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-   -   Ford Figo-based compact sedan - The Aspire (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/144066-ford-figo-based-compact-sedan-aspire-66.html)

Ever since i sold my lovely Fiesta 1.6 S Petrol sometime last year, i resisted the urge to buy a replacement for it. After checking out usual stuff, I was waiting for the Abarth Punto when suddenly this happened.

Went on a casual visit to Ford showroom to enquire about Aspire for my friend (who is non-Auto type guys). Liked the Aspire. Asked for a TD. Got the 1.5 TDCI one. Was extremely impressed with its performance. I dont have the exact weight of Aspire, but looks like atleast 100 kgs lesser than the Fiesta, making this car a absolute hoot to drive.

Acceleration is almost linear, very nicely controlled. Hits triple digits in no time !! Revvs clean till 4k too !! Braking is very good for a car from this class. Steering is a notch or two down below the HPS unit of older Fords, however, its not very bad. Did some circus around dividers and found it to be reasonable - Still Dezire seems to be the best in its class for steering feedback (Compact Sedan). NVH was way better than TDI and leagues apart when compared with the old 1.4 TDCI. Seating posture was comfortable, large glass areas and low door brims makes driving the car an effortless experience.

Came back was tempted to book the 1.5 DCT Petrol, however diesel fun was just too much to let go off. Hence Booked the TDCI Titanium with Options Pack. So for ~10 change OTR, i am getting:

• 100 PS - which obviously will be bumped to something else after a Remap
• Uncompromising Safety Pack - 6 Air Bags, ABS, EBD
• Product of Global Platform - Ford Ka
• Leather Seats - I am totally ok !
• Some Gizmos - Ford Smart Key, Ford SYNC, on board Display - Have no clue what they are, but i was told they can play Audio CD, so i am fine with it
• OBD ready ! - If at all this matters

Looks like a decent bet, eh ? I hope so !

What i dont like:

• Rear Chrome strip - That's sure going down as first thing
• Under Sized Tyres - Ford Fiesta with same engine gets a 195 section on 15" while this one gets a 175 on 14" rims !!
• Some Plastic bits like the tilt lever and the Bonnet lever are pathetic quality - I think i broke one of the two in the TD car :|
• Waiting Period - 2 months

Edit: Finally, Friend went ahead to book i20 Elite :\

Hi Mi10, a comparison on the following parameters against your Fiesta and the remapped rapid would be greatly appreciated:

1) Ride/Handling/High speed stability
2) Power delivery (Turbo lag / Absolute power)
3) (Most important) Overall fun to drive!

Checked out the Aspire few days ago. The showroom was not exactly buzzing with activity. There was one family taking delivery of an Aspire and another discussing about the financial matters for booking one.


IMO the car looks better in person than on the pictures.Two cars were on display- a Smoke grey Trend and a Gold Titanium+.

• Build quality of the car felt quite solid with even shutlines all around.14" alloys look quite decent too, though 15 inchers in top model should have been provided as an option. ORVMs are sufficiently tall but could do with a little more width. And yes, the electric folding ORVMs are ready for Indian roads, as they fold in the other direction too. However I feel the ORVM mounted turn signals protrude a bit too much from the ORVM body and will be prone to damage on any side swipes. Honda still has the most practically designed ORVM indicator assembly.

• Boot has an electric release from the key fob. Boot space looked like it can accommodate one big sized suitcase and maybe 1 duffle bag. Wheel arches eat into the boot space and so does the boot lift mechanism. Hydraulic boot struts would have liberated more space.

• Interior fit and finish is quite good. Front seats are quite supportive with decent side bolstering. Back seat space and shoulder room too is comparable to our Getz 1.3.During my test drive one heavy built person and 2 ladies could sit in decent comfort in the rear bench.

• One weird omission I noticed in the Titanium variant I test drove is that the power window switches are not illuminated, even on the driver's side panel!

• The Speedo dials though look boring in pictures look quite decent when lit with their white font and blue needles.

• The docking mechanism for smartphone could hold my 4.3" phone securely in the Trend variant on display,though I did not test it in the moving car subsequently during test drive.

Took the test drive of a White Titanium Diesel when dusk was falling. The ergonomics were spot-on for me(I am 5'8") and I was able to find a comfortable driving position in a matter of seconds.Took the car though road sections which incidentally had open stretches,potholes,U turns and heavy traffic sections.

