thing felt like a waste. Gear shift placement and operation is a breeze. There is one gripe though, the softer suspension and the Apollo Accelere standard on the Figo makes it a little too soft for enthusiastic inputs, in this department the Punto scores better with its harder suspension, but then that chap lacks  the motivation in the motor itself.

Gear Knob

The aluminum wrapped gear shift is a usual Ford. Just hard enough to assure you and soft enough not to annoy you. Shifts very well. In comparison to the Punto, it’s a delight to drive with this.

Power 1.2

Neat is best described. If you plot it on a graph it probably would be a straight line going up just like any other petrol. There are no surprises. Compared to the 1.6 in Fusion, its boringly sluggish but drop a gear and it gets moving (with AC all the time). Having driven the Punto 1.4 petrol, I would say this one is miles ahead. Press the pedal a few times and you know that you Can take that turn in second or climb that slope in 3rd. Engine noise is smooth and only gets annoying when you cross the 4000 RPM mark. Shoots well after crossing 3000 RPM just like the Fusion 1.6 but the lack of Torque is evident in low RPMs. Dances very well after that, rock and roll style. But I am pretty sure it wont do that with a full load.

Power 1.4 Diesel

This starts off much more sluggish than the petrol. Takes time to move and the car feels a lot heavier (well it is heavier by a 100 odd Kgs). The AC in the Diesel works a lot better and faster, same as the Fusion. Given a smaller volume in the Figo, it’s more efficient in cooling as well. Get moving and the usual diesel lag is evident (though not as much as other cars but compared to the petrol). You will need to change into first for the both the version to take a nice slow U turn. Punch the pedal and things slowly warm up and as soon as it crosses 2000 RPM, it’s full on Disco time. The car shoots off like a rocket only to die out of steam soon after, there was no redline on the Tacho so I refrained from pushing it like the petrol, but at 4000 things got really noisy. It still lacked the “I want more” of the Fusion 1.6 (unfair comparison, I know)

Verdict

I would take the diesel since it can dance so well after hitting the 2000 RPM mark. Though its not as fast as the 1.6 but nearly there and the lesser weight surely does help. Overall, way ahead of its competition, the car has just the right amount of power, handling and gizmo for the Indian Road.

The Ford Fusion merges well with India.

The Ford Fusion merges well with India.

In 2005 ford India started marketing the same here, in an almost un-changed avatar to what was available in Europe. The car suffered from terrible marketing from Ford’s side in India hitting way off the mark for the Target Audience. They tried their “Hum to anything karega” and “The No-Nonsense Car” campaigns, with the later gaining some ground.

The Car is at its best on the Highways

The price and positioning of the car put it directly in the league of mid-weight sedans like the City and Ford’s own Fiesta and the lack of perceived value buried the vehicle and only a select few landed up buying it.

Looks good next to the sea as well

The Pros

1. The car is not small, in fact the inside dimensions are huge with ample leg and head-space for everyone. The car looks like a hatch but it’s more like a Mini-Estate. Once you open the rear hatch, you realize how much space this fellow packs in. With rear seats completely folding in to create a flat bed, storage options are endless.
2. The car comes with all the goodies that are expected in a car. It comes with reading lamp for all 4 passengers, things that are unheard of in the Japanese and Korean makes. Seat heigh adjustment for the driver. Coin holders at the right places, fog lamps for front and rear built in even on base version.
3. Comes with a stereo with 4 large speakers in its ‘+’ version. The dash has the provision to put in a dual-din as well. If you want to amp it up, there is plenty of space under the front seats to put amplifiers of your choice.
4. The ‘+’ version also came with 15″ Alloy Wheels, Tubeless Radials, and ABS + EBD if you opted for it. Sadly though, the airbags never made it to India.
5. Even the petrol version is economical. The car gives anywhere from 10 – 12 Km/L in the city and 16 – 18 Km/L on the highway. For a motor that produces 100+ PS power, and a car that can hit the 100 mark in just over 11 seconds, it’s quite an achievement. Not to mention, it has enough space to carry a cow as well.
6. Handling is the other best part of this car. It handles just like a hatch should, has an incredibly small turning radius for its size, does not roll much for it’s height. And when thrown into corners, it does not threaten to roll over either. In fact, it is possible to do some drifting with this one (see video), although not really recommended for the weak hearted. The 198 mm (3mm more than a Safari) ground clearance ensures that you don’t rub your belly anywhere.
7. At higher speeds, the car is still at peace. The 100 Kmph comes up quickly, so does the 150 kmph mark. Ford claims a top knock of 158 Kmph in the manual, but it has been proven otherwise on many occasions. The car comfortably sails past the 165 mark even with a full load. Now these are not numbers from proper equipments, and external factors are at play on such claims. Nevertheless, the car has enough muscle to master the highway and that too with style and stability.

