Maruti Suzuki India happens to be the most successful and reliable car brand of the country. Its first car Maruti 800 took the market by storm and has lured a large number of middle class buyers. The company came up with new Alto 800 in 2012 amidst great hype and received a positive response from the customers. The biggest advantage that the car comes with is high mileage at a budget friendly price. Ford, the US auto maker launched the Figo in 2010 on the platform of Fiesta. The car went through a facelift in 2012 that saw certain cosmetic changes but no changes in the technical configuration was reported. Interestingly, both the hatchbacks are targeted towards those buyers who can not spend too much on a four-wheeler. A major chunk of Indian population goes for hatchbacks, which give value for money.
Ford Figo has undergone some exterior changes so as to woo the customers such as improved chromed front grill, new headlamps and tail lamps, sporty fenders, modified bumper design and alloy wheels. The new Ford Figo brought in two new colour variants and for the interiors, a blue colour scheme was introduced with new seat fabric. The colour options that a customer is provided with are Diamond White, Sea Grey, Panther Black, Bright Yellow, Kinetic Blue, Colorado Red, Chilli Metallic and Moondust Silver. On the other hand, the all new Alto gets an increment in height as well as width, and a lot more spacious cabin. Additional features included in this hatchback are crystal tail lamps, high mounted petal shaped head lamps, wheel arches and wave front design. Industry experts are of a view that the latest version looks trendier and sporty than its predecessor.
Ford Figo comes with a totally upgraded dashboard, offering a refreshing feel. The red interiors get a replacement with cool blue shades that give this urban car a perfect makeover. It now comes with Bluetooth connectivity through which four phones can be connected helping one in accessing phone books, call logs and stream music as well. Alto 800 gets an uplift in the dashboard with the usage of enhanced material and overall appearance. The fabric design and colour shades are provided with a complete overhaul and seats are now little slimmer so as to give more space for legroom.
There have been no changes in the technical specifications of Figo after the launch of its facelift version. It still comes with the 1.2-litre Duratec petrol that delivers a peak power of 70 bhp at 6250 rpm and torque of up to 102 Nm at 4000 rpm. The 1.4-litre Duratorq diesel with five-speed manual transmission churns out a peak power of 68.1 bhp at 4000 rpm and torque of up to 160 Nm at low 2000 rpm. On the the hand, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 comes with a 796 cc 12-valve three-cylinder petrol engine and a five-speed manual transmission system that delivers a peak power of 47.3 bhp at 6000 rpm along with a maximum torque of 69 Nm. This hatchback has been offered in both petrol and CNG fuel options, whereas the diesel variant is expected to launch soon.
