[Uddalakgupta]

There is no particular relation with Bombardier. Just wanted a nice "resounding" type of name which works well with Blue like names of all my previous vehicles. Btw, I have a history with naming my vehicles which are little different..Haha!

Also, since the Aspire is reasonably fast car--Bombardier felt appropriate as its an aircraft

Love the name you've given. The BB sure has a nice ring to it. And with the doors open, it does like it's ready for takeoff. At a blistering pace. I think you've made a great choice - in both car and colour. This car deserves success - it has been thoughtfully put together. I was tailing one today on the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway in my Fiat Punto. And I must say, even in the more sedate white shade, it looked every bit the part. Great to hear it drives just as well. Full throttle ahead, Mobike and happy flying!

[sasi@8689]

Hearty congratulations mobike and wishing you a fun time ahead with your new set of wheels. Colour choice is really good.

One query - as an ex-owner of diesel rocket (cruze), what do you feel about the build quality of your new 'compact' rocket? I know that it might sound like an unfair comparison considering both belong to completely different segments, but asking this question because i remember that i did not like the overall feel of this car when i had checked it out (no offence to owners please). I didn't do a test drive, but spent around 15 minutes with the car and remember feeling that it felt so light, especially when we close the doors or boot lid. I had liked the space on offer and exterior design of the car though. Easily, one of the good looking compact sedans in today's market. Reading such good things about the engine, just wanted to re-check if my impression on the build quality part is too off the mark.

[deepv]

Congrats Mobike on your new acquisition - the BB!!
The color and your pics look awesome esp. the shots from the back wherein you get nice red contrast on royal blue.
Hope to see it in flesh soon during one of meets.
Was kind of waiting for this from your side, got my hands on this thread today.

[mobike008]

Thank you guys for your wonderful comments and wishes for this car- It's truly a brilliant car and iam excited that I will enjoy this car for many miles in future

Originally Posted by d3mon

Are you planning to change to synthetic oil anytime soon? I believe Ford has been using semisynthetic oil for the 1.5TDCi engines. Also, they don't recommend an oil change at 1000/2500KM after the run in, which is something that I'm definitely planning to do.

Do I understand from this comment that you too own a Aspire TDCi?

I haven't really dwelled into what type of oil they are currently using in Aspire. But, if its as you say is Semi-Synthetic, then most definitely I will be changing it to Synthetic oil shortly

Also, my plan is to change oil during the 1st service (2500kms) even though its recommended at 2nd service ( 10,000kms)

Originally Posted by d3mon

About the car pulling from as low as 1200-1300 RPM, that's because it starts developing boost right from then. In higher gears, it reaches ~3.5PSI by 1300RPM, 7PSI by 1500RPM & 20+PSI by 2000 RPM. Also, fueling is increased proportionally with the boost, unlike some other cars which wait for a certain minimum amount of boost to build up before actually utilizing it. This is what gives this car that linear feel.

I understand how the common rail diesel engines work but, didn't know about the PSI boost of torque. Thanks for this explanation

Originally Posted by d3mon

I wish there were two maps on this car - the stock one that we have now and another one where the fueling was flat until the car hit 20PSI and then it would go whoooooooooosh!

Oh Yeah, like the Cruze where its flat till a certain RPM and after that all hell breaks loose

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Downgrading from a Cruze to a CS may sound like a compromise,but I am sure the engine is one of the sole reason you will enjoy the BB.

What you said is correct. In reality, my choice of buying an Aspire is a downgrade but, only car that I like above a Cruze is the Superb and Iam not buying a Skoda anytime soon considering the challenges most folks get into after buying one

If you put the car segmentation aside, Aspire is not really a downgrade. It's performance is equal to or better than most cars above its segment. Infact, I will go a step further and say its "Better" than every other car above its segment too ( barring maybe the Octavia, perhaps)

Originally Posted by Vik0728

After driving my 1.6 GT for over a year, I never once experienced the adrenaline rush that this mad hatch gives from any other hatch/sedan for a long time. Figo Aspire TDCI came as a bliss and how. Not even the Vento/Rapid/GT TDi (1.5 TDIs) gave this feeling and I was bowled over. All similar thoughts/feelings/opinions coming from a Cruze owner speaks volumes ?

