[noopster]

Originally Posted by adimicra

The base variant below 5 lakhs with 2 airbags is very attractively priced. But, Ford knows very well that not many would be buying the base variant which doesn't have basic features like rear power windows etc. (some safety conscious people might buy but they will be relatively small in number).

Originally Posted by blacksport

How atrocious that Ford omitted such basic features like rear power windows (is there a manual lever or have they omitted that as well?), and provided useless stuff like airbags, used by only very few people like the safety concous ones?

@adimicra was just stating a fact. While it is commendable that carmakers like Toyota, VW and now Ford are including 2 airbags in base variants of their compact offerings these days, the vast majority of buyers treat these as unnecessary luxuries. Besides, power windows have moved from being a luxury to a necessity these days, and their omission definitely affects the image of the car.

Originally Posted by shipnil

You just gave the exact sentiment of the people on the street. Because of this thinking only the manufacturers keep giving bare bones versions without worrying about safety of the people. In your books the power windows are far more important than the life saving airbags.

What is this- "Miss Sarcasm" day?

[MHG]

I would call the pricing borderline insensible vs what the rest of the market offers! Ford pulled off a Tata Zest v2.0 here, and I hope the market acknowledges that and reacts appropriately (unlike the very lukewarm reception the Zest received).

Continuing the Tata analogy though, I fear a Zest vs Bolt issue my repeat itself for Ford when they launch the all new Figo hatchback. Since both are sub-4m and based on the same platform, I don't see how the hatchback would be significantly cheaper than the sedan if comparing variants of each with equal amounts of kit.

[kozhissery]

Originally Posted by blacksport

How atrocious that Ford omitted such basic features like rear power windows (is there a manual lever or have they omitted that as well?), and provided useless stuff like airbags, used by only very few people like the safety concous ones?

Basic features!

Personally I'd opt for a car with Airbags, ABS/EBD, ESP/TCS (right from the showroom) over Alloys, Fog Lamps, Music System etc or any other creature comfort. If needed you can always get these from the local accessories shop but not the safety features.

[dark.knight]

Done the test drive of the 1.2 Petrol & I shall talk about the value proposition it offers so that it might help those of you considering the Figo Aspire. Now first off the Aspire is not the typical compact sedan, it has many things much better sorted & then some aspects that aren't. A few things in detail below

Exteriors :
- Front looks like a mini-Fiesta, that's a plus (Punto Evo resemblances too).
- Rear tail-light is well designed & modern.
- Side view, this is where the boot seems not so well integrated due to a thick flowing C-Pillar, of course this is needed to place rear windshield on an angle.
- The tyres although adequate for the vehicle size seem a bit small due to the overall ground clearance & height of the car.
- Front bumper has rubber protection skirt underside which is useful.

Interiors :
- Well designed modern yet proportional dash, ideal mix of beige/black.
- The steering is modern but a bit too many design creases flowing (again a Punto wheel resemblance)
- The centre controls are a *little* confusing but maybe over time one can familiarise with the layout.
- Music system is quite adequate, I assume its the standard 4 speaker no tweeter setup.
- Gear stick is at an ideal position
- More than rear arm-rest the front of every car needs one, manufacturers take note.
- Not as many useful storage pockets as few other cars. Some shortcuts visible.
- Space is ideally only for 4 adults. The middle seat in the back has a noticeable tunnel passing the floor & is suitable for kids.
- Good visibility and overall very airy cabin due to good side windows both front & back. Much better visibility all round compared to Elite i20. On par with Xcent.

Driving :
- Silent petrol engine, adequate torque & pull for most situations.
- Responsive acceleration & move on tap.
- Diesel not tested & hence no opinion.
- Automatic also not tested but Polo's DSG seems to be tuned better.
- Steering not as good as Punto but can be the 2nd best for responsiveness.

