[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The wait will be longer, I am afraid, if we go by what Mr. Umashankar PK, Vice-President, Customer Service Operations, Ford India told The Hindu BusinessLine.



Sorry, guys. Doesn't look like the Figo Aspire will be hitting showrooms before Dusshera.


The Hindu Business Line

Whoa! Thanks for this, bud.

The pre-booking is open and I don't think anyone would want to block their money for 3-4 months regardless of how miniscule the booking amount is. Top it with absolutely no clarity on the launch date. C'mon, this is no Honda City or a Suzuki Swift! I seriously hope, Ford knows what they are doing.

Originally Posted by sandygordon

Waiting for Diwali, perhaps. The dealership says the pricing of the aspire will be the most VFM in the segment. They have no idea about the specs or the power plants.

It's difficult to believe these fellas to do the right thing. Look, what Honda did with the Jazz! And the line that was mentioned in every review (print or video) still resonates in my ears - "Honda has learnt it's lesson from the previous gen Jazz' failure and will price this one very competitively" . If this is competitive, what isn't?

Cheerio,
-Shivang Gandotra

[raghav135]

When talking to a sales representative after ecosport test drive, I came to know that the launch of aspire would happen on first week of August, he seemed pretty sure.

[vivekz]

Got a chance to checkout the car today at a mall in Thane.

Overall, feels solid but not as much as a full grown Fiesta. I liked the dashboard design, typical Ford.

However, few things which I noticed

1. Rear doors do not have pockets at all. The front ones though are well designed.
2. Boot is not really accessible as the opening will not allow you to lift and keep items in the boot. You have to slide in into position - not as bad as Vibe but similar approach.
3. The width of rear seat felt slightly narrow for seating three (also under thigh support would not be great)

All in all I feel the dimensions would be perfect for a hatch (Figo) but slightly cramped for a sedan. But then most sub 4-meter sedans are similar.

[volkman10]

Ford Figo Aspire Media Drive,






Aspire specs revealed. 1.2 petrol delivers 88PS power & 120 Nm torque. 1.5 diesel 100PS & 215Nm.

All important fuel consumption figures for Figo Aspire are; 18.16kpl for 1.2 petrol, 17kpl for 1.5 pet & impressive 25.83kpl for 1.5 diesel.

Figo Aspire has a pretty large boot for a sub 4m sedan. 359 litres.

6 airbags in Ford Figo Aspire a first in compact sedan class


https://twitter.com/hormazdsorabjee

[JonSnow]

Thanks! Specs look interesting, especially diesel one. By the way, the image shows 112 Nm torque for the 1.2 petrol, not 120 Nm. Still not bad considering the specs for the current 1.2 petrol engine on the figo.

Originally Posted by volkman10

Ford Figo Aspire Media Drive,

Attachment 1391032

Attachment 1391033


Aspire specs revealed. 1.2 petrol delivers 88PS power & 120 Nm torque. 1.5 diesel 100PS & 215Nm.

All important fuel consumption figures for Figo Aspire are; 18.16kpl for 1.2 petrol, 17kpl for 1.5 pet & impressive 25.83kpl for 1.5 diesel.

Figo Aspire has a pretty large boot for a sub 4m sedan. 359 litres.

6 airbags in Ford Figo Aspire a first in compact sedan class


https://twitter.com/hormazdsorabjee

[swiftnfurious]

Quite an impressive spec at the first shot. A 4.9m turning radius looks awesome, so is the 1.5L 100 bhp engine with ~26 kmpl average. Look forward to the TD reports. Hope this is a FTD car with a decent EPS like Fiesta.

[tjacob]

Interesting, just when everyone was wondering why things are so silent from Ford-India.


More pictures & tweets from Shapur's Kotwal's feed -

Ford Figo Aspire will get driver and passenger airbag as standard: six airbags on top spec

New Figo hatch, new Endeavour to come after Aspire, says Ford boss Nigel Harris

The Figo Aspire is the only Indian car tested by NCAP to pass UN 56kph crash test without an airbag.

More from Renuka Kripalini twitter:

The #Mykey feature on FigoAspire let's you preset speed warnings,limit top speed and audio volume as well as set seatbelt warnings

150 hours spent in wind tunnel to improve NVH on #FigoAspire

Hill launch assist and ESP also to be available on #FigoAspire

Leather seats and beige interior on #Figo Aspire, 20 storage spaces and claimed class leading interior space.

