The Figo’s dashboard is painted in a brown which looks different in daylight
Yesterday morning I got down to driving both variants (petrol, diesel) of the Ford Figo, seeing its interiors for the first time in action and in daylight. Ford engineers have worked hard to get the best possible materials for this price. No, you don’t get soft touch plastics or leather. The quality of whatever used is good.
The ingress and egress is not the strongest point of Figo. For a tall person like me, I had to bend and crouch to get in. Once I position my seat to my convenience, I make the ingress easier from the second time.
Sit in the car and you feel absolutely in control. The steering wheel is thick and inspires confidence straight away. The front seats is are firm and the bolsters lock you into position. The head rests are designed considering tall drivers and you don’t get anything but comfort and control from the driver’s seat.
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‘The Nissan 370Z.’ That’s the best introduction.
We have attended car launches and umpteen number of media events that introduce automobiles in all kinds of ways. But the manner in which the Nissan 370Z was launched, speeding across the runway and settling down in an Aircraft hanger was the best thing we’ve ever seen.
Nissan launched its flagship model, the legendary 370Z at the Pawan Hans Flying Club at Mumbai at a very unique function. The driver during this special occasion was Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first and only F1 driver, who unveiled the 370Z from a running trailer and followed it up with a few drifts to show the media what the 370Z was really capable of.
Mr Kiminobu Tokuyama, MD and CEO Nissan India, during the occasion said that Nissan would be getting three more models from Japan for the Indian Market and also confirmed that the Micra Sedan would follow the Micra Hatch. Priced at 53.50 Lakh (Ex showroom Delhi) for the 6 speed M/T with Synchro Rev Match, and at Rs.54.50 lakh for the 7-speed Auto, the 370Z surely enjoys the price advantage over its rivals.
click through for press release and images
The new Mercedes E-Class has shown the competition its mettle; new variants add variety
Mercedes Benz India launched two more variants to its E-Class lineup – E 250 V6 and the E250 CDI Blue Efficiency here in Mumbai yesterday. The E250 V6 is priced at 41.13lakhs Ex-Showroom Mumbai and the E250 CDI at 39.87lakhs Ex-Showroom Mumbai.
Dr Wilfried Aulbur MD and CEO Mercedes Benz India Limited speaking on the occasion mentioned that the E class has been a runaway success here and the they has managed to sell a healthy number of 450 cars already to customers. Dr.Aulbur also highlighted that the new E-Class has won many prestigious auto awards from publications.
The E250 V6 delivers 204 hp with 245nm of torque while the E250 CDI churns out 201 hp and has a very healthy torque of 500nm.
click through for the press release and image gallery
Figo comes in 1.2 petrol and 1.4 diesel. It has large boot space and comfortable driver seat
Ford India organized a separate screening and presentation of the new Ford Figo to the electronic media today. This is certainly, to the best of our knowledge, the first time such an initiative is taken by an Auto company in India and we’re grateful to the entire Ford team for providing with such a fantastic experience.
I’ll be shooting pictures and evaluating the driving characteristics of the Figo during the drive tomorrow.
Today, the story of how the Ford Figo was born, and how an old European Fiesta was turned into a budget family mobile for ‘Sandeep,’ a newly wed Indian male with aspirations, energy and confidence, was discussed in depth. More on the story later.
I spent a brief amount of time experiencing the static car, and it looks very impressive. The ingress/egress could have been better. The quality of the buttons and switches in certain points could have felt better. But overall, Ford’s got the material/color/feel formula almost spot on.
I’ll drive the car, and with some quality pics I’ll come back to you tomorrow.
Click past the break to view the images Ford released. This includes shots of the interior and components, which will give you a better idea of the car.
Adrian Sutil’s experience with low budget racing will help in frugal F1 2010
Force India driver Adrian Sutil says preparation for the 2010 season in his camp is looking very good. Force India, which stepped up in the second half of the 2009 season, almost winning a race, is using all the experience gained in the last two years in F1 to make 2010 a profitable one.
Sutil will be out of action in the first test at Valencia. His first brush with the new VJM03 will be at Jerez from February 10-13. The F1 season kicks of with the Bahrain GP on the 14th of March.
Force India has probably been the team working with the least budget. This to Sutil will work wonders in 2010 as other teams need to adapt to competing with low resources. Sutil feels it will take time for others to get used to the reduced budget.
Adrian Sutil, Force India driver -
It feels very good to be a competitive team in F1. The 2009 season was one of the most important seasons for us. We were able to make a name for ourselves in F1 with constantly good performances and a few huge surprises. Now it’s important to continue our good work and try to be even more competitive in 2010.
We will keep a close eye on Force India and Sutil’s whereabouts. Going by Sutil’s statements, 2010 will be Force India’s best year in F1.
The Suzuki Swift hangs on as the best seller in its segment
Maruti Suzuki Swift recorded its highest sales ever in the month of December 2009. 10,900 customers bought a Swift in that 31 day period!
That’s the best month thus far for the hot selling hatchback which debuted in May 2005.
The Swift has never been undone by its competitors in these five years. Cars like Punto, Vista, Getz, Fabia and i20 have come no where near the Swift in consistency. With the lighter and torquey 1.2-liter K-Series engine under the bonnet since recently, the Swift could continue its dream run for another five years.
The Swift received its diesel heart in the form of the 1.3-liter Multi-jet engine in January 2007. Easily available spares and low maintenance cost increase the appeal of this hatchback which was primarily meant for Europe.
Skoda’s compact Yeti will not have a compact price tag
Burnyourfuel is reporting Skoda will launch compact SUV Yeti in India by June-July 2010. According to the report, Skoda plans to launch the Yeti in two variants initially and subsequently add variants. This has been their strategy with cars like the Superb and Laura.
The debuting Skoda Yeti will be loaded with features and its price is expected to be between 14 and 18 lakh rupees. Variants in the future could come without the same level of equipment and cost less.
click through for Skoda Yeti Image Slideshow
The e-Cruze will come with GM’s Voltec technology. Will it make it to India too?
How many of you saw this one coming?
If the Chevrolet Cruze electric comes to India, will it have the GM’s ‘Voltec’ technology used on this test mule or REVA’s powertrains?
The latter is also a possibility since Chetan Maini, REVA’s Chief technology officer during the recently concluded Auto Expo, told IAB that vehicle size isn’t a concern to his company’s flexible electric powertrains.
The report says the Chevrolet e-Cruze with Voltec powertrain will be assembled in Australia and sold under the Holden banner in the next two years. The mule caught here is the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere, which is essentially the Chevrolet Cruze with a different radiator grille.
Rumors around town suggest GM could also launch the Volt in India in the coming years. Its too early in the game to predict its price or the strategy GM will deploy for its electric/hybrid vehicles and platforms but it is going to be very interesting.
Will the e-Cruze cruise into Indian soil in 2011? It definitely is a possibility.
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