• Even with 5 people on board the acceleration was commendable. Coming from driving petrols I am used to feathering the throttle,so initially had to adjust to the heavier input required to build up the revs quickly in 1st and 2nd gears. The power build up was linear and the turbo spooling did not catch me off guard with any sudden explosive burst of power as the RPMs climb past 1700.

• The clutch travel is shorter than my Getz 1.3 and it felt sufficiently light too.There was no nasty clutch rebound and the release felt linear. I feel the car will not be very tiring for the left foot in heavy traffic.

• Gearbox throws were good with positive slottings.The 3rd gear felt notchy to slot into initially, but after a few mins I was finding the gate comfortably.

• Steering was light at parking speeds but weighed up sufficiently when I took the car to 80kph (the max I could achieve on an open stretch of urban road).Steering grip is nice, but leather cladding would have been appreciated.

• Brakes bite in a progressive manner and felt quite assuring at urban speeds.

• The stalks have a nicely damped tactile feeling to them during operation.The Euro-style circular light switch felt quite good to use.Tested the windscreen washers and they do a good job of spraying a mist of water which sufficiently covers the windscreen glass area.The 'tap to activate' washer mechanism felt easier to operate than the 'pull stalk to activate' mechanism in my current cars.The wiper stalk has to be clicked upwards for activation rather than the downward clicks in my old Hyundais.

• The ride with 5 on board was quite decent with no major discomfort for the rear seat occupants when the car went over small potholes and tarmac undulations at road junctions at 30-40 kph or over some broken roads(due to ongoing adjacent flyover construction) at crawling speeds.Also the car did not scrape its underbelly during going over the broken road with 5 on board.

• A/C performance could not be tested adequately as it was already dusk,all I can say is that it chilled the cabin in no time and the knurled knobs of the ACC unit felt premium to use.If Ecosport's and Figo's ACs are anything to go by,then this unit, I believe, will be a good performer too.

• Visibility was quite good and comparable to the Amaze.I had to move from the extreme left lane to the extreme right to take an U-turn in midst of a drizzle, navigating through almost 5 lanes of chaotic bumper to bumper traffic and it was not that stressful an affair as I had thought it would be, thanks to the good visibility.Parallel parking was not tested.I think Ford should have given parking sensors as standard from Titanium onwards and maybe a rear-view cam in the top end Titanium+.However SA said both are available as Ford original accessories.

• NVH was quite good.The engine sounds and traffic sounds did not intrude much inside.We did not need to raise our voices to converse.

• Audio quality was decent.Did not fiddle with any settings and listened to FM radio only.I felt it was not Ecosport good though.

So will I buy it? It is a refined and well built machine,looks handsome for the class of cars it competes in,is good to drive, offers decent amount of space,has acceptable ride quality,will surely a have good fuel economy ,has top-notch safety features and all this for less than 10 lakhs OTR.I feel it is a total VFM package and will be one of the top contenders when I go shopping.

P.S.- I asked the SA why Ford was so lethargic in marketing a good product such as this.He seemed quite clueless and offered something like "Ford is evaluating the market response...it is watching....". Now I don't know what Ford is watching,but if they do not pull up their socks soon and get aggressive with marketing,then the only thing they are going to watch is Aspire going another Fiesta way. However for the effort Ford engineers have put into this car and the commendable stand they have taken on providing safety features at reasonable prices,I hope Aspire becomes a decent success for Ford.


And to the Mods of Team BHP- we desperately need the official review to be out soon.please:

The 1.6S is/was the best driver's car and you can even say it's a poor man's BMW. The aspire is no competition for it. Yes, the ride is stiff, but the car is a leech on the road. The Rapid is no match for it when it comes to handling. The steering on the Rapid lacks feedback.

P.S: I own a Rapid.

Congrats Mi10. Good choice. Looks like the Aspire has taken Ford back to the top of FTD budget cars again- this time with diesel power rather than outright handling and steering dynamics.

The above line had me in splits though. While in chennai, I visited one Mr. Saravanan for fixing a loose subwoofer connection- and had a chance for a sneak peak at some equipment that was supposed to be put in a Fiesta. It did a whole lot more than play audio CDs. :D Rings a bell?

TD the 1.5L Auto- whattay car !!
very impressed with the AC

Ride Quality: I think Rapid is heads and shoulders above both Fiesta S as well as Aspire. the Suspension Soaks up bumps and bad roads pretty effectively. Aspire is quite decent, most likely because its running a higher profile. 175/65. Fiesta S came with 195/55 out of the box, and its the ride is pretty harsh.