Vik, thanks for your wonderful comments and glad to know being a 1.6 GT owner (Is it the GT TDI or original 1.6 Petrol?) you feel the same about the Aspire

There was a time I used to think there is no other car better than Cruze in terms of performance ( even though I was super impressed with GT TSI, I liked the Cruze better because of overall dynamics) and I was almost ready to settle for an i20 thinking the "FTD" is now just a myth

But, boy 'o boy- Was I surprised when I drove the Aspire. It brought back memories of my Cruze days. I wouldn't say its as good as the Cruze but, the Aspire is certainly "almost" there

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Incidentally, I happened to tail a Figo TDCI en-route work today and it looked suave from the rear, probably because of the up-sized tires & alloys. Have you thought about this mobike008 ?

Tyres I have already upsized by 10mm but, alloys? Well, I have done and dusted it during my much younger days. So I don't think will buy alloys etc. But, I will certainly bring my personal touch to the existing stock alloys sometime in future. So please subscribe to this thread to know when it happens...LOL!

Originally Posted by Asta_la_vista

Are Yoko Earth-1 available in 195/65/14 size? The dealer catalog didn't mention that size.

I never mentioned they are available in this size. I said 195/60/R14 and this was my preference for upgrade. But, it wasn't immediately available so I had to settle with 185" profile

Originally Posted by BlackStinger

By the way Mobike, did they have the New Figo Hatchback on display when you went to take delivery of your car? And would you mind sharing the cost OTR for the Aspire.I live in Hyderabad as well so curious as to what it's gonna cost me.

Yes, there were a few new Figo's displayed in stockyard but, not in showroom. I posted a picture on the new Figo thread as well. They were planning to display it in showroom a day after my Aspire's delivery

On-Road Cost : INR 9.98 Lakhs ( After negotiating for Insurance which I got it for INR, 18,000)

Originally Posted by naut

,You are back already! (Not that I have a problem ). If this wasn't a long stint, perhaps you could have kept the bonnie, me thinks.

Yeah, My US stint was shorter than I had imagined. Not that Iam complaining except for the fact that I sold my Bonnie and Cruze.

Now I got a suitable Cruze successor and have to plan the Bonnie's successor which would be really hard to find. Let's see !!

Originally Posted by naut

Anyway, welcome back sir. When is your next bike ownership thread coming up??

A new bike will come into the garage soon. Till then, I hope you have read my Harley report?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ron-883-a.html

Originally Posted by KreativeGeek

Crisp and to the point write up , The diesel engine took me by same surprise during TD just as you have mentioned

Thank you KG. I must confess your ownership thread is detailed and exhaustive and that was primary reason for me to keep it brief

Look forward to your updates too on the Aspire and lets enjoy this beauty together

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Good to know that changing the tyres has enhanced the handling. How is the real world ground clearance?

Real world ground clearance is phenomenal. I have completed 1500kms and yet to hit a speed breaker. When I see a speed-breaker I still imagine iam driving a Cruze and slow down but, I needn't and keep going at good speeds as GC is wonderful and it wont hit a bump at all

Slightly stiff suspension helps too....

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Turbo Diesels have a torque plateau, which is a wide range over which it produces the maximum torque. That doesn't mean that the car has no torque before, it's only increasing till the peak value.Generally for Diesels without lag, you could expect it to have major farction of the maximum torque at lower RPMs. (Medium Turbo Boost) If there's a lot of Turbo lag (as in the Cruze), a minor fraction of peak torque is produced at lower RPM. (Low Turbo Boost)Your engine could be producing 70-80% of the maximum torque at 1200 RPM.

Thank you for this explanation !!!

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Do I understand from this comment that you too own a Aspire TDCi?

I haven't really dwelled into what type of oil they are currently using in Aspire. But, if its as you say is Semi-Synthetic, then most definitely I will be changing it to Synthetic oil shortly

Also, my plan is to change oil during the 1st service (2500kms) even though its recommended at 2nd service ( 10,000kms)

Yes, I got my Ingot silver Aspire Titanium Plus TDCi last week .
Will start working on the ownership review soon.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by WCHURCHIL

I would like to see the pic of the car and its stance with its Yoko 185/65/R14. I have them on my Ford Fiesta classic 1.6 and the stance the drive quality is excellent. That is a wise choice for tires. I feel that my ride height has gone up a bit as I don't find my car having under chassis hits while crossing huge speed bumps that we usually come across after the upsize

All pictures you see of Blue Bombardier are with its new shoes except for a few pictures related to its booking etc.

Glad to know your not having any problems with Yoko Earth1

Originally Posted by Uddalakgupta

Love the name you've given. The BB sure has a nice ring to it. And with the doors open, it does like it's ready for takeoff. At a blistering pace. I think you've made a great choice - in both car and colour. This car deserves success - it has been thoughtfully put together. I was tailing one today on the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway in my Fiat Punto. And I must say, even in the more sedate white shade, it looked every bit the part. Great to hear it drives just as well. Full throttle ahead, Mobike and happy flying!

