[The Rationalist]

I did another test drive of Aspire, but sadly no Automatic variant is still available. The car has one of the best suspension of the category, maybe Zest is a tad better. The clutch is light to the extent when I drove the Ecopsort it felt heavier. There was only one person to checkout the car and the place looked deserted, mind you this is the biggest festival season here. The sales guys were all looking gloomy, this wasn't the case when Ecosport launched. The Aspire's fate looks sealed for me. What a pity considering how good a package it is, especially Diesel Titanium +.

[Torquedo]

I have no freaking clue what the Indian market is looking for.

It has 25 Horses more than the Dzire, good 25 Nm extra torque with the same weight, so performance should not be an issue.The suspension and handling would be much better than the other birdies of the same feather.

The Etios and Classic with 67 odd BHP are nowhere in comparison. Beat this, it has more cubic capacity, horses and twisting force than the Corolla !!

In today's world with Hyundai (Creta) and Maruti (SCross) doing daylight robbery and still having 33K and 6.5K bookings respectively, no one is looking at this car.

The base variant offers - 2 Airbags, Front PW and is priced 10K lower than the base Dzire, what else are we looking at ?

Heck, how can someone buy the 2 pot Celerio ZDi and overlook the base Aspire.

PS - I was talking about the Diesel all this while.

[Deep Blue]

Strangley there are hardly any tv ads. I dont remember seeing any TV ads after the launch. Even the print ads are not that much. When the Figo was launched, there were some nice ads highlighting the bluetooth feature. Ecosport sure had a mega launch blitz.
Why is the Aspire so silent? Even Tbhp review is missing.

[harry10]

Caught up with my first Aspire sighting. Got out of home and there was a Aspire td car reversing near the market. Someone in locality must have called for td. Don't know if I was in a hurry or what but the looks didn't impressed me. Specially, the rear.. Too bland. Probably it's cos of that red color. Need to see it again in some other shade.

Ford isn't marketing this car properly. My uncle didn't even knew a new car has been launched in competition to Dzire, Zest etc. And he is quite an enthusiast. Personally speaking, I will be glad if it sells less as in six months with discounts offered I may be able to get the Titanium model which right now doesn't makes sense against Zest.

[KreativeGeek]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

I have no freaking clue what the Indian market is looking for.

It has 25 Horses more than the Dzire, good 25 Nm extra torque with the same weight, so performance should not be an issue.The suspension and handling would be much better than the other birdies of the same feather.

The Etios and Classic with 67 odd BHP are nowhere in comparison. Beat this, it has more cubic capacity, horses and twisting force than the Corolla !!

In today's world with Hyundai (Creta) and Maruti (SCross) doing daylight robbery and still having 33K and 6.5K bookings respectively, no one is looking at this car.

The base variant offers - 2 Airbags, Front PW and is priced 10K lower than the base Dzire, what else are we looking at ?

Heck, how can someone buy the 2 pot Celerio ZDi and overlook the base Aspire.

PS - I was talking about the Diesel all this while.

I second your opinion on this, while I was comparing options before booking Ford Figo Aspire, I asked myself if I was really pushing my luck moving from Chevrolet to Ford.

I decided to take this risk because I believe in this product since it is a no compromise package in this segment and it was a close call for me to choose between Amaze and Ciaz VDI+ version.

Amaze is on par with Figo Aspire when it comes to power and performance but it did not appeal to me in terms of design and looks (front grill and dashboard)
Only advantage I saw in Ciaz was jumping a segment above with better space, however it still does not match the engine power that Figo Aspire has to offer.

If we consider buying decision on resale value Maruti Suzuki or Honda fit the bill but that is the major problem where majority sales in 4 wheeler category is lopsided in favor of 3 brands which is a result of buyers falling prey to herd mentality.

When it comes to brand, IMO dealer experience is very subjective across manufacturers & all the hoopla around Maruti & Hyundai A.S.S is unwarranted.

No offence to prospective buyers of S-Cross & Creta and owners alike but these two cars are packaged as make believe premium offerings & to be frank for someone with deep pockets it sometimes hardly matters to them even if they know they are getting fleeced.

Going by observations shared on this post I think Ford is rightly been critiqued for lack of generating the excitement of a new launch, I also felt that their pre-sales campaign was launched way too early and a month before launch it was almost missing in action, even if this launch happens to be categorized as dud, I can still vouch for the product I am buying and not just the hype, brand value or an excessively priced product to brag about.

[Torquedo]

My thoughts on your responses KG -

1) I'm coming from same background (Chevy), have a Optra and Figo back home, and I do NOT see any issues with the American machines, the Chevy range off late has become staid and insipid.

2) Second your thoughts on the Amaze, it amazingly crappy to look at, be it the front or the rear. How many do we have on the forum, speaks about it.

3) Ciaz might be a segment jump, but at close to 3L + difference in the ex-showroom price, with lesser BHP and Torque, makes a feeble case for itself. You would be better plonking that money somewhere else.

4) Thinking about the resale of car before you buy it is like, thinking about the Alimony Amount before you were to get Married.

5) Agree a 10000% on the last para, buy the product, not the badge, hype or snob value (there is someone richer right next corner).

[Sebring]

Took a test drive and absolutely loved it. Interior is very spacious, everything is well laid out. Loved the steering feel, the solid doors. Speedo dials are a bit smallish though. Engine's a gem, couldn't tell the diesel at all. Pulls clean in any gear.

As a car it certainly scores over Dzire and Amaze, but for customer support nothing comes close to Maruti or Hyundai (My personal experience). Maybe that's why the forlorn look at all dealerships.

By the way the Ecosport had a lot of offers on it. Creta seems to have gotten to it.

