[bled_soul]

According to my sales advisor at FORD, the aspire automatic variant has been discontinued. They aren’t taking any more bookings and they’re telling the customers that it has been discontinued as well.

[NaXal]

Did you contact Ford via their official channel for verification of this news?

Often dealerships use this known tactic to switch buyers to something which they have stock of.

Offbeat & lower number producing Ford Models often command high waiting period. Often buyers switch to different brand for non availability & higher waiting or dealership doesn't want to order another lot of car due to already full stock of other models.

So dealership usually plays this trick to convince potential buyers to look into their available stock.

The model is available in their website & there aren't any media buzz about discontinuing of AT from Ford.

Thanks.

[bled_soul]

Originally Posted by NaXal

Did you contact Ford via their official channel for verification of this news?

Often dealerships use this known tactic to switch buyers to something which they have stock of.

Offbeat & lower number producing Ford Models often command high waiting period. Often buyers switch to different brand for non availability & higher waiting or dealership doesn't want to order another lot of car due to already full stock of other models.

So dealership usually plays this trick to convince potential buyers to look into their available stock.

The model is available in their website & there aren't any media buzz about discontinuing of AT from Ford.

Thanks.

I wasn’t even looking at the aspire and have already booked an ecosport at. So he didn’t have any reason to lie to me about it. At least that’s what I think. He told me this while I was conducting the PDI for my car. And the conviction with which he said it seemed like it was a confirmed piece of news at least among them.

Also let’s face it, the websites aren’t always up to date. The brochures are almost always not updated before updating the actual model. So I wouldn’t quite trust the website yet.

[Chetan_Rao]

Actual availability is near-zero anyway, so it makes little difference on the ground if the variant is officially stopped or not.

Only a handful of people have managed to get their hands on Figo/Aspire AT with the new 1.5 Dragon/ 6-AT powertrain.

As recently as yesterday, I had two Ford dealerships in Bangalore tell me they still have no idea when they can source either car for me. Not that I'm interested anymore.

[SilentEngine]

I had an exact opposite experience just yesterday.

A ford SA offered me a test drive of an Aspire AT without me asking for it. If it's being discontinued I am not sure why he would do that? He had come to my place to evaluate exchange price for my current car, and i am actually considering EcoSport AT.

Bottom line - you can't trust what the SAs say, at least the Ford ones.

[boniver]

Originally Posted by SilentEngine

A ford SA offered me a test drive of an Aspire AT without me asking for it. If it's being discontinued I am not sure why he would do that?

Without you asking for it.

An attempt to clear up old stock, perhaps? The Aspire AT isn't (wasn't?) exactly a fast moving product, so maybe a customer ordered one and then refused to buy it for whatever reason and now the dealership's stuck with it?

[thoma]

But why exactly do they want to discontinue it? Was it not tested properly before launching? Read that this engine gearbox combo is right on the tail of the Polo TSi.

[SilentEngine]

Originally Posted by boniver

Without you asking for it.

An attempt to clear up old stock, perhaps?

Could be that or he simply wanted me to try the car since we had few minutes while waiting for something else. Anyway I simply declined because I wasn't looking at Aspire anyway.

[Ford5]

Since metro is no more Ford in a short time, the next biggest Ford dealer showroom size wise in Asia (as per SA claim) is PPS Ford, Yelahanka branch.

They are trying to push me a Ruby red DSG (old Engine) from their unsold stock instead of neither confirming availability nor denying lack of production about the Aspire/Figo AT models.

I dont want to over read the situation, but there is definitely something up with the Mahindra take over going on here.

I fail to understand how Ford India did a publicity blitz for the revamped Aspire and Figo without outright mentioning that they are going to make only about 20 or so AT models in the first run.

The Mahindra announcement also came in between if one sees the timeline.

Real pity because the 1.5 dragon Auto and possibly 1 litre eco boost are a real good combo for the Figo atleast. It could have filled the void with the demise of the Abarth Punto and an alternative to the German Tsi polo with a proper manual and possibly a higher tune.

The other dealers say they have no clue about this variant and are not taking orders either.

So much for a snazzy website and partnering with other car marketing portals marketing a variant that was lucky to grace the assembly line just once.

[bled_soul]

Originally Posted by SilentEngine

Could be that or he simply wanted me to try the car since we had few minutes while waiting for something else. Anyway I simply declined because I wasn't looking at Aspire anyway.

I don’t think it would be that, as you were considering a costlier product. I think it’s like another gentleman just said, they must be having some old stock lying and to prevent higher loss, they must be wanting to get it out of their yard asap. No SA will offer a test drive of a vehicle you aren’t interested in just to kill time. Test drives cost them money, even if they’re free for us. Anyway, the way My SA told me, I was convinced and that’s why I posted this thread just so others could confirm this if they have some means to do so.

Originally Posted by thoma

But why exactly do they want to discontinue it? Was it not tested properly before launching? Read that this engine gearbox combo is right on the tail of the Polo TSi.

I don’t get it too. The Figo is 200 kgs lighter than the ecosport and the 1.5 dragon + TC works amazingly well on the ecosport. I can only imagine how explosive it’d be on a Figo. All they had to do was launch it with the right feature set (which they do have in their kitty) and it’d have sold like crazy! They launched the Figo automatic in a really bad trim and then they didn’t make any! It doesn’t make sense at all! Why even launch it?
Lack of testing doesn’t come in the picture as the engine + gearbox combo is in the ecosport as well, which I am sure was tested to its fullest. I think it’d be much better in the Figo than the 1.2tsi + dsg combo in the polo. Even if the numbers don’t show it, it’d feel a lot better. There is no replacement for displacement.