Somehow the first thing I thought of when sitting was which car comes closest to the dimensions & overall feel of this car and the only answer that struck me was the Polo. The Aspire as I said before is not the typically optimized compact sedan, its boot space is about 50 litres short of the segment leader & also the rear seating is not the most spacious. It's also quite well-behaved in terms of driving with steering feel & directness better than the Polo, the engine (manual gearbox) too is far more refined & powerful with the 4 cylinder 86 bhp one compared to the 3 cyl 74 bhp Polo engine. However the 1.2 DSG should have the edge when it comes to automatic engines of both cars. The steering of the Aspire is steady and nothing to complain about, the suspension is extremely capable & silent which was obvious to me as I took it over unpaved roads- an ideal balance for all Indian road surfaces. As far as comparing among the under 4m sedans go, personally I feel it looks much more contemporary & proportionate than the Dzire and the interiors are certainly far better than Amaze. It surely is capable of better handling than Xcent or i20 due to stiffer suspension and better power output BUT space & overall luxury-wise Hyundai comes out on top. Personally I would choose this if the need is for a good driving car (city/hway) under 4m with slightly more boot-space than a standard hatchback. This is a no-brainer when compared to Dzire, Amaze or petrol manual version of Polo. Its also the safest mini sedan if one goes for the top spec variant (yes 4 additional airbags do count as critical during side impacts).

[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by noopster

@adimicra was just stating a fact. While it is commendable that carmakers like Toyota, VW and now Ford are including 2 airbags in base variants of their compact offerings these days, the vast majority of buyers treat these as unnecessary luxuries. Besides, power windows have moved from being a luxury to a necessity these days, and their omission definitely affects the image of the car.


What is this- "Miss Sarcasm" day?

Agreed that some basic functionality have been skimped but, a better well built, safe, complete with all creature comforts, one with decent interior quality and good driving dynamics car is a dream, isn't it ?. The missing features being discussed ( power windows ) can be added later on as well but, how about the safety equipment? Additionally, now that Ford has gone against the tide ( barring a few non-mass manufacturers who've done this already ) by equipping the vehicle with Airbags, how else do they create a differentiation across variants? Stripping some equipment is the only option they've got at hand!

We are on the lookout of a new vehicle and I have had numerous debates with my dad. Why? He wants to pick the base variant of all cars that we discuss about as, he cares two hoots about the safety features. Yesterday, he checked out the Aspire over the internet and suddenly, he preferred the safety equipment over the power windows, ACC. He likes the Jazz/ i20 more and picking the base variants of any of these is no longer appealing to him coz he thinks that Ford brought a better car to the customers. Too bad for me, the Aspire Ambiente has made it's way to the probable list already. Would have ideally preferred the Titanium trim with ABS.


Not saying, this change would apply to all as a rule of thumb but, the paradigm shift in my dad's viewpoint surprised me albeit, in a pleasant way. That's the only reason why I think that people have stood up and are really taking notice of what Ford has done here which also means, they could get rewarded.

Won't end without adding that it would have been fantastic had ABS been added as standard equipment throughout the range but, wishes are horses, aren't they?

Cheerio,
-Shivang Gandotra

[RavenAvi]

Continuing from my earlier post in Page 51, here are the Value-For-Money charts for this segment, together with the 3 main competitors from the B-segment (premium hatches):

PETROL




DIESEL

Points to Note:


- The cheapest petrol Automatic is still the Maruti-Suzuki DZire VXi AT.

- The cheapest diesel Automatic is the Tata Zest XMA.

- The most Value-For-Money top variant is still the Tata Zest XT.

- The Ford Aspire is the only car with a 1.5L dual-clutch Automatic transmission.

- The Toyota Etios is the only segment offering with a 1.5L petrol engine mated to a manual transmission.

- The Honda Jazz V CVT is the most steeply priced variant in this comparo (except for the Volkswagen Polo TSI which is a different beast altogether!).

- The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI is actually cheaper than the Jazz VX MT Diesel!

- Volkswagen Polo's prices have been taken from Carwale.



If Ford India gets it's promotions right to combine with this very competitive pricing, I am sure they will have their hands full with the Aspire's production in the next few months.

[MaheshY1]

Originally Posted by heydj

Is it just me or the pricing of automatic variant is quite competitive. DCT technology with 6 airbags at 7.79 L.

It is indeed very impressive pricing considering you not only get an automatic but a Dual Clutch one and also a bigger engine. This is so unlike the lethargic CVTs and the usual torque converters mated to puny 1.2 engines.

The icing IMO was the ESP and Traction Control for the AT variant.