Thanks for the compliment. You put it correctly. I wanted a "Ring" to a name and it sounded pretty cool. Nice to know you agree

Originally Posted by sasi@8689

One query - as an ex-owner of diesel rocket (cruze), what do you feel about the build quality of your new 'compact' rocket? I know that it might sound like an unfair comparison considering both belong to completely different segments, but asking this question because i remember that i did not like the overall feel of this car when i had checked it out (no offence to owners please). I didn't do a test drive, but spent around 15 minutes with the car and remember feeling that it felt so light, especially when we close the doors or boot lid. I had liked the space on offer and exterior design of the car though. Easily, one of the good looking compact sedans in today's market. Reading such good things about the engine, just wanted to re-check if my impression on the build quality part is too off the mark.

What you say is absolutely right and that is the reason "Light Build Quality" is clearly called out in my "What I don't Like" list

There is no comparison to build quality of Cruze which was built like a fort and was 1520kgs kerb weight. Aspire is nearly 500kgs less and most certainly feels lighter. But, having said that, light build quality is not really a deal breaker because the way it drives. Just try it- it might just blow you away like it did to me

Upside of 500kgs less weight compared to Cruze- Same or higher power to weight ratio

Originally Posted by deepv

Hope to see it in flesh soon during one of meets.
Was kind of waiting for this from your side, got my hands on this thread today.

Thanks Deep. Why don't you plan a drive meet in Hyderabad thread. Will promise to be there with my BB

Originally Posted by d3mon

Yes, I got my Ingot silver Aspire Titanium Plus TDCi last week.Will start working on the ownership review soon.

Congrats. Look forward to your ownership thread !!!

[srini234]

i have one question and not relevant to this topic. Im planning to buy FIGO AT 1.5 petrol. I'm yet to see a official report on this. Since it is a new model, ford is saying it will take 2 months for delivery. And they say 2016 model there will be price increase. Should i get the car in 2015 or wait till 2016.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Vik, thanks for your wonderful comments and glad to know being a 1.6 GT owner (Is it the GT TDI or original 1.6 Petrol?) you feel the same about the Aspire

I have the 1.6 GT TDI mobike008 and this was the car that I booked before I completed the TD !!

I did TD couple of cars after this purchase for my friends/acquaintances but nothing rang the bell like the GT did. Just a casual TD of the Figo Aspire TDCI brought back all the memories of the GT. I am so glad that affordable performance cars are finally here in India now.

But, I will certainly bring my personal touch to the existing stock alloys sometime in future. So please subscribe to this thread to know when it happens...LOL!

I am all 'Subscribed' to this thread now and really keen to know what personal touch is coming up.

Having followed your Cruze thread, I can only imagine this will be another stonker

[deepv]

Originally Posted by mobike008

... plan a drive meet in Hyderabad thread. Will promise to be there with my BB
..

Sure .. let me put up some viable destinations in there ... possibly some weekend in Nov!

[sasi@8689]

Originally Posted by mobike008

What you say is absolutely right and that is the reason "Light Build Quality" is clearly called out in my "What I don't Like" list

There is no comparison to build quality of Cruze which was built like a fort and was 1520kgs kerb weight. Aspire is nearly 500kgs less and most certainly feels lighter. But, having said that, light build quality is not really a deal breaker because the way it drives. Just try it- it might just blow you away like it did to me

Upside of 500kgs less weight compared to Cruze- Same or higher power to weight ratio

Thanks for the response mobike; so, seems i am right about the light build quality. But, as you said, it has a clear advantage in terms of powerful engine and comes in a safety packed variant for those who want. Ford seems to have put in a lot of thought while designing and putting together this car

[Doc Maanava]

--Perimeter alarm (yet to figure out what this feature is)

Perimeter Alarm is a type of radar system that samples the inside and outside of the car multiple times within a minute. If a difference in mass is detected, or motion in or near the vehicle is detected, the sensor “trips” and sets off the car alarm.

The simple perimeter alarms just let off a beep or a short alarm chirp when any motorist comes too close to the outer perimeter of the car, while it is parked. An individual walking close by can also trigger this. Starting your beloved Harley next to BB will definitely trigger it, especially if you have worked out the exhaust.
It all depends on the sensitivity level.