[JonSnow]

Oh great to see driver and passenger airbag as standard. I was hoping they would do that since Ford seems to be making safety a usp for this car, but had some apprehension that they might not provide airbags on the base variant.

[damager21]

Pics of Figo Aspire from the media drive (Source: Zigwheels)

[tjacob]

The amount of rear leg space for those wondering, the driver seat seems to be pulled back completely.

More images at the source

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by tjacob

Interesting, just when everyone was wondering why things are so silent from Ford-India.
:

Exactly. Looks like they were just waiting for the Jazz. Looks very impressive. And looks like the AT variant comes with the 1.5 ltr. Excellent move. Something Honda could have done with the Jazz.

So we have a 1.5 AT variant with a dual clutch gearbox. And also a potent diesel engine( from the numbers). The amaze is going to be hit hard. Good job Ford. Now just price it all well.

I feel the AT will not come in the top variant with 6 airbags. If it does and they manage to price around 8L ex showroom, it would be awesome. Same with the top end diesel MT.

Eagerly awaiting the test drive reports. In spite of entering a highly competitive Segment, I believe they have another winner like the Ecosport on their hands. Hope they do a better job of marketing and delivery.

[RSR]

Just when one was getting the idea that Ford were shying away from launching the Figo Aspire due to the limelight being hogged by other launches, out they come firing on all cylinders (now equipped with variable valve timing)!

The Figo Aspire is surely going to shake up the sub-4m sedan segment for good! Bilious haters of Ford would surely experience a sickening churn within themselves when they read that specification sheet and the tweets about safety equipment.

Figo Aspire takes safety to an all-new level in the sub-4m compact sedan segment! Two airbags standard even on the base variant, as many as six airbags on the top one, ABS, smaller safety features like programmable speed control for individual keys etc., and even ESP!

Although ESP may be limited to the DCT variant with the 1.5 Ti-VCT, it is still a first in this segment. And 6 airbags! Forget sub-4m sedans and 4m+ C1 sedans, it is a very rare feature even among C2 sedans, with only Hyundai's Verna offering the superb safety provided by 6 airbags. This new found focus on safety is a very welcome move on the part of Ford. Kudos to the Blue Oval!

The spec sheet was a revelation. A city-friendly 4.9 m turning circle radius. A 174 mm GC, which when coupled with a Ford-typical firm(ish) suspension, should be able to traverse the nastiest of Bengaluru's speed breakers without scraping the underbelly.

The biggest surprise is the increased output from the engines. The 1.5 TDCi now churns out 100 horses, and more torque as well! It should be able to run rings around some anæmic, poorly geared and lag-laden cars. Drivability was always a strength of the 1.5 TDCi, and it now looks like it gets a better top end as well. It shouldn't be long before the 100 PS state of tune makes it to the Fiesta and EcoSport. Which means more of that sickening churn within for Ford haters.

The Figo's 1.2 Ti-VCT seems to have grown up into a thoroughbred from the weak pony it was earlier. Variable valve timing and better tuning seem to have done the trick for this 16v DOHC motor, bumping up its output from a mere 71 PS to a much more healthy 88 PS. One only hopes the low and mid range torque delivery is as good as its on-paper power output.

I don't know if the 112 PS 1.5 Ti-VCT is going to be mated exclusively to the DCT 'box. Ford can introduce this engine-gearbox combo slightly later to avoid "sticker shock". The 1.5 litre engine makes it ineligible for the "small car" excise slab, and the DCT may only make it more expensive. It would be better to introduce this combination one month after the initial launch.

It's also good that the archaic and outdated "pump, belt & pulley" hydraulic steering assist has been ditched in favour of EPAS with pull-drift compensation as found on the Fiesta. That primitive previous millennium technology has almost completely faded away for good, and even the Nano gets an EPS now!

I think Ford are finally serious about the Indian market, and would stop being a one trick pony (managing to sell only one car in decent numbers at a time). They've even provided proper RHD controls for the first time on the Figo Aspire, and this alone shows their new found commitment and seriousness towards the Indian market!