Handling / Dynamics / High Speed demeanor: Fiesta S all the way. No other car in its category or even one above, is a match for its hard suspension + Stiff Chassis + impeccable accurate Steering Feedback. Rapid is probably average on these lines, although it holds its line decently on not so sharp corners. Aspire, seems like lost the charm of Fiesta. It is still there, but the electric PS, huge GC (174 mm) coupled with not so stiff struts make it a above average stuff. Still feel its a tad better than Rapid, but honestly need to drive more to find out.


Power Delivery: Rapid 1.6 TDI in stock form has lag but it also has good surge of Torque gushing out. My Remapped one however is in a different plane altogether. It shoots off like a rocket all the way till 4.2k rpm. Hits mid-triple digits in 3-4 blinks . Aspire seems to have this controlled aggression. It is quick off the mark, at the same time there is no drama like wheel spins or torque steers, it just goes about its job in smart way. You will know the speed its carrying only when you start to brake ! Fiesta S, is a NA Petrol hence cant be compared to TC Diesels. It was also Remapped and i had my share of fun with it.

FTD: Fun to Drive is a subjective component. Some people like power gushing out in one full load, some people like to steady and linear all through. Rapid is a bit of pain to drive in City. Esp with its lag, 1-3 short gearing and hi revving engine ! It opens up beautifully when you hit highways. The Aspire, is quick linear unit coupled with neutral gearbox. It is free revving too. This makes easy and quick work of Traffic - you could potter around in 3rd gear all day long and overtake with a press of a pedal. Yet to take it on highways to see how good it is, but having driven the Global Fiesta TDCI, i am hoping it should be evenly matched in highways too.As far as the Fiesta S is concerned there are only two places you'd love to be in when driving this car. a) City Traffic and b) Race Track. It will simply knife through obstructions like anything you will ever see in this side of 15 L. FTD just goes out to Fiesta S - nothing ever comes close !


Ha Ha Thanks Bro :D

The Rapid won Sound Quality competition held last year - MOC 2014 and it can play only an Audio CD :)

Here you go, owner's manual for the Figo Aspire and the new Figo: http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Fo...2015_India.pdf

MODS... The last time I was so desperate for an Official Review was for the Chevy Sail. You never gave that. Never mind. Fell out of love on seeing the car in person.

THIS TIME IT"S FOR REAL. So please get that OR out fast!

PS: I know we already have an OOT on-site. But an OR's an OR's an OR. Yeah :)

Manual has only one engine spec mentioned for 1.5 TDCI. So it does look like the Figo will have the same engine rather than a de-tuned one! clap:

That engine plus the tighter handling characteristics, 6 airbags, and all-black interiors will make for one heck of a hatchback!

The Figo Aspire was launched on August 12, with its formal price announcement. It's been over 3 weeks now, and yet no signs of an Official Review. Simply inexplicable! Earlier, I had thought that TBHP was waiting for the price reveal. Now, I no longer know what to think. Mod, bring it on please. We are waiting.

Went through the entire manual and like @chncar said looks like the 100ps tuning is standard for both, at least by the book. Ford can afford to go back to the roots for the Figo and give tighter handling in addition to the fantastic engineclap:

Though, not counting chicks before hatching as it's just a manual and in fact the 1.5TDCi is said to be Naturally Aspirated in the manual.:Frustrati

Just drove this beauty home :Cheering: happy with the entire buying process, driving to Mumbai tomorrow for a family function, only issue is number has not been allotted to the car yet due to Bharat Bandh Strike :Frustrati on Wednesday RTO office was closed in Pune, Sales rep mentioned that I would get payment confirmation of Tax via SMS and he is trying to get the number for me by late evening or morning tomorrow.

Just wanted to check guys, if I get Tax paid proof is it safe to drive without number with all other papers (have Tax invoice/Insurance papers)

Dear Uddalakgupta

Pls. hold on to your horses bro!!

You need to understand that our Mods are also working professionals and like most of us here, automobiles runs in their veins.

They are invariably busy with a no. of other commitments at the same time.
Request you to tone down your views a bit.

Also, you need to understand that the reviewing of a car takes a lot of time, effort and concentration.
Only post that, once our Mods are satisfied with the reports, is the final post printed.

T-Bhp reviews are one of the most unbiased of all automotive reviews and takes into account the minutest of details and highlights most of the pros and cons.

To know more about how a car is reviewed, please refer to this very informative post:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ives-work.html

You will be rewarded with a review sooner than later.
Till then, just some patience bro!!

Congrats!! Wishing you loads of (s)miles!! That color is really eye grabbing and looks good, nice to see you did not opt for the regular shades.