And here are some bad bits that may need some patience to live with, specially if you are looking for a car that’s Not This.

The Cons

1. Not many people buy this car, and as a result, not many mechanics know what’s inside. This directly results in shoddy service even at Ford’s own centers. There are very little or no accessories available for this car as well. Not that you would need any, most things come pre-fitted in the ‘+’ version.
2. The engine is loud. If you like a snarly noise from your car, something like a sports exhaust would make, you will be happy. Or else, you will be wondering if anything has gone wrong with it. The rev happy Duratec Engine happily snarls away when given the leash.
3. The ride quality at low speeds are appalling. This is the direct result of having harder suspension to compensate body roll in the car. Once you cross the 40 Kmph mark, things suddenly become a lot – lot smoother. The low profile 195/60 R15 tires are also to blame partly for this.
4. The looks are not to the liking of many. It’s not a sedan, or a regular family car, and it really does not make effort in that direction. The looks are butch is a more “run things down” manner.
5. The plastic and general quality of interiors were not that good in the first version. It has improved with the second version, but still far behind competition. Things generally tend to fall apart after a few years in a typical Ford Truck kind of fashion.

With the vehicle, what you get is the confidence to carry 5+ people from point A to B with luggage in probably the most un-cramped manner. The car also has enough steam to beat the rest from the start line, when you are not carrying humongous loads. Drive it sedate, and you will get highway mileage that can put an Alto to shame (in Petrol). The Diesel is ultra economical and we are not even talking about that. And you can carry your pet Cow to the Vet as well without breaking a sweat.

In Total, if you plan to have just one car to run around in the city and take the village roads to that camp ever so often, this is India’s official Compact Bad-Roader.

The Fusion TVC from Europe

Doing the Drift

The Fusion Crash Test (Note: This is with Airbags)

Relevant Links

• Ford Fusion UK Website
• Ford Fusion India Website
• Ford Fusion on Yahoo Groups

The city traffic actually sees more braking and acceleration in a car than highways. Its when the car accelerates or decelerates, the G- Forces put pressure on the infants neck which is vulnerable under the age of 1 year. A rear facing child seat helps negating any effects of sudden braking on the child’s neck.

A rear facing child seat fitted on a car seat adapter.

If the child were to face front and sit, while braking, the child’s head will be thrown forward putting enormous pressure on their neck and can injure them fatally. In a rear facing seat, every time the car stops, the child is pressed against the seat instead of going forward, this way the chances of injuring their neck is minimized.

Note: A child’s head weighs a lot more in comparison to their body than an adult’s head.

Choosing a child seat for your car.

Some manufacturers sell their own brand of car seats to fit into their vehicle. There are other third party manufacturers that specialize in manufacturing of these seats and often supply to car companies as well.

The seat you choose should have the following.

1. It should be rear facing for any child below the age of 18 months.
2. The seat should be adaptable to multiple cars, get one with a car seat adapter, this way either the adapter or the seat itself will fit in your car.
3. The seat should have at least 3 point seat belts. Babies are ingenious and observant, they can get out of almost any tied up situation.
4. Get side restraints to stop the head from moving side to side when the baby is sleeping and the car is turning.
5. Un-buckling the child from the seat should not take more than a few seconds. Imagine yourself in emergencies, where every second may count.
6. Get a seat that is washable in a washing machine, these tend to get very very dirty. The child will throw up, defecate, eat, drink, spill, do everything in this seat.
7. Get danglers to hang from the seat, this keeps the child’s attention focused away from the seat belts.
8. In warmer climate, a towel or cloth is needed over the seat to minimize sweating.

Where you can buy these? In Bangalore?

