Verdict
It’s a very close contest here. Both the cars have their own virtues. Acceleration performance of the two cars is almost identical with the Figo having a very marginal lead. The Figo also scores in terms of overall cabin quality, sturdy feel, handling and ride quality. On the other hand, the Micra has a better exterior styling and is resultantly a more charming car. It returns considerably better fuel efficiency which is a big factor for a customer before choosing his car in this country.
So while the Figo is a more comfortable, more spacious car with better interiors and better handling, the Micra is a more attractive car which will travel more distance per litre of fuel, saving you some money. Also, the Micra has been around for almost three decades now, while the Figo is an entirely new car and is yet to prove its durability.
Clearly, the two cars have their own virtues, making it difficult to choose the outright winner – which brings us to the price. At a base model price of Rs 3.47 lakh, the Figo is about Rs 50K cheaper than the Micra’s base variant (which doesn’t have keyless entry or push button start). The Micra, however comes equipped with a driver side airbag, which justifies the price tag a little bit. Also, the Micra is more fuel efficient, so it will help you get back your money over a period of time.
However, in the variants above the base version, the difference between the prices of the two cars opens up even more. The top end variant of the Figo 1.2 retails for Rs 4.42 lakh ex-showroom, against the Micra’s top end which is sold at Rs 5.29 lakh. That’s a difference of almost Rs 90000 – and that’s a big difference for this segment. Even with its push button start feature, Auto A/C and better fuel efficiency, we think the price is rather steep. The Figo definitely offers equal functionality and more comfort. So finally, in our assessment, we will have to rate the Figo slightly higher than the Micra.
So if you want more comfort, more legroom and good handling, choose the Figo. However, if comfort isn’t at the top of your priority list, and if you don’t mind sparing a little more money for better styling, more features and better fuel efficiency, go for the Micra.