With a string of launches lined up (Figo Aspire, new Endeavour and new Figo hatchback), not to mention facelifts & updates (EcoSport & Fiesta), Ford are all set to turn into a strong player by crossing the 10,000 units a month sales mark, a tremendous improvement from the also-ran they are now. Bravo, Bravo!!!

[damager21]

Pictures from 1st day of media drive today.

Exteriors looks smashing and well proportionate



No external boot release


Top variant comes with leather seats


Rear armrest. Notice it is beige all the way. Would have liked doors to be black to give that contrast


Height adjustable seat belts is a welcome. Notice grab handles are missing


MyKey function allows you to set a limit for your chauffeur


Instrument cluster looks dull to me


Audio system controls are similar to the ones on the EcoSport


Top variant comes with auto climate control


MyFord Dock acts as a sync point, charging station and storage space for your phone, GPS or MP3 device


Voice activated commands available similar to EcoSport


Source: Pictures from Twitter

[RavenAvi]

Overdrive review is out.

Excerpts:

The Figo Aspire is available with two engine options. The existing 1.5 TDCi diesel and an updated 1.2-litre Ti-VCT NA petrol. The diesel motor has been seen in the EcoSport and Fiesta but has been tweaked to offer more power. The engine now produces 100PS and 215Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

On the road, the engine feels linear and breathes well. There is not much turbo lag and there is a good surge of power when demanded. It is slightly noisy at idle and lower speeds but as the revs climb, the clatter settles and feels a lot more refined than a few of the other cars from this segment. Gear shifts are smooth too and the ratios are spaced out well, making full use of the impressive torque.

The petrol 1.2 motor is a heavily tweaked motor that is seen in the current Figo hatchback. The engine now receives variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust sides, apart from other updates. The Ti-VCT (as its called) engine produces 88PS of max power and 112Nm of torque. This engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The latter even features ESP, traction control and hill launch assist. The hill assist system basically prevents the car from rolling back by applying the brake for a few seconds.

The Figo Aspire is based on a modified Figo platform. The latter is essentially the older Fiesta without a boot and is known for its dynamics. The Figo Aspire seems to have carried forward this character and thus makes it one of the best handling cars in this segment. It features a new electric steering seen in the EcoSport and Fiesta that is a lot lighter in feel and can do with some more feedback. The chassis however is well balanced and the car is great fun to drive especially around corners. 14-inch Apollo tyres are quite grippy too. It even rides well over bumpy and broken roads. In fact, it may be the best in segment too (we will confirm that very soon). There isn’t much suspension noise and the car feels well planted.

The car will be available in four trim levels namely – Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium+.

The Ambiente trim offers a dual tone interior, adjustable front and rear headrests, front power windows, tilt adjust steering, multi information display, keyless entry, electric boot release and driver and passenger airbags.

The Trend adds front fog lamps, gloss black elements, rear armrest, steering mounted controls, rear power windows, mobile phone dock and a Bluetooth stereo with four speakers.

The Titanium trim also gets auto climate control, power fold mirrors, ABS with EBD and an adjustable driver seat.

The Titanium+ is the fully loaded variant and it also gets segment first leather seats, the 4.2-inch information screen with the Sync feature, CD player, side and passenger airbags (very impressive and first in segment but passengers don’t get grab handles), Ford MyKey (a programmable key that when used can limit speed and stereo volume level).

All trims will be available in seven different shades – Ruby Red, Sparkling Gold, Oxford White, Tuxedo Black, Deep Impact Blue, Ingot Silver and Smoke Grey.

Optional accessories like illuminated scuff plates, rear parking sensors (should have been offered as standard), mirror mounted reverse camera and GPS, ambient lighting and shark fin antenna will also be available at Ford dealerships.

Overdrive

[damager21]

Zigwheels review is out

http://www.zigwheels.com/reviews-adv...-review/22463/

Verdict
On the whole, the Ford Figo Aspire is a very good proposition. It isn’t run of the mill like its competition and certainly offers an angle of fun and excitement that some cars in the segment. It looks handsome, has well made interiors and drives well too. And on top of that it, it does have a set of features that not many other cars in India have. And did we mention how safe it is? All in all, as a culminated package, the Aspire might just have what it takes to repeat for Ford what the Ecosport did a few years ago. In our opinion, the Ford Figo Aspire is certainly a car to consider if you looking to buy a sub 4-meter compact sedan in the near future.