Since the advent of the sub 4-meter rule that awards manufacturers an excise cut for a car under the specified size, manufacturers have been scrambling left right and centre to give us an entry level sedan that perfectly caters to Indian audiences. With most manufacturers already well established in the segment, it is now Ford's turn to enter the fray with the all new Ford Figo Aspire compact sedan.
At first glance, Ford has done a pretty good job designing the new Figo Aspire to make it look like a smaller version of the larger Ford Fiesta sedan. With its large 'Aston Martin' inspired grille festooned in chrome in typical Ford design language. The large headlamps are not as well detailed as we would have like them to be but aren't bad looking either. That said, in the future, Ford should consider a projector setup along with a daytime LED running light combination for the Aspire to make it look slightly upmarket.
The simple yet elegant design continues around the back with the flat yet layered bootlid and bumper combination. Although the Indian buyer will quite like the large chrome strip on the bootlid, we think it could have been better implemented and made to look much better. The wheels, a set of 14-inch alloy wheels too look inspired from the Fiesta sedan but not as striking as the ones available on the same.
The Fiesta and Ecosport inspired design continues along the interior too. The Ford Figo Aspire gets the same dashboard layout as the other Ford products we get in India today. With its prominent V design, the Aspire's dashboard houses an infotainment screen and an array of buttons with phone and media controls. The Aspire also gets a set of audio and telephone controls on the steering wheel just like on the Ecosport. The Aspire also gets electronically adjustable and electronically foldable ORVMs and multiple airbags as standard features in the top of the line 'Titanium' trim level.
Ford is known to have some of the most comfortable and sporty seats in the business and from the looks of things, the Figo Aspire will continue with that tradition. The rear seats too look to have quite a bit of leg space owing to the sculpted front seat backs that will ensure good knee room. The Ford Figo Aspire will come with beige leather upholstery on the top of the line version although we could expect a black interior option on the base model versions.
When it comes to engines, the Ford Figo Aspire will get two engine options: a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine. The 1.2-litre petrol engine will make 70PS of peak power and 102Nm of peak torque. The 1.5-litre diesel engine on the other hand will be the big seller and will make 90PS of peak power and 204Nm of peak torque. Both engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox although there is no news of an automatic gearbox being offered yet. There is also no news of Ford equipping this car with its 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, an addition that we think should have been in the offing since this project's inception.
The Ford Figo Aspire, if other Ford products are anything to go by, is bound to be a great handling car. In fact, we woudnt be surprised if the Figo Aspire sets the new benchmark for handling in the compact sedan segment. The Figo Aspire is also loaded to the brim with safety aids like ABS and airbags. In fact, the top of the line Figo will have both driver and passenger airbags combined with a host of passive safety features like built in side impact protection and crumple zones.
All in all, although the Ford Figo Aspire will not set any sales records or dethrone the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire anytime soon, we expect it to be a potent and very capable car in the compact sedan segment. In fact, just as Ford saw a resurgence of sorts with the likes of the original Figo and then with the Ecosport, we would not be surprised if something similar happened with the new Figo Aspire compact Sedan. Expect the 2015 Ford Figo Aspire compact sedan to be price extremely competitively between Rs 5-8 lakh (ex-showroom) and to offer great value for money for someone who is looking for a slightly more exciting angle to family motoring.
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