Originally Posted by Ford5

Since metro is no more Ford in a short time, the next biggest Ford dealer showroom size wise in Asia (as per SA claim) is PPS Ford, Yelahanka branch.

They are trying to push me a Ruby red DSG (old Engine) from their unsold stock instead of neither confirming availability nor denying lack of production about the Aspire/Figo AT models.

I dont want to over read the situation, but there's definitely something up with the Mahindra take over going on here.

I fail to understand how Ford India did a publicity blitz for the revamped Aspire and Figo without outright mentioning that they are going to make only about 20 or so AT models in the first run.

The Mahindra announcement also came in between if one sees the timeline.

Real pity because the 1.5 dragon Auto and possibly 1 eco boost are a real good combo for the Figo atleast. It could have filled the void with the demise of the Grande Punto and an alternative to the German Tsi polo with a proper manual and possibly a higher tune.

The other dealers say they have no clue about this variant and are not taking orders either.

So much for a snazzy website and partnering with other car marketing portals marketing a product that was lucky to grace the assembly line only once!

I don’t think the JV has anything to do with it as I am sure the JV must have been in talks since a lot before than a few months ago. I am sure the talks must have begun even before the new Figo was introduced. They wouldn’t have launched the new Figo in auto had they didn’t want to due to the JV. I think it’s just really shoddy management by the ford management. They can sell many more ecosport by just adding a sunroof in the automatic variant as well. They should understand that anyone who’s looking for a turbo charged manual won’t buy an automatic and anyone looking for an automatic won’t buy a manual. There’s no way that an automatic will cause fewer sales of the ecoboost. If anything, it can poach a customer from say the venue or Nexon. Please wake up FORD!

[jaaz]

Had a similar experience, but I'm still waiting for an answer from the dealer.

Enquired about Figo AT for a TD, and they informed that I can take a test drive of Aspire as both have the same combination of engine and gear box. And, I was told that Figo AT will take about 6 months to deliver and Aspire AT about 2 months.

Went to the Dealer for the Test drive of Aspire AT on Sunday. After 5 mins. they told that the TD Car is at another branch and they'll send it to my Office next day, i.e. on Monday. Till now, I didn't receive neither a call or test drive car. So, still waiting.....

[SilentEngine]

Originally Posted by bled_soul

I don’t think it would be that, as you were considering a costlier product. I think it’s like another gentleman just said, they must be having some old stock lying and to prevent higher loss, they must be wanting to get it out of their yard asap. No SA will offer a test drive of a vehicle you aren’t interested in just to kill time. Test drives cost them money, even if they’re free for us. Anyway, the way My SA told me, I was convinced and that’s why I posted this thread just so others could confirm this if they have some means to do so.

You could very well be right. As others have noted it's been elusive anyway.

In my case though, I have no reason to doubt my SA's intent as yet, because of the context. I had previously told him that I am looking for only ATs and was considering cars from across segments as well (Jazz/i20/EcoSport/Venue). And me buying EcoSport from him isn't a done deal yet. So in that context, it's understandable that he would prefer not losing my business and wanted me try another car from Ford. It so happened that he (+ driver and evaluator) had come in an Aspire TD car.

[bled_soul]

Originally Posted by SilentEngine

You could very well be right. As others have noted it's been elusive anyway.

In my case though, I have no reason to doubt my SA's intent as yet, because of the context. I had previously told him that I am looking for only ATs and was considering cars from across segments as well (Jazz/i20/EcoSport/Venue). And me buying EcoSport from him isn't a done deal yet. So in that context, it's understandable that he would prefer not losing my business and wanted me try another car from Ford. It so happened that he (+ driver and evaluator) had come in an Aspire TD car.

Ahh.. that does make sense. It didn’t make sense for my SA to lie as well, as I have already paid half the amount for the ecosport and I was out to check the vehicle in their yard. On the way back, I asked about the aspire and Figo and I was being curious about the same engine gearbox combo in the lighter cars and he told me that aspire auto has been stopped, but no such concrete news on the Figo auto (which obviously sounded really weird). I hope they haven’t stopped it, and that they update it with bette features and relaunch it as it’s a competent product and it can truly be successful if they fix some minor things, in both the Figo twins.

[gopi_rm]

My friend wants to buy a compact sedan and his primary requirements are petrol automatic, budget is Rs.10 lacs on road price, mandatory safety features and easy to drive inside city. He is not concerned about rear seat space and boot space as it is primarily used as a city car.

I suggested him to check Ford Aspire Titanium Auto and Amaze VX CVT. He checked both models and found Aspire is better in terms of drivability and power. Aspire seems to be 70K expensive than Amaze in spite of being mid variant. Amaze is available for delivery and Aspire will take 1 month after booking.

Do you guys suggest any other petrol automatic compact sedan before finalizing Aspire Auto?

[ashenoy]

If rear seat space and boot space are not a critical factor, why not consider the Figo automatic? It is almost 1.5 lakhs cheaper on road than the equivalent Aspire model.