Ford Figo vs Suzuki Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10: here's our winner.

By Farzana Chaumoo

Generic comparison of the Ford Figo vs Suzuki Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10. 

 

Hatchbacks are losing their popularity but it doesn’t keep automakers like Ford dithering from selling or updating cars like the Figo. Actually, the Figo is an important model for Ford in South Africa and represents an entry point for customers into the Ford circle.

The Figo plays in a segment, which despite it being familiar with, competes with a lot of strong rivals now as opposed to when it first entered the market in 2010. We’ve already covered the Ford Figo vs Volkswagen Polo Vivo vs Suzuki Baleno, now let’s see how it fares against the likes of the Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10.

Well, for starters all three of these models have received revisions in 2018. Read what's new here: Hyundai Grand i10 hits the street with new kit, The all-new Suzuki Swift – excitement, value and style and Refreshed Ford Figo takes aim at Polo. 

The Figo is bigger than both the Grand i10 and the Swift. Its length currently stands at 3941 mm and is significantly longer, it’s slightly wider than the Swift but sits lower and its wheelbase is considerably more and the room inside the car is what makes a lot of difference.

 

Engines

On the power front, the Figo offers an all-new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that powers the entire line-up. This advanced latest-generation unit is lighter in weight, powerful, efficient and clean. It also relies on twin independent variable camshaft timing (TiVCT) for the four-valves-per-cylinder engine to deliver improved low-down torque as well as top-end power. The fitment of a dual-stage variable oil pump further enhances efficiency, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. It puts out maximum power of 88 kW and peak torque of 150 Nm and has a claimed fuel consumption of 5.7L/100 km.

The Swift has the next most powerful engine here. It is powered by a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine that puts out maximum power of 61 kW and peak torque of 113 Nm and has a claimed fuel consumption of 4.9L/100 km.

The Grand i10 has one engine with the least power here, but it does offer a second engine. The first one is a 998cc that puts out 48 kW @ 5500 rpm and 94 Nm of torque @ 3500 rpm. It has a 43-litre fuel tank and a claimed fuel consumption of 5.4L/100 km with a manual gearbox and 5.9L/100 km with an automatic gearbox.

The second engine has a 1248cc displacement and puts out 64 kW @ 6000 rpm and 120 Nm of torque @ 4000 rpm. It also has a 43-litre fuel tank and a claimed fuel consumption of 5.9 L/100 km with a manual gearbox and 6.9 L/100 km with an automatic gearbox. Despite it having lower power, it does have slightly higher fuel consumption.

 

Gearbox

Another sufficiently notable distinction is that the Figo’s engine has been paired to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic as opposed to the Swift’s 5-speed manual and the Grand i10's 4-speed torque converter and 5-speed manual ‘box.

The other big distinction is that the Figo gets a six-speed dual-clutch automatic as opposed to the Grand i10's four-speed torque converter while the Maruti Suzuki Swift is only available in the 5-speed manual guise. However, we might see an AMT version of the Swift soon but we'll know about that shortly.

 

Verdict

The efficiency and dominance of Suzuki and even the popularity of the Swift work in its favour. It has the lowest starting price whereas Ford gets a lot of heads turning. Hyundai is beginning to capture a reasonable amount of attention but is the weakest link here. Our pick here goes to the Figo for its power vs fuel efficiency figures.

 

Recommended: Is the Ford Figo good for families?

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