[Mr M R K]

Took two test drives of the Petrol version. We are seriously considering this car for my brother who in his late 20's is looking for something refreshing. He's bowled over by the Aston Martin 'ish looks and was pretty happy with the test drives.

For me, the first test drive was a let down due to the engine (comparing with Maruti's 1.2 K series), however in the second test drive I knew what to expect and was able to add pace by working the gears. Overall, I was pleased with the package.

Looking at what the base variant has to offer for 5.5 L on road (Delhi), I think it's terrific value.

PS: Has anyone physically seen the interiors of the base variant? I am trying to look for a picture for reference but can't find any.

[rsm97]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

My thoughts on your responses KG -

1) I'm coming from same background (Chevy), have a Optra and Figo back home, and I do NOT see any issues with the American machines, the Chevy range off late has become staid and insipid.

2) Second your thoughts on the Amaze, it amazingly crappy to look at, be it the front or the rear. How many do we have on the forum, speaks about it.

3) Ciaz might be a segment jump, but at close to 3L + difference in the ex-showroom price, with lesser BHP and Torque, makes a feeble case for itself. You would be better plonking that money somewhere else.

4) Thinking about the resale of car before you buy it is like, thinking about the Alimony Amount before you were to get Married.

5) Agree a 10000% on the last para, buy the product, not the badge, hype or snob value (there is someone richer right next corner).

It is a fact that perception matters more than reality. True in all aspects of life and automobile is not an exception.

Yesterday was speaking to someone who is considering to buy a mid range car, preferably petrol AT. He has his mind fixed on Jazz, since considers Honda a reliable & 'economical' brand to own, along with Toyota & Suzuki. The contempt for other brands was so strong that no objective discussion was possible.

Despite my personal belief that Aspire AT would fit his needs very closely, I could not even suggest the product to him.

One can clearly see what sort of challenge Ford has in its hand. Power/Torque/Safety/Looks/Handling, all these start to matter once the person has certain comfort with the badge.

[kilireddy0]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

I have no freaking clue what the Indian market is looking for.

The base variant offers - 2 Airbags, Front PW and is priced 10K lower than the base Dzire, what else are we looking at ?

Well said. Those are the reasons my dad is getting it. He is not a fan of hatchbacks but with the budget constraints in place the only safe choice he had was the polo. Then this came along and changed everything for us. Finally he booked one for himself a few days ago. Before the purchase when I ran the choice through my close friends and family every was shocked as if we were jumping of a cliff by not choosing something with in the top 2/3 manufacturers and a lot of them have not even heard of it by then (step it up ford, you have a good product now market it well).

I insisted them to visit the showroom at their convenience and to take a look and drive it. The change in their attitude towards the car changed immediately as someone above mentioned it look at the product not the badge. They saw it as a good VFM and some are even considering of getting the same. All in all, our mindset has to change. We can't have a pre conceived notion without even checking it out first

[bigben]

Saw a paprika red being TD'ed in my area today. IMO I think the car looks great. The front looks really nice.
Will take a test drive on the weekend and will post my feedback.

[adimicra]

The brand perception is the biggest factor is which car to buy. And it's not built out of thin air. Also, it takes a long time to build and an even longer time to change.

If Maruti/Hyundai/Toyota/Honda have a better brand perception with regards to A.S.S/relaibility etc, there is a reason for it. And if Ford/Tata, doesn't have the same, there is also a reason for it.

If Ford keeps on delivering VFM products like Aspire which offer trouble free long-term ownership, then the perception will change but it will take time!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by adimicra

The brand perception is the biggest factor is which car to buy. And it's not built out of thin air. Also, it takes a long time to build and an even longer time to change.

If Maruti/Hyundai/Toyota/Honda have a better brand perception with regards to A.S.S/relaibility etc, there is a reason for it. And if Ford/Tata, doesn't have the same, there is also a reason for it.

If Ford keeps on delivering VFM products like Aspire which offer trouble free long-term ownership, then the perception will change but it will take time!

One would have thought that with a blockbuster product like the Ecosport, Ford's perception would have reached right up there with the best. Ford had everything going for it with the Ecosport- Creation of a new segment, an excellent product, great pricing, insane demand. And somehow they still managed not to get the advantage that they they should have and are pretty much back to square one with regard to perception.

Once again they have a great product and have done most things right. But some how the zing is missing, not to mention the fact that they are entering a highly competitive and crowded segment.

Maybe it is not Ford's fault. Just a stubborn Indian customer refusing to look beyond the big guys.

[tjacob]

Bought up the topic of the Aspire to a few friends & colleagues and the general impression about Ford vehicles is the same as the VW brand, that is, its too expensive to buy, maintain & repair, the depreciation value is higher and they are troublesome. Now, these are people who own cars and have a fair knowledge about the workings of a car & the Indian car industry yet this is what they think and say before starting to gloat about owning Maurtis. Think about the majority aam janata who have zero clue about vehicles and solely rely on word of mouth & their own observation rather than making an informed decision when buying a car. The "monkey see, monkey do" kind of herd mentality is strong in the avg. Indian car buyer.

Ford might have put the Aspire on the car buyer's radar if they advertised it well. They put up some lame videos on youtube with Farhan Akthar and some randoms talking about their life rather than car. They have a good product in form of the Aspire, good price, decent engines, they made a good impression on everybody with the Ecosport and they have more dealers in India than Honda. They can get themselves some decent customers if they show more aggressiveness in marketing their cars.

[rsm97]

Coming back to the car itself, just came across a video review of it. Link attached.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSJn6qryiYA

I think it is a nice way to review where the focus is entirely on the car rather than on presenter.