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-   -   Would you buy the Ford Figo / Aspire Sports Edition? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/187082-would-you-buy-ford-figo-aspire-sports-edition.html)

Would you buy the Ford Figo / Aspire Sports Edition?

What you'll like:

• A hatchback that'll bring a smile on your face when you're in the mood for some fun
• Tasteful cosmetic modifications. Looks stylish
• 1.5L diesel is a cracker of an engine & worthy of the Sports badge. Good driveability too
• Improved dynamics & high speed ride quality (low speed ride has some firmness though)
• Still a well-priced hatchback in this segment
• Cabin offers good legroom and a chilling air-con

What you won't:

• Available only in one variant. Sadly, it's not the Titanium+ with 6 airbags and SYNC
• Commuter 1.2L petrol is unimpressive. Not a sporty engine at all
• Interior quality is strictly average
• Light steering feel at high speeds (on center position)
• Light build quality is a departure from the usual Ford sturdiness
• Cabin width makes the Figo suited to 4 adults, not 5. Rear headroom is limited as well



Link to Official Review

Sure is an incredibly tough choice between this & the Polo GT TDI. I'm 50:50 between the two.

I voted yes because the Figo might be a better family hatchback if it's the only car in the house (more space, presumed better long-term reliability etc.). On the other hand, as a personal car, the GT TDI would be my pick (solid build quality, more mod-friendly, love that timeless styling).

The current gen Figo felt like a tin can when I drove it. When I was buying the GT TSi, I evaluated the 1.5L automatic. Forget the drive experience, the entire car felt cheaply built with corners cut.

The plastics were cheap, the infotainment system felt like an afterthought, the body was paper thin with no solidity. It was quite a change from the previous gen Figo which was quite nicely put together.

Yes. As this is the only practical fun to drive hatch (based on Team BHP review as I haven't driven the sport edition yet) and aslo the only one that's priced sanely. This would be my only pick would other than Abarth (though much less practical). The safety factor of Figo is a concern though.

The 1.5 GT TDI is ridiculously overpriced for what is on offer (especially considering that the smaller 1.5 comes under lesser excise duty band unlike the older 1.6 or Abarth's 1.4 petrol and no DSG on offer). One can buy a Linea T-Jet with discounts at the same price. Also, the suspension of GT TDI leaves a lot to be desired and the rear seat is totally unusable for any adult above 5'8". The TDI's powerband that more or less flattens out from ~3000 RPM isn't to my liking either, while the TDCI does not flatten out till about 3.6K - 3.7K RPM. The 1.5's low end shove is also not as explosive as the 1.6.

The TSI does not even come into consideration because of the DSG.

I chose yes.

The reasons;

-All the parts I wanted to replace on a normal Aspire has been done on this.
-For the diesel engine. I love revving a petrol engine , but I wouldn't mind a fast diesel for a change.
-I had a limited budget and the filtered cars of my interest were above the 10 lakh mark, except this. Baleno RS was a no go.
- Stiffer suspension! Something which was a must have for me coming from the previous gen Figo.
-Last but not the least, I like my car to stand out from the crowd. My previous car did that brilliantly. I wanted my next car to be the same without me having to change stuff.
-Oh ya, a little part of me wanted to stay with Ford.

I will be taking delivery of my Aspire S in couple of days.:)

Voted - No.

Well, I almost did think of buying it and had very seriously considered the new Figo S diesel for the past few days, to replace my aging diesel car with this one. The Team Bhp review reaffirmed my thoughts and the pictures of the car throwing up dirt in the salt pans was tempting to say the least. However, after two days of thinking - decided to drop the plan since the cons seem to outweigh the pros in this scenario! The below points were considered for my decision.

+ Pros

1. Fantastic diesel engine. Only 9bhp and 6Nm upgrade for me on paper, but more importantly a huge improvement in power/weight and torque/weight figures. More relaxed highway nature as well (of the engine).

2. Looks hot! The red - especially is a looker. Not too impressed with the other colours though. Black is brilliant as well, but need to get rid of all the extra decals.