If you want to buy one off-the-shelf in Bangalore, you can head to Shopper Stop on Banerghata Road, or Lifestyle in Oasis, Inner Ring Road, Koramangala. You can also get them at Mothercare, 12th Main, Indiranagar.

If you are ok with buying them online, then there are more options available.

How long a child can sit in a child seat?

A child can travel sitting in a child seat at a stretch for 3 hours. It is always better to give them breaks every 100 km or so. The seats can get very binding and hot for a moving child.

A front and rear facing child seat which can be used even after 18 months.

Booster Seats

When the child is above the age of 18 months, he or she can then use a booster seat to sit on. By this age, the kid’s neck is strong enough and can tolerate more forces on them. A booster seat faces the right direction and lets the kid watch out of window while traveling. The main purpose of the booster seat is to assure that the kid is snugly held by the seat belts. Using a booster seat to just increase the kid’s ride height is not a good idea.

Booster seats are available in many form and sizes and can be used by a kid for the next 4 years.

A booster seat for older children.

Do not place a child of under 18 months on a booster seat unless directed so by it’s user manual. Most children under the age of 18 months should be placed in rear facing child seats.

Child seats and airbags

Most modern cars have airbags for both the front seats. Child seats are to placed only on rear seats unless the child needs attention or the parent is traveling alone. In such cases, switch off the passenger side airbags for the safety of the child. In a rear facing seat, an airbag will do more harm than good in the the event of an accident.

If your car does not have a airbag override control, place the child seat only on the rear seats.

Addresses in Bangalore

Shoppers Stop

Commerce@Mantri, N.S.Palya, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, KA. 560076. Phone:080 – 5121 5681-4. Store timings:Weekdays: 11:00 – 8:30 Weekends: 11:00 – 9:00

Lifestyle

Adarsh Opus, W – 76,  Door No. 1, Campbell Road, Austin Town, Bangalore – 560 047. Tel: 080 – 2556 4555

Lifestyle Koramangala

Oasis Centre. #30, Salarpuria Tech Point, Inner Ring Road, Koramangala. Bangalore – 560 095. Tel: 080 – 4027 6400

Mother Care

Icon-Mall, 12th Main, 5th Cross, Indira Nagar, Bangalore. Tel: 080 - 25213009

Some illustrations that may help you decide on a car seat.

Source - http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/injury/

Source - http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/injury/

Source - http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/injury/

Visit here for more information and detail.

The process is simple and illustrated step by step. The Tools Required for this whole exercise is fairly basic. Any market available screw driver set would do the job properly. Having a sturdy one would help.

This lineup should be enough to finish the Job.

The first step is locating and checking how everything is at the beginning of the operation.

The front driver side switch on the Ford Fusion and some models of Fiesta. This particular object has a very high failure rate, and if you are stuck with the driver side window 'Up', it can be very irritating.

To get started with the DIY process, you need to get the things mentioned in step one. Using the nail puller, gently get the Switch Console out of the door panel. The Switch Console is fastened with two spring steel clips on either side.

Take note to pull it out evenly from all side. This is necessary to retain the cables inside in their original position.

When the console is fully out, gently tilt it over away from the panel to have access to all wires

You will notice that the unit is attached using two wire clusters fastened with a Snap Fit. One should be White in color and the other one Black. The White one carries the wires for the window and the black one carries the wires for the rear window lock.

Take out the white wire cluster followed by the other one. Notice that the Snaps will be positioned on the side, for the Black one it will be on the front (in reference to the car).

Locate the second snap fit, and get it loose by gently pushing it down with a Screw Driver.

Slide the wire cluster out of the switch console.

Locate the Snap Fits that are holding the top and the bottom portions of the Switch Console.

Push the snaps out gently with a very thin screw driver. This may take some patience as they have a habit of snapping back promptly.

Separate the top and bottom parts pulling them outwards, away from each other. Take care to not tilt as it may damage the small LEDs that are used to light up the switches. A few may get bent a little, but that's not much of a worry.

This image clearly shows the position of each LED and the two springs that push the 'Rear Window Override' switch.

Marked in red are the contact points for the Driver Side window switch. Clean these as they may have Carbon, Grease, Oxidation and other residues on them which hampers the connection. While you are at it, may as well clean the others too.

