The Ford Motor Company introduced the world to the pioneering Model T in 1908. More than a hundred years hence, the global automobile giant is wooing Indians who have a lot to Aspire for.
Yes! As the name says it, Ford launched its latest offering, a peppy little ‘Figo Aspire’, which aims to lead the way in the sub-four-metre sedan category, owing to the many state-of-the-art gizmos it packs on board.
Though a late entrant to the sub-four-metre sedan market, dominated by the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, and Tata Zest, Ford is attempting to etch its name well enough in the hearts and minds of Indian buyers.
India was smitten by Ford’s beloved SUV, the EcoSport, when it was launched a couple of years ago. Now, the American giant is stepping into new territory.
Handsome, in and out
The compactly built sub-four-metre Ford Figo Aspire (at an overall length of 3,995 mm) indeed gets your eyes rolling. It’s a wonderful design and takes in many premium visual elements from several high-end competitors. Its bold and dynamic exterior reflects a sense of precision, efficiency, and sophistication.
The elongated wing-shaped headlamps, flanking the bold trapezoidal grille, call out to its aerodynamically stylish exterior appeal. The car’s body linings seamlessly stretch all the way to the rear where they meet the exquisitely embellished wide tail lamps, giving the Figo Aspire a substantial, yet sporty presence on the road.
The car is robustly made, with a compact and concise feel. The fresh breath that the Ford Figo Aspire spreads into the compact sedan space, especially in terms of its handsome exterior appearance, earns for it a fair amount of points against the competition.
The car’s beauty spreads to the interiors as well. The car gets very premium on the inside. The luxurious craftsmanship of the new Ford Figo Aspire, flavoured with carefully selected colours and themes, are another feather in the cap for the young car.
The top-end TITANIUM variant that we have in front of us has first-in-class leather seats. The occupants of the Figo Aspire are in for a big surprise, when they open the door of the car and step inside. The space within the new Ford is immense, both in the front and the back seats, even for one who is tall. The overall width of the car is 1,695 mm, and this allows quite a bit of room for three people to comfortably seat themselves in the rear.
The car also sports many intelligent storage spaces (including the 359-litre boot). With specialised compartments in the doors, and the long floor console, the Figo Aspire makes space for everything.
The dash is well-built and neat. Though quite alike the design on the EcoSport and the Fiesta, the grey and beige Ford Figo Aspire dashboard adds some fresh perspective with a few add-on features. The knobs and switches have been crafted well, but are surrounded by a wide expanse of faded plastic grey. The clarity of the screen in the centre is impressive, while even the display of the dials within the instrument cluster is clear.
The car packs in many new state-of-the-art features. For the first time, it brings in ‘MyFord Dock’, which allows you to store, mount, and charge your mobile phone, MP3 players, or satellite navigation systems. You can also integrate them into the car’s entertainment system. The SYNC with AppLink is a voice-activated SYNC system, which allows calls and messages between people in the car with others outside.
It allows you to listen to music, and assistance to automatically call emergency services in times of need and give your GPS location. The Ford MyKey allows drivers to set speed warnings, activate a seat belt reminder, and limit the car’s top speed as well as the audio volume.
The car cabin is kept cool thanks to the AC with automatic climate control, with vents only in the front, though a rear vent would have been marvellous. The infotainment system offers USB, Aux-in, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Ford Figo Aspire is a versatile car and can be driven effortlessly on smooth roads, and even not so smooth ones. Our plan is to take the car a little out of Bengaluru, into the countryside. A jaunt outside the city takes one to the little-known Thimmarayaswamy Betta, a hillock adorned by a temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha. Getting there is no hassle, through green meadows and farms, but the road up to the destination is ridden with puddles and other blemishes, rendering us an opportunity to test the city car to the limit.
The Ford 1.5 Figo Aspire TITANIUM diesel variant waits for you to hit the throttle. The initial pick-up is awesome. With just a push on the accelerator, the car can cruise at higher speeds with no noise inside the cabin. At first gear, the car picks up quickly and easily reaches a speed of 60 kmph. Right from get-go, the drive proves to be smooth, and even within gear shifts, the speed changes happen seamlessly. A few instances of traffic on the road don’t pose much of a challenge for this car, which finds its own way through the chaos.
Especially on the Hyderabad highway, the wide six-lane stretch of asphalt is the ultimate arena for the car to sport and revel in.
With our hands on the 1.5L-TDCi (turbo diesel common rail injection) engine, we are powering our way ahead. The 1.5L-TDCi engine is engineered for both economy and performance. The 1,498 cc powertrain produces a maximum power of 100 PS @ 3,750 rpm and churns out a maximum torque of 215 Nm @ 1,750-3,000 rpm, while being mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
Alternating steering feel
We find a bit of lag sometimes when in the first and second gears, though; but the initial doubts vanish when the car overwhelms us with its drive consistency. We have to mention about the Figo Aspire’s electronic power assisted steering (EPAS) with Pull Drift Compensation Technology that helps in light steering effort at low speeds — for parking and in-city manoeuvring — and heavier, more precise feel at high speeds for greater stability and confidence on highways. At its highest speed, we manage to race the needle to over 150 kmph, even as the car cries for a sixth gear. The company claims a fuel economy of 25.83 kmpl. We drive through the uneven road onward to the temple. The 14-inch tyres pose a little discomfort to the driver to crunch through the rough surfaces easily, but the reasonably high ground clearance of 174 mm and turning radius of 4.9 metres ensures that the under-belly of the car is kept safe. Meanwhile, while climbing hilly hairpins and inclines, the car coughs a little, urging you to jump to the first gear. We reach our destination, and the car still seems as inviting as ever, wanting to pamper us with pure comfort.
The Ford Figo Aspire 1.5-litre variants are priced in the Rs 6.01 lakh to Rs 8.40 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru) range. The car is also available in two petrol engines (1.2-litre (88PS, 112Nm), and 1.5-litre (112PS) Ti-VCT (twin independent variable camshaft timing).
For those looking for the sophisticated refinement of an automatic transmission, the Figo Aspire will come with a six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission paired with a 1.5L-TiVCT petrol engine, offering a peak power of 112 PS and a fuel economy of 17.2 km/l.
The Ford Figo Aspire has a fight on its hands to make a mark in the hard-fought compact sedan space. But for a young, chic city car, the Figo Aspire is just as its name suggests — all and more that one could ‘aspire’ for, in a car.