Here’s how Hyundai’s latest hatchback stacks up against the Ford Figo in the real world

The Grand i10 Nios is a hatchback that has improved on Hyundai’s formula of offering more features and better everyday usability than its rivals. Meanwhile, the Ford Figo enjoys a cult status among enthusiasts for being a driver’s car. Today, we pit these two together to find out which one offers better performance and fuel efficiency in the real world. 

But before we dive into the details, let us take a look at the on-paper specs of the two engines. We shall be comparing the diesel-manual variants of the two cars as we have tested them independently.

	Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	Ford Figo
Displacement	1.2-litre	1.5-litre
Power	75PS	100PS
Torque	190Nm	215Nm
Transmission	5-speed MT/AMT	5-speed MT
Claimed FE	26.2kmpl	25.5kmpl
Emission Type	BS4	BS4

On paper, the Figo has the Grand i10 Nios beat in terms of performance. The Figo’s larger displacement blatantly tips the scales in its favour. However, the Grand i10 Nios manages to claw a little bit of an advantage in terms of fuel efficiency, but the gap is not big enough to negate the performance factor.

So on paper, the Ford Figo is the better deal. But what happens when we test these two cars in real-world conditions? Find out below.

Performance Comparison

Acceleration and Roll-on Tests:

	0-100kmph	30-80kmph	40-100kmph
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	13.13s	8.84s	14.06s
Ford Figo	10.69s	8.74s	15.35s

Owing to its larger engine and more power and torque output, the Figo wins the sprint from 0-100kmph. However, the story changes dramatically when it comes to the roll-on tests. The Grand i10 Nios is only a tenth-of-a-second behind the Figo when accelerating from 30-80kmph in third gear and manages to beat it by more than a second when accelerating from 40-100kmph in fourth gear.

This leads us to conclude that while the Figo should have a better top speed and better acceleration in a straight line from a stop, the Grand i10 Nios will provide better performance in everyday real-world driving conditions. However, the Figo is not that far behind. 

Braking Distance:

	100-0kmph	80-0kmph
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	42.62m	26.48m
Ford Figo	41.95m	26.80m

The Figo offers better braking performance than the Hyundai, but only by a whisker. The braking distances of the two cars are so close that it would be unfair to pick a winner in this battle. So, let’s call it a tie.

Also Read: Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Nios vs Ford Figo vs Ford Freestyle: Space Comparison

Fuel Efficiency Comparison

	Claimed (ARAI)	Highway (Tested)	City (Tested)
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	26.2kmpl	21.78kmpl	19.39kmpl
Ford Figo	25.5kmpl	25.79kmpl	19.42kmpl

The ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is better than that of the Ford Figo. However, in the real-world, the story is quite different. The Figo returns more kilometres to the litre both in the city as well as on the highway. And while the difference in the city can be termed as negligible, the Figo is miles ahead in terms of highway numbers.

If you’d like to see what kind of fuel efficiency you can expect from the two depending on your usage, take a look at the table below.

	50% highway, 50% city	25% highway, 75% city	75% highway, 25% city
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	20.52kmpl	19.93kmpl	21.13kmpl
Ford Figo	22.16kmpl	20.7kmpl	23.84kmpl

Also Read: Hyundai Grand i10 Nios vs Maruti Suzuki Swift vs Ford Figo: Diesel Manual Comparison

Verdict

While the factory numbers suggest that the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios offers better fuel efficiency while the Ford Figo offers better performance, the story is reversed in the real world. Yes, the Figo offers better performance in stop-and-go traffic, but it is the in-gear acceleration in third and fourth gears that matters the most, and that is where the Grand i10 Nios performs slightly better than the Ford. The shorter gearing of the Hyundai hatchback allows it to post better times than the Ford, despite being low on power.

And talking of fuel efficiency, the Ford’s ARAI-certified efficiency figure is less than that of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, but in the real world, it is the Figo that is more frugal. This difference, especially on the highway, is again down to the gearing of the two cars.

If you want a car predominantly for city driving, we’d recommend the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios in this case. However, if you hit the highway more frequently, then we’d suggest you opt for the Figo.

Read More on : Hyundai Grand i10 Nios AMT