We can pretty much forget about the top part after cleaning the contacts. They can be cleaned with nail Polish Remover, if you are traveling with your wife or girlfriend, chances are they will have one in their purse.

You can also see three springs that are sticking out from the top part. They are to hold the switch console within the door panel. Do not move them much from their position.

The bottom part of the Switch Console will have an array of springs. Marked in red are the ones that are responsible for the Driver's Window.

A close up of the springs. Note that they are a little curved. The spring is supposed to make contact with the point at all times. Breaking the contact moves the window up or down. Also, remember the springs.

Note: The springs are very integral to the switch operation and loosing them can spell complete disaster.

It is possible to find matching springs from a Ball Point pen if desperation calls. Try and not loose them to begin with.

Another close up of the spring and the LEDs

Gently push the springs up to see if there is any loose fit. Although that is very unlikely.

This part of the process will need a lot of concentration. Would suggest a good cup of coffee before getting on with this. At first, all the springs inside will look alike. It’s only on close observation you will notice that the one’s for the Driver’s Window do not touch their respective contacts on top.

Gently push up the curved part of the sprint to build back the lost tension due to repeated use of the switch. Yes, that is the main cause for this regular malfunction.

Check the alignment of the springs by holding the whole thing parallel to the ground lined up straight. They should all line up like Guards at a Parade.

You are done cooking. Take care of the LEDs, and the Springs. And start assembling the whole thing together. This will be a lot faster, but take care to not leave anything abandoned outside.

Align the springs properly. If they do not align, they will come loose and eventually may cause a Shirt Circuit.

Snap the whole thing shut and reverse the process earlier to put it back into the door. Put the wire clusters to where they belong, and you are ready to go.

Also note that this process will surely violate any Warranty available on the vehicle unless you manage to finish the Job very clean. The ford parts that fit inside are not that well finished and it might be easy to get away without being noticed. Chances are that the switch won’t trouble you for another year or more. It’s way easier and cheaper if you think of the Rs 3500/- (approx) that will pay for a new console and the time that you might have to wait due to permanent non availability of parts. This process is more useful if you are stuck without an open window in the middle of a highway to nowhere and the nearest Ford Service many hours away.

Onward (4th Sept, 2008)

Now, there are many who have written on this route on Team -Bhp and other blogs and claim that they finished the whole thing in 8+ hours, one way that is. Which is entirely possible if you take very minimal breaks and drive almost continuously. Else, a leisurely drive will cost you about 11 hours and will be a lot less stressful. Plus you can stop at all the small towns on the way and sample Indis, Vada Sambar, Coffee, Tea and the occasional Mutton Curry, Fish Pulusu and Rice. We took the second option. Travelers were two bachelors, one of them driving, the other putting the camera to use, and the DJ. A stereo equipped with an iPod is mandatory on such long rides as they can get very very boring otherwise.

NH7 and the route till Hyderabad from Bangalore. (Image Screenshot: Courtesy Google Maps)

I started out pre dawn at about 3 AM, by 4 I was picking up my friend near Mekri Circle, and by 5 we were through with Bangalore and well away from Devanahalli Airport. There was rain, the road had frequent diversions, and the onslaught of Volvos coming from the other side didn’t leave much for us to see of the road. Now both of us were practically watching the road, driver on the right and passenger on the left. A little after sunrise, things got a lot better, speeds were up from the 60 we were managing till about 110 kmph. Going was good and the first Tea Stop came about real fast.

Tea stop a little after sunrise on NH7

The state of the road is quite pathetic wherever work has not been completed. It is possible to drive a couple of kilometers only to realize that you are supposed to travel on the wrong side. lack of oncoming traffic makes it difficult to judge where one has to take a dievrsion.

Roads were moderately good, they had finished at least one side of the surface but we were still prone to on-coming traffic. The good thing is, traffic is minimal on this road during daytime. Anantpur came up fast in about 3 hours, about 10 AM. Tea, little food and restart. We were also on a tight meeting deadline, so avoided any unnecessary photographic stops.