3. Price. Very competitively priced and is brilliant value for the performance on offer.

The Average -

1. Interiors look boring with its sea of black. But understandable given the value pricing.

2. Equipment list is basic. No touchscreen HU, no reversing camera, no rear a/c vents - but understandable for the price. However, no parking sensors either?

3. The car has almost flopped in the market, selling an average of less than 1000 units per month over the last six months (and just over a year of launch). Not too worried about it personally, but one of the points to consider along with the below -

- Cons

1. Safety. 3 stars at best and with the body shell integrity rated as unstable. It is still decent in the Indian scenario, where cars fail the tests royally, but!

2. Not available in the Titanium+ variant. For a car that has average safety ratings, I would have been happier with the 6 airbag variant. The rear seats are rarely used in the city, but the better half does tend to use it often when we hit the highways.

3. Build Quality. I'm a self confessed fan of cars with good sheet metal quality - the Europeans and ironically, Ford. However, the Figo is an exception. The build feels light and looks like it would accumulate a lot of small scratches and dents over the years due to our traffic conditions where the cycles and bikes are ever so likely to bump into your car and just move on without even saying a sorry. Some may argue that sheet metal quality is not everything when it comes to safety, but I'm talking only about appearance here. High speed safety anyways is average as proven by NCAP.

4. Paint Quality. Looked good on the new Figo without orange peel effect, as noted in the official review. But, I have a couple of friends who are into the detailing business and they had very poor comments on the paint quality of the new Figo, specially evident in the highlight orange colour. Looks like Ford has cut costs here. Disappointing since I really like detailing and maintaining the gloss of the car - and was looking at a red one for this particular reason.

5. Disconnected steering. "It's only on the open straight highways that you feel the steering is disconnected." as mentioned in the review, and unfortunately - almost 8/10 of my highway trips are almost 500 km drives down the arrow straight roads of Tamil Nadu, enroute Trivandrum from Bangalore. And my only reason to change cars would be for a better highway experience. Deal breaker!

Skipped the Ford for the above reasons. Since I'm in no hurry, the wait continues for better diesel highway scorcher options - May be the upcoming Polo (if it comes to India), or the S-Cross 1.6 facelift. Now, all these options would admittedly be more expensive than the Figo S, and that value is where the Figo S scores.

But look beyond the price, and it starts putting questions to the mind as to whether it really is a Ford worthy of the S badge, which they've used carefully for their earlier generations cars like the Fiesta. They've tried to rectify some of the mistakes they've committed during the Maruti'sization of this model for the Indian market, but that is not enough to make it a complete package IMO. The steering is still vague, the build is still poor and the safety concerns all make it a Figo that it should have been from launch, but not an S that deserves a serious thought.

PS- Instead of this new Figo S, imagine if they had plonked this diesel engine in the older generation Figo. That would have deserved the S title better, and probably it would have sold better too, inspite of being such an old platform.

Voted "YES"

Well, to be honest I own the Aspire Diesel and have completed 30,000kms in 20 months and it has been a fantastic run till date with zero reliability issues and amount of fun that I had with this car is no less than my previous ballistic car ownership (Chevrolet Cruze) and this is saying a lot considering both are from a totally different segment. Both cars almost match neck to neck in a lot of parameters except the handling one!

Aspire plus points are it's zero turbo lag power delivery and a cracker of a 100BHP engine that makes the car quicker than most cars on the road (real time experience is to be seen to be believed-Signal starts, overtaking on highway etc), very good interior space, steering feel, ride is superb as you can drive at same speeds even on bad roads without any jarring feel to passengers. Handling is excellent and gives you a lot of confidence at high speeds as the car feels stable as a rock at unmentionable speeds too !!!

Aspire minus points is it's overall lighter body (acts as a plus too as accelaration is exhilarating), minor rattle from front passenger door which starts and stops on it's own:D, gear shifts aren't the smoothest and miss a premium feel when you shut the doors

I'm given to understand the Aspire S and Figo S have taken the handling and ride department to a different level so it should be an even more fun to drive car in < 10 lakhs segment

If given an opportunity, I will buy this car ONE MORE TIME as bang for the buck is phenomenal :thumbs up

Voted No

The Figo S is a great car, and does justice to it's 'sports' tag. But, the Polo GT TDI is too hot to turn away from. :)

I haven't driven the Aspire sports yet. However, I fell for the Ameo diesel after driving it for a few miles on the Highway.