But I don't think the AT comes in the Titanium+ variant that has half a dozen airbags. I believe it has the usual pair of balloons up front.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

- The Toyota Etios is the only segment offering with a 1.5L petrol engine.

Nope. Have to disagree. Aspire AT is 1.5.

[aravind.anand]

On the rear power windows missing issue -

Front power windows are almost a necessity - as the driver's hands need to be on the steering wheel, rather than using his right hand and sharing his mental ability to wind up the glass while the vehicle is on the move. But the rear power windows and rear AC vents are still to be considered as a luxury - especially in these compact classes, where the owner is not expected to be having a news paper in hand while he is being driven around by a chauffeur!

And if he is affluent enough to hire a chauffeur, I would also expect him to be having his AC on. Better still, I would wonder why he got the Ambiente instead of the Titanium in the first place

And I simply cannot understand when a customer complains about a car making him move a muscle once in a while, when the manufacturer was more worried about saving his life during a crash!

[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Continuing from my earlier post in Page 51, here are the Value-For-Money charts for this segment...

- The Toyota Etios is the only segment offering with a 1.5L petrol engine mated to a manual transmission.

Thanks for this analysis, Avi.

Couldn't help noticing that the Toyota Etios is the only one which is < 4m and has a 1.5L petrol pumping heart, decent price tag, safety equipment, awesome space and is outstandingly reliable! The drab interiors and not-so-exciting exteriors is the only reason this hasn't been a success.

Cheerio,
-Shivang Gandotra

[bigben]

I love the car and the looks.
However, from the safety aspect, I would have preferred ABS as standard rather than have 2 airbags . I am talking about the Trend version.
I mention this because I was in a situation during the monsoons when the tires of my car locked and skidded and I had no control. If the car had ABS I am sure the situation would have been avoided.
So maybe a driver side airbag along with ABS in the trend version would have been my pick.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by adimicra

the base variant which doesn't have basic features like rear power windows etc.

I agree. A lot of comments are on the lines of airbags vs. rear power windows. I ask (and I believe you are too) - "Why not both?"

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

But the rear power windows and rear AC vents are still to be considered as a luxury

The value of front power windows cannot be understated, as you rightly put. However, I would say the rear power windows are as useful, particularly in a tropical country like ours, in cases when you want to cool the car down after its been out in the sun (by opening up diagonally opposite windows).

That said, the silver lining is that the lower spec version is the only one that lacks rear power windows.

Originally Posted by noopster

What is this- "Miss Sarcasm" day?

Nicely defused

[RavSam]

Looking at the pricing for Aspire AT I can't help but wonder how Honda mercilessly overcharges for the Amaze VX-AT with that Torque-converter gearbox, integrated headrests, lacking a large number of features compared to Figo Aspire that too ALL with that 1.2l-i-VTEC with lower tax.
I mean..seriously Honda?

Now I am truly AMAZED and know what to ASPIRE.

[pratika]

The DCT version of Aspire has following ratings (as per TeamBHP news section):
110 bhp @ 6300 rpm
136 Nm @ 4250 rpm

Is the 1.5L engine naturally aspirated or turbocharged? If latter seems like torque should have been higher.

In either case, peak torque coming in at 4250 rpm seems like the peak pull might not be experienced at all in the city. If someone has TD'd the DCT, can they comment on how good the pull is around city rpms (2k-3k maybe)?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by pratika

The DCT version of Aspire has following ratings (as per TeamBHP news section):
110 bhp @ 6300 rpm
136 Nm @ 4250 rpm

Is the 1.5L engine naturally aspirated or turbocharged? If latter seems like torque should have been higher.

In either case, peak torque coming in at 4250 rpm seems like the peak pull might not be experienced at all in the city. If someone has TD'd the DCT, can they comment on how good the pull is around city rpms (2k-3k maybe)?

It is a NA engine. From when it was introduced in the new Fiesta, it did not reach the benchmark the Classic 1.6 had made.
On the Aspire, I am guessing since the car is lighter, it will perform better.
Torque is were this engine will loose out when compared to the GT TSI

[@KP]

Sorry for a noob question - is there an official review thread that's live?

Again disappointed why AT doesn't have the curtain bags, Emergency Assistance, Ford MyKey !!