This type of sensor is very sensitive and can cause false alarms very easily when incorrectly adjusted. If the sensor is set too sensitive, your neighbour's cat walking by the car can set the alarm to ringing at two o’ clock in the morning.

Hence, do find out out if the sensitivity and the perimeter distance can be set or the pre-set one is holding out right!

A two-step perimeter alarm gives a warning chirp for non-threatening impacts and a Real Panic Sound or set of the alarm if security is threatened.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by srini234

i have one question and not relevant to this topic. Im planning to buy FIGO AT 1.5 petrol. I'm yet to see a official report on this. Since it is a new model, ford is saying it will take 2 months for delivery. And they say 2016 model there will be price increase. Should i get the car in 2015 or wait till 2016.

What your asking has multiple options and depends on what you really want.

Firstly, you should check with all dealerships in your city for delivery. Secondly, you can think of Aspire AT as alternate option

Finally, If your not in a hurry then best is to get a 2016 model as dust would have settled by then and you can take a much informed decision

Originally Posted by Doc Maanava

--Perimeter alarm (yet to figure out what this feature is)

Perimeter Alarm is a type of radar system that samples the inside and outside of the car multiple times within a minute. If a difference in mass is detected, or motion in or near the vehicle is detected, the sensor “trips” and sets off the car alarm.

Lovely explanation. Feels good to have such a feature in the car but, at the same time can also become a pain-in-the-neck if it isn't set properly

Today mark's the completion of 1 month with my Blue Bombardier which has hauled me around for ~1600kms till date

[mobike008]

As we use the vehicle more, we get to know more about it.

Below are a few more things that I observed so penning it down :

1. I am beginning to belief indicator stalks are of flimsy quality. It makes a "Khat" sound whenever used and feels like it might break any moment and need to apply force to use it. Also, the design of stalk is uncomfortable to engage it. Both while pushing the stalk up or down !

Comparatively, in Cruze, it was wonderful. Smooth, No sound when applied and is a simple flick to engage it

2. FE is improving slowly and steadily. I re-filled the tank this morning and always use the "auto-cut" method and it returned 17kmpl in 100% city and traffic conditions with AC

3. As it completed a month, I checked tyre pressure (Nitrogen). Each tyre had 4-6 PSI lower than what was originally ( 32 PSI) filled in. I think that's normal and was also the case with my earlier car.

4. Boot opens upwards really fast. It can be dangerous for unknowing folks

5. Ford ASC seems to be following a unique follow-up/information sharing mechanism. I receive a text message every other day that has some tip or other with respect to what should be done to maintain the car. For e.g. : Don't use a wet cloth on a dirty car but, wash it first and then use a dry cloth etc. etc. Not sure if other manufacturers do this but, its a new experience for me and find it little weird even if it's an informative process

[KreativeGeek]

Originally Posted by mobike008

As we use the vehicle more, we get to know more about it.

Below are a few more things that I observed so penning it down :

1. I am beginning to belief indicator stalks are of flimsy quality. It makes a "Khat" sound whenever used and feels like it might break any moment and need to apply force to use it. Also, the design of stalk is uncomfortable to engage it. Both while pushing the stalk up or down !

Comparatively, in Cruze, it was wonderful. Smooth, No sound when applied and is a simple flick to engage it

2. FE is improving slowly and steadily. I re-filled the tank this morning and always use the "auto-cut" method and it returned 17kmpl in 100% city and traffic conditions with AC

3. As it completed a month, I checked tyre pressure (Nitrogen). Each tyre had 4-6 PSI lower than what was originally ( 32 PSI) filled in. I think that's normal and was also the case with my earlier car.

4. Boot opens upwards really fast. It can be dangerous for unknowing folks

5. Ford ASC seems to be following a unique follow-up/information sharing mechanism. I receive a text message every other day that has some tip or other with respect to what should be done to maintain the car. For e.g. : Don't use a wet cloth on a dirty car but, wash it first and then use a dry cloth etc. etc. Not sure if other manufacturers do this but, its a new experience for me and find it little weird even if it's an informative process

Yes the stalks do make an uneasy sound making it feel very stiff for regular use.

When it comes to uneven boot release with the spring that causes sudden jump, I normally push the boot release button once any guard/parking attendant has their hands on the lid which prevents it most of the times from hurting unknowingly

I think 17-19 kmpl should be ideal mileage range for city, I am touching 18.4 now in the second month

[Karthik Chandra]

Hearty congratulations on your new ride mobike008. Wishing you peaceful and trouble free ownership experience. The Aspire TDCI is certainly the diesel rocket in the sub 4 metre sedan segment.