A pink temple about 140 Kms from Bangalore

A little ghat section comes up after Anantpur and before Gooty, where managing high speeds are possible. A Logan, probably a regular on the road was cruising and we tucked behind. But unknown roads and the suddenly popping ‘XL Potholes’ told us to back off. It’s not worth the risk, after all we had to come back with the same car. Gooty came up in the next 1.5 hours. There are plenty of places to eat here, specially at the NH63 and NH7 junction. Mutton, Rice and Fish is a possibility. Look for a Dhaba on your left right after crossing the junction, the food  is good, the name of the Dhaba was not there. The place looks like a ‘Xerox Shop’ from outside, but opens up nicely once you are in. Very easy to miss, and misinterpret the place.

Rest of the route was pure mile crunching,  Kurnool came up fast. Navigating out of Kurnool took a while, we were on some wrong road.

Mehboobnagar comes up soon after, the roads are nothing to write home about, but good. The NH7 work being complete in most sections makes it a lot easier. There are parts where you drive on the old NH7 and things can get a little scary there. We saw some large size potholes that were good enough to hide an Alto / 800 comfortably. It was already about 1 PM at this time. By the time we crossed Shamshabad Airport turn off, it was 1.30. No regrets, it was still a good drive, and neither of us were tired. Thanks to ample amount of signage, navigating through Hyderabad was a breeze. Plus the fact that I stayed there for about 6 years helped.

Reached target in Somajiguda at 3 PM. Got ready and drove off for the meetings.

Rest is simple, meet people, eat Biriyani, have Haleem, it was pre Eid. Crash out and get up by 4 AM. Yep 4, coz we wanted to avoid the Volvos shining their glossy bulbs at us.

The ride back (5th Sept, 2008)

This went like how we expected, except that we got a little delayed at start and got out only by 5 AM. Filled gas, topped up. Headed out of the city, again was not a major issue as roads and signage (although in a state of construction) were well directed. First stop was right after the turn off for Shamshabad Airport. Tea, Idli, well only tea happened. Idli was not yet out of the oven. Continued out, and faced some extreme truck traffic till  Mehboobnagar. No worries, there was enough music on the pod and enough places to stop by for the idli and vada sambar, we did exactly that. By the time were out of Mehboobnagar, it was almost 8 AM. That was some slow going.

The next few hundred kilometers went fast, this time we knew the roads and were extremely confident.

Except for stops to attend to nature’s call at a Dhaba, stop to shoot the scenery and the ‘devoid of any human’ road. (see attached panorama)

Panorama of NH7 under construction. The car is parked on the un-constructed side of the road. When this is done, it will be a pleasure to drive till Hyderabad from Bangalore

Gooty was our stop for lunch which came up at about 12, Mutton, Fish, Rice etc followed. It did take us a while to locate a good place to eat. Food was good and highly recommended at any Dhaba near this crossing.

After lunch the going got a little tiring. The front driver side window switch malfunctioned (Ford Fusion) when we re going towards Hyderabad. While coming back it completely gave up. As a result we were stuck with the AC on all the time. Not that it would effect the already Frugal mileage, but it was kind of irritating to not have the option. 2 hours later and after many tried to make the window work, we passed Anantpur. We desperately tried locating coffee / tea places but were completely un-successful in doing so. Thankfully the semi completed roads after Anantpur were a breeze to drive. With nothing in the car except for the 2 people, we were able to hit 160+ speeds between each diversion (about 2 – 3 Km gaps). This was fun for the driver (me) and not so much for the passenger, who was by this time in the middle of full-on business emailing with his mobile phone (and taking photos at the same time).

The road is a gem where it is almost complete. White marking were still not in place (Sept, 08) but once they are, it will be like road-heaven.

There was one problem while coming back, we did not compensate for the AC and absolutely forgot to fill the tank somewhere in the middle. As a result, while approaching Bangalore, the reserve lights came up. Now that’s nothing unusual as the car still holds about 10 liters. Which should translate to about 160 – 180 Km on the highway. But my mad runs between diversion to diversion testing the 0 – 100 in 11 seconds (Go Fida!) part saw to it that it lasted just about 110 Km, which was Hebbal Flyover. It kind of felt like the AXN Ad a while back which said “Need that buzz!”.

Filled up on Bellari road after Hebbal Flyover, at about 4 PM and headed home after dropping my friend off at Mekri Circle. The rest of Bangalore took a drastic 3 hours and I was home by 7 PM.

Verdict: Lets do this again.

(Photos: Srikanth Vellore, Shubhodeep Das)