I voted NO . Having been living with Aspire AT for 2 years now. While the car is good at handling and ride comfort, the build quality doesn't inspire any kind of confidence and the recent NCAP crash test results have amplified the worries. To add salt on to that, the sports variant doesn't get 6 airbags. With the lower crash rating Ford should have at least given the option of better safety. But the Polo TSI isn't any better, except for the better build quality and with the steering feedback not up to the levels of Figo twins.

As a pure FTD vehicle given my daily commute - I would definitely pick this as a daily driver.
Compact, nimble, and powerful.

Throw in a remap, better rubber, and a nice sound system and it would be sorted.

The GT TSi would come close - but the DSG woes would always be on my mind. The GT TDi, given the dieselgate scandal and reported issues with the de-tuned vehicles wouldn't be something I would be very eager to try out.

Another option would be the Punto Abarth - which would again be a no-no owing to ergonimics, and service (daily driver after all).

For the past week, I was using the more compact etios as my daily drive (compared to the Laura and C220d), and it was a joy to drive owing to it's size and nimble nature. The Figo would only be better!

The only other pick would be the GTi - understated, and seriously quick - but that DSG!

Voted Yes

We already have a 2010 Figo Petrol at home. A really Fun-to-Drive solid built car. Then late 2015 I was planning to replace my 2010 Beat Petrol and test drove both Figo Petrol and Diesel extensively. Petrol was instantly removed after the Diesel test drive. But the comparison with our 2010 Figo was not that convincing. Then @karan561 came up with his video review and most of my doubts started falling but was not in a mood to upgrade the wheels to 15 inches and kill my warranty (extended too, I am very keen on this):Frustrati

Then the BRV 1.5 CVT came into picture and was happy with every aspect (all dark interiors - a must for my cars) of it sans one, "The dash". So that too turned into yo-yo.

Then our beloved NGT came with those stupid Diesel rules here in NCR and the new car purchase was put on hold. And there was nothing wrong with Beat to contemplate a replacement too.

So right now Figo Sports 1.5 TDCi is ticking almost all of my requirements (rear adjustable headrests would have a must though), can use a mid-range smartphone as an AVN in the dock (with HERE Maps - my all time favourite).

So finally a reliable, affordable, frugal and FTD car.

So just waiting for an appropriate time for the final plunge with an eye and ear open for any BRV update with latest City/WRV Dash.

Cheers!

Vinu

I currently own a new Gen Figo Diesel Titanium.

I voted Yes for the Figo Sports edition.

Reasons being.

• Practical Family Car.
• Good package of stiffened and lowered suspension, alloys and the looks.
• Pocket rocket in a budget. For around 8Lks onroad pune, difference to other options - Baleno RS, Polo GTI( all upwards or around 10lks) is around 2 Lks or more. Huge money for what they offer extra.

-V:

• You wont feel any premium'ness in this one. At the same time, i don't feel cheaped out as well.
• Misses out on many features like Touch Screen AVN, Xenon lights, Leather wrapped steering etc.

Still, the diesel engine more than makes up for it. :) Love the engine and the instant power on tap.
But yes, if i had the budget, i would have probably gone for Polo GT Petrol, but Polo looses out on space etc in the back and overall made me wonder about the value for money part.

I wish Ford had offered the sports edition earlier during my purchase time, i would have straight away bought it.

I have already upgraded the tyres of mine to 195 sections on momo alloys.

Voted Yes, but just there! It would have been an emphatic one, if the S is available in the Titanium+ trim.
Still a good choice; there are not many options in our market which can provide some driving thrills at this price point.

Figo DCT is my choice. Build quality, 1.5 L, spacious, and good looks.

Moreover cheaper than Polo TSI. Polo looses out because of space issues, else in terms of everything else its far ahead.

What build quality? Global NCAP classifies the body structure of the Figo as unstable. To me the body shell felt like a tin can.