Here is a Summary pertaining to the
Likes and
Dislikes of each of the cars in comparison:
Ford Figo Aspire What you'll like:
• Aston Martin-esque face looks very stylish!
• Value for money price & positioning
• Powerful & efficient 1.5L diesel engine. Good driveability too
• Compliant ride quality. Suspension is tuned for comfort
• Dual airbags as standard (a segment first). Titanium+ variant gets 6 airbags!
• Well-packaged cabin offers adequate space, lots of features, comfy leather seats and a chilling air-con
• Dual-clutch Automatic with a bigger 1.5L petrol, ESP, traction control & hill start assist
What you won't:
• Commuter 1.2L petrol is unimpressive. A mediocre engine
• Drives like any other mass market sedan...but not like a Ford. Ordinary handling
• Lighter build quality isn't as solid as Fords usually are
• Cabin width makes the Aspire suited to 4 adults, not 5
• 14" rims & 175 mm tyres are too puny, especially for the fast diesel
• 359 liter boot is smaller than that of the Amaze & Xcent (~400 liters)
• AT unavailable in the fully-loaded trim. Period
Maruti Suzuki Dzire What you’ll like:
• Competent engine range. Very refined motors
• Absorbent ride quality, even over rough roads. Neutral road manners too
• Terrific fuel efficiency, especially from the diesel
• Effortless to drive in the city; light steering, clutch and gearshift. Automatic transmission available
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service & wide dealer network
What you won’t:
• Oddball boot design. Side profile looks particularly awkward
• Small 316L boot & no folding rear seat either. Limited practicality
• Mediocre brakes (LXi / LDi & VXi / VDi), just like the mechanically-identical Swift
• Limited rear seat space is incomparable to the Manza, Etios, Verito et al
• Hefty premium for the Automatic transmission variant
Hyundai Xcent What you'll like:
• All-rounded package in a contemporary design
• Interiors have best-in-class fit, finish & quality. Accommodating 407 liter boot too
• Fuel-efficient, practical diesel & peppy petrol. Smooth gearbox
• Loaded with features (keyless start & go, reversing camera, rear air-con, cooled glovebox etc.)
• Comfortable ride quality and predictable handling
• Hyundai's fuss free ownership experience & excellent after-sales service
What you won't:
• 1.1L 3-cylinder diesel lacks the top-end punch of competition. Ordinary highway performance
• Steering & dynamics aren't to an enthusiast's tastes
• Narrow width makes it more suited as a 4 seater, rather than 5
• Boot aside, the premium i20 is closely priced with more power, space, equipment & refinement
• Adjustable front neck restraints, seat-belt height adjustment, full MID, auto-locking doors & dead pedal missing
Honda Amaze What you'll like:
• An all-rounded compact sedan that does most things well
• Packaging brilliance. Roomier backseat than the Dzire, and a larger 400 Liter boot
• 1.5L i-DTEC engine offers good power & performance. Excellent driveability too
• Diesel's 25.8 kpl ARAI fuel economy rating
• Light controls, slick gearshift and easy maneuverability for in-city commuting. AT gearbox available
• Honda's reliability & fuss-free ownership experience
What you won't:
• Diesel's NVH is a full level poorer than the refined Maruti Dzire
• Brio's unconventional dashboard is too basic for this class of car
• Not as dynamically accomplished as the Ford Fiesta Classic, Toyota Etios and others
• Diesel isn't as high-rpm friendly as the 1.3L MJD
• Many practical features missing (climate control, seat-belt height adjustment, adjustable neck restraints, auto-locking doors, full MID, folding rear seat etc.)
Tata Zest What you'll like:
• India's first diesel-automatic in the C1 segment. Affordable, convenient & low running costs
• Build quality, fit and finish are on par with competitors. Tata has made significant improvements
• Spacious well-designed interiors & comfortable seats. A rare compact sedan that can seat 5 adults
• 1.2L turbo-petrol has class-leading torque and impressive low-end driveability
• Balanced suspension offers compliant ride quality mated to neutral handling. Nice EPS too
• Light controls, agreeable ergonomics and good refinement. Drives like no mass market Tata car has before
• Features: 3-driving modes (petrol), LED DRLs, projector headlamps, 5" touchscreen, parking sensors, voice commands & more
What you won't:
• When driven hard, the AMT can't match the smoothness & shift-times of a conventional automatic
• Turbo-petrol lacks mid-range punch and fails to excite at higher rpms. Not to an enthusiast's tastes
• Poor in-cabin storage & missing niceties (rear seat armrest, dead pedal, seatbelt height adjustment)
• Thick A-Pillars create severe blind spots while driving
• Concerns over long-term reliability & durability. Previous Tata cars haven't fared well in this area
• Tata's sub-par after-sales service quality is far from that of Maruti, Hyundai and Honda
NOTE: The above points have been taken from
Ford Aspire: Official Review.
Here are the direct links to the Official Reviews of the cars:
Aspire Link Dzire Link Xcent Link Amaze Link Zest Link
Thanks for reading guys. :)
Aspire is an easy pick among all the diesels listed here.
For me, Dzire comes a close second because of the 1.3 MJD.
Tata loses out for its reliability; Xcent for the three pot engine and Honda Amaze for poor quality.
Among the petrols, my choice would be the Dzire followed by the Xcent.
Ford Aspire Titanium plus for diesel and Hyundai Xcent Sx(o) for petrol will be my pick among the listed sedans.
Request to Mods : Can we have a separate poll for petrol and diesel sedans?
My pick will be Aspire even though the build is lighter than what Fords are known for. Not to mention the Fun-to-Drive factor is missing too.
Fit and finish of the Xcent makes me wanna pick it but when safety (ABS and Airbags) takes a back seat, I take a step back.
Airbags and ABS are my top priority, and being able to buy that without going for the top variant is new in this segment. Aspire is a no-brainer for me. The powerful and fuel efficient motor with good looks are just bonuses.
Ford Figo Aspire it is, purely for the engine 1.5L TDCi.
Tata is not reliable as burnt my fingers in Indica Turbo.
Xcent is good overall but I dont like the suspension set up in Hyundai.
Amaze is ugly and a product from Honda cost cutting division.
Desire is aged now and Maruti is playing same in their all models with 1.3L Fiat sourced engine.
Depends on whom I've got to choose the car for.
Me :
Since I'm OK with spending a day once or twice per year with the car during the service & have a patient temperament, I can manage if I chose the TATA Zest.
Its top end XT variant has :
Max features in the segment at the best price,
warranty & extended warranty and AMC is good to have
and smooth & quick processing of warranty claims makes it better
and also the spare parts are cheap (availability is usually not an issue either).
(P.S. : I'd personally prefer to buy a new car ONLY if I plan extensive use (18-20k kms p.a.) through the next 4 years.)
If I've to choose for my brother(/other relative), who's not much into how the car works - but wants a good design uses only for office-runs & doesn't mind moderately high service bills even during warranty period, I'd go eyes closed with the Ford Aspire.
Thanks a4anurag clap: for this thread. This would certainly help the potential Compact sedan buyers finalise their purchase decision and look no further.
Among the lot, the new aspire, inspires a lot. It has the biggest engine with the best power/torque combo and though tuned to mass market taste, the ford will definitely be the best in terms of ride and handling among its rivals.
The focus on safety aspects without the cost being substantially high is worth mentioning although the build quality as reported in the forum is not on par with Ford standards but should be on par with the segment standards (i haven't checked though.
This should take the 2nd spot and hence my vote goes to the new Aspire clap:. The new Aspire, Dezires to be Amaze(ing) by giving exce(lle)nt VFM.
