The All New Ford Figo Aspire

Ford India has finally launched its much awaited sub-4m sedan- The Ford Figo Aspire. It is offered with 3 engines-
1. 1.5L TDCi (Diesel) engine which produces 99 bhp @ 3750 rpm and a torque of 215 Nm @ 1750-3000 rpm. This engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Also offered in the Fiesta & Ecosport Diesel, Although the Aspire gets a bump in power & torque by 10hp & 11Nm respectively.

2. 1.2L Ti-VCT (Petrol) engine which produces 87 bhp @ 6300 rpm and a torque 112 Nm @ 4000 rpm. This engine is offered with a 5-speed manual transmission. We have already seen this engine on the Figo Petrol and it definitely gets a better state of tune in the Aspire.

3. 1.5L Ti-VCT (Petrol) engine which produces 110 bhp @ 6300 rpm and torque of 136 Nm @ 4250 rpm. This engine is mated to a 6-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT). This combo is offered on the Ford Ecosport and was offered on the Fiesta pre-facelift.

Feature list includes-
1. Dual airbags standard on all variants. The Titanium+ variants get 6 airbags in total.

2. Keyless entry standard on all variants. Ford MyKey is offered on the titanium+ variant. This helps you programme your key to help you set speed limit, regulating audio volume.etc.

3. MyFord Dock is also offered in the lower variants which helps you connect your phone for music and charging directly on the dashboard. Thanks to its amazing position on the dashboard it helps the phone being used as a navigation system.

4. The SYNC™ voice-activated system lets you connect to your world like never before. Pair your Bluetooth®-enabled phone to make calls, use text-to-speech technology, and play your favourite music – using just your voice. You can even control SYNC™ with the steering wheel mounted controls. And in the unlikely event of an accident that activates an airbag or shuts off the fuel pump, SYNC™’s Emergency Assistance automatically calls emergency services and shares your exact GPS location. 

SYNC™’s AppLink™ takes your connectivity to the next level, enabling you to access apps on your paired smartphone using just your voice. Get the latest cricket scores with ESPN Cricinfo or find your way around with MapmyIndia Explore. Just another way Figo Aspire keeps you connected on the go. 

6. ABS with EBD on titanium and titanium+ variant. The Automatic variant gets electronic stability control (ESC) and Hill launch assist.

Prices-
1. Ambiente- Rs. 4.90 lakh (Petrol). Rs. 5.89 lakh (Diesel).
2. Trend- Rs. 5.76 lakh (Petrol). Rs. 6.76 lakh (Diesel).
3. Titanium- Rs. 6.69 lakh (Petrol-MT). Rs. 7.79 lakh (Petrol-AT). Rs. 7.69 lakh (Diesel).
4. Titanium+ - Rs. 7.24 lakh(Petrol). Rs. 8.24 lakh (Diesel)

Our Take On The Figo Aspire-

Ford is not new to the sub-4m segment. In fact, the Figo Aspire is their second offering in this segment after the Ecosport. Overall the Figo Aspire is a terrific package. It looks better than most of the sub-4m sedans. All the 3 engines on offer are pretty decent when it comes to power output, drivability and fuel efficiency. The interior space is well put and unlike other Ford offerings the Figo Aspire does seem spacious. The Feature list is impressive and so the cost is justified. What could have been better?

1. Bigger wheels. The 14-inch wheels look too small. A nice 15-inch wheel with 185/195mm tyres would have been better.

2. Its a good thing that Ford is offering dual airbags as a standard equipment but it would be even better if they were offering ABS on the Trend variant. Competition has moved up and many manufacturers are offering the mid variants with ABS.

3. Diesel engine + Automatic transmission. This combo is slowly catching up in India and Ford surely has missed an opportunity here by launching the Automatic transmission with a Petrol engine only.

But Frankly these are not a deal breaker. The Figo Aspire overall is a brilliant package. Ford's After-sales service and network are pretty decent. We really hope this car sells well and Ford doesn't create a blunder with the delay in deliveries like they did during the initial days of the Ecosport.