[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by Tushar

The odd center console design interferes with the movement of the passenger seat. It is restrictive. Push the seat forward and you'll see it squeeze against the console.

One issue with this oversight is when the car goes over potholes etc the seat fabric will have a tendency to rub against the center console as the car rocks over uneven surfaces making annoying squeaking noises etc.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Ever since I have sold off my 2014 City, I have been eyeing the Aspire 1.5L DCT for city runabouts.

I knew you were rooting for the Aspire given your hints in the City thread. Seems like a good option. Maybe if i had been the sedan market now i would have definitely considered this car.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Rest assured that the moment Ford decides to bring out a Titanium+ option for the 1.5L DCT, I would be picking it up without batting even an eyelid!

The lack of Titanium+ variant for the automatic is a big disappointment. Ever since the Grand i10 crash test results came out, I had a small hope to try and convince parents to swap the Xcent AT for the 1.5 DCT Titanium+ with 6 airbags. But that choice is not there!

As of now, the advantages over an Xcent AT are rather slim to consider a swap with the Aspire AT. Safety of the Aspire is not proven yet, but I feel Ford wouldn't have compromised the same way as Hyundai.

Looks - I prefer Xcent over Aspire. The boot looks too stubby in the Aspire. Agreed Aspire looks good from the front three quarters though.
Interiors- Xcent. Aspire is a sea of beige for my taste.

Features- Xcent. Reverse camera + sensors are an absolute must for parents' use. ECM is a delight too, since they aren't tech savvy enough to use day time mirror everytime.
Engine and transmission- Not a big differentiator as father would be happy with both. But the 1.5 DCT should be a lot better for the occasional highway use. Have concerns on the reliability, but I guess Ford has a 10 year warranty on the transmission.

Safety- Now that would have been the biggest differentiator. With Xcent failing crash tests and Aspire (although an unknown quantity) having 6 airbags. But Ford just left that USP slip away!

[pkothak]

Can we expect DCT with 1.5 Diesel in near Future? But if they can at least bring that option with upcoming Figo Hatchback, Ford can turn more and more customers towards its showrooms.

[Thebat]

Was eagerly waiting for the Team-Bhp review of the aspire and the review doesn't dissapoint, but what does dissapoint is the car. With such glaring signs of cost cutting and a whole host of misfits and mis alignments I am having a very bad feeling about the car. Yes it will sell in huge numbers but if I had to buy a compact sedan today it would definitely be the Zest over the rest.

[deetjohn]

Thanks for sharing a great review!

The car looks very good and proportionate in real. All it needs is 15" wheels and 195 cross section tyres. But the interior theme is just too sad, I just cannot stand the yellow that's there on the inside. An all black option like the hatch would have been great.

Do we know how Ford bumped the power and torque from the 1.5 TDCi? My contacts at the dealer says there is no mechanical change and its all an engine map. But I saw a post from a BHPian who was certain that the turbo is different on the Aspire. Would like to confirm this.

Ford has also worked on the clutch plate and the gear linkages. Both are noticeably lighter to operate when compared to the EcoSport or Fiesta.

Ford has done very good work on the engine. The TDCi is a proper all-rounder now with excellent NVH, very good drivability, is rev happy and there is loads of usable torque across the rev range. The engine was pulling smoothly even after crossing 100 kmph in 5th when I tried. The car picks up quite well in second too.

And there in starts the irony. When Ford finally got an engine which no one will complain about, they just took out the Ford strengths from the car. As rightly pointed out in the review, the Aspire is pretty good when you compare it with others in the segment currently, but one will be disappointed if you have owned a Ford before.

But the mass market should love it. The Aspire has to bring the numbers for Ford, there is a lot riding on this one. I think its a hit here, but Kerala has always been kind to Ford.

I just hope Ford doesn't go mass market and dilute the brand values with each launch henceforth if this becomes a big success.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Rest assured that the moment Ford decides to bring out a Titanium+ option for the 1.5L DCT, I would be picking it up without batting even an eyelid! This bit of information now makes me wait eagerly for the possible mouth-watering future option, since the need for my City replacement isn't immediate.

!

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The lack of Titanium+ variant for the automatic is a big disappointment. Ever since the Grand i10 crash test results came out, I had a small hope to try and convince parents to swap the Xcent AT for the 1.5 DCT Titanium+ with 6 airbags. But that choice is not there!


Safety- Now that would have been the biggest differentiator. With Xcent failing crash tests and Aspire (although an unknown quantity) having 6 airbags. But Ford just left that USP slip away!

The only reason that I can think of for Ford to do this is to keep the 6 Airbag USP with the Ecosport AT. As per my recent enquiries the Ecosport AT is readily available. So I assume Ford would not want to cannibalize the Ecosport AT sales by offering the same USP for the Aspire.

The view from Aspire sale numbers can also be a reason. A titanium plus Aspire AT would cost around 8.5 /8.6 Ex showroom. The Ecosport AT is around 9.6-9.7. That is close enough for people to consider jumping to the Ecosport from the Aspire. They would not want that at least initially.

So as of now I think they have played it smartly. Once the Ecosport Facelift is out and the dust settles on both, I guess they will launch the AT Titanium plus.

[dpkbehera]

Kudos Tushar and Aditya

This was a long awaited review considering my vested interest in this car:

All the pros and cons have been highlighted quite well

The first things that hits you is the looks. It is simply one of the best lookers not only within its own CS segment but across segments. Infact i appreciate the rear view of the car as well considering the fact that i have seen uglier ones !!!

The second things that impresses you are the interiors which is if not better, at least at par with the best in segment.

The third thing that impresses you and seals the deal is the diesel engine. The performance is simply awesome.

For the newbie, wannabe car enthusiasts ABS and Dual Air bags strikes the right cord.

The car enthusiasts probably might just give this car a second look even though it belongs to the CS segment which is kinda untouchable for them.

The ride and handling as pointed out should be good enough for occasional burst of adrenaline which is reasonable. Unless anyone is planning to do a "Quantum of Solace " here !!!

Completely agree that fittings,panel gaps, unpleasant boot area could have been Better. Ford

From a car with no abs and air bags to one with dual air bags and abs, i think would be a significant step for me. 6 air bags probably would be considered in the future.

I would not worry too much about integrated reversing camera & GPS navigation display. Reverse sensors plus my own smart phone navigator would do just fine.

A lot have been spoken about undersized tyres. Just want to know whether an upgrade is really required incase you are not pushing the limits (Sharp turns/Speed < 120)?

Other negatives can be managed with a whimper of protest i.e.
Build not typical Ford Like
The rear seat doesn't fold down
Windows don’t go all the way down
Odd center console design
Brakes having huge bite

It is nice to see that finally Ford is is finding its feet in India. Welcome to the new kid on the block !!!

[ramzsys]

175/65 is not skinny. It looks undersized when compared to the puffed skirts the pretty ladies wear these days, especially when looked from the rear.

[Sheel]

One note about Ford's suspension. There is a particular hump at the approach of a bridge on NH-31 at Bidhan Nagar [26.455743, 88.243904]. All the cars that I drove over it, resulted in the rear end jumping, making the rear seat occupants jump & complain and this is one check, which I just had to do.

The Figo never ever jumped there. The VW's did jump, my Skoda Yeti & other SUV's suffered badly. Needless to mention about other cars. Haven't driven a Fiat and wish to see as to how it fares. This was one USP of Ford and I am sad to see it go.

review Tushar & Aditya. Thanks for making it exhaustive.

[Self Driven]

A car review that has inputs from the Bill of Materials of the car. Exhaustive and crisp.

I feel that the divide in mass market movies and quality movie creeping in this car too. We accept that there will be few misses in the mass market movie and enjoy it for that fact.

Ford created a very good driveable, VFM and Quality car called Figo but did not set the sales chart on Fire.

Now it has created a good looking, fuel efficient and safe car. but many of us expect that it should possess the build, the driveability and top notch fit in every aspect.

If every thing can be put in one car, Maruti will not be in top of the market share chart

[rageshgr]

Great Review! Was waiting for this one. But I am eagerly waiting to know about the 1.5 AT variant. Not sure why Ford is keeping it under covers. Aspire was high in my list , but hearing about the rolly Polly handling characteristics disappointmented me. When Aspire was launched , I thought to myself "Finally a possibly good handling compact sedan" , but apparently that is not the case :(

[happy_traveller]

Finally, the official review is here. Isn't this the most awaited review of a newly launched car in recent months ??

I am sure there isnt any place in the world where such detailed reviews are available... hats off to Tushar & Aditya.

Its going to be a long day in office today...and I have such excellent literature to pass away the time will be reading in detail again

[arnabchak]

Thanks a lot Tushar and Aditya.
Superb and detailed review.
Rating it a well deserved 5 Star.

Being an ex Ford user, am happy and sad at the same time.
I always sweared about the saying "Built Ford tough".

To keep costs low, Ford has skimped on one of the most basic safety aspects. The sheet used in earlier Fords was impregnable.

Not anymore with the Aspire.
Secondly, the EPS of older Ford's were a delight and so was the petrol engine.
For the sake of efficiency, Aspire sort of loses out on its earlier character lines.

1.2 for God's sake will be underpowered and 120 kmph@ 3400 rpms clearly indicates that the engine is out of steam.

My 1.3 Josh Ikon Rocam could easily do 120 kmph@2800 rpms and accelerate all the way to 160 kmph@5500 rpms.

On the positive side:

Hope other manufacturers take a cue and start offering dual airbags as standard. 6 is the way to go.

Also, liked the screen in the T+ but not the dock in the lower models.
Maybe, in person, the dock looks better.

Now, Ford has a winner in their hands. 5K+ is a very good start.
They cannot afford to squander it.

[slicvic]

Did you test the Windscreen washer button on the stalk. Unlike most other cars in the Figo it is not pull to activate but Push the end of the stalk to activate the Windscreen washers. This Push required is quite difficult and time consuming. A sore point of the Figo. Wonder how the arrangement in the new stalks is.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by dpkbehera

A lot have been spoken about undersized tyres. Just want to know whether an upgrade is really required incase you are not pushing the limits (Sharp turns/Speed < 120)?

1. The Aspire diesel - the fastest car in its segment - definitely needs a tyre upgrade.

2. Even with the petrol, remember that it's a 1,000+ kilo sedan. In an emergency manouveur, whether you get away safe or you crash could all come down to your tyres. I'm talking about a violent swerve when someone unexpectedly came in your way. A properly tyred car has a far superior chance of keeping it tidy in such a situation than an undertyred one.