Ford Figo Aspire

Another compact sedan for the quintessential status conscious Indian car buyer has arrived. As with every other compact sedan, the Figo Aspire too is based on a hatchback.

So, it has a closed boot; a boot I would never end up using unless I am in Noida and I need to keep my laptop away from prying eyes so that they don’t break the rear window glass of my car and steal the laptop! It is true. It happens. And has, in fact, happened to me…in broad daylight. Otherwise, no, I’d rather just get the new Figo hatchback and enjoy its better proportions, the ease of parking and younger appeal.

Why I’d Buy It

Well, if I had to, I’d buy it for its engine. The Figo Aspire comes with both a petrol and a diesel engine. But, it is the louder, clattery and inherently more efficient engine I’d choose. It is only a 1.5-litre diesel, but it’s beautifully set up. So, the moment the accelerator is pushed to the floor, the traffic around you slows down instantly.

The Aspire has a great cabin too. I ran out of things to stow away having emptied my pockets (and my co-passengers) and the bag, but the Aspire’s stowage spaces didn’t. Phone, wallet, laptop, and coins, cups and bottles, all put away without hassle. It’s not so great for the rear passengers; in fact, there’s no place to put anything away at all. So, we got the dog to occupy the rear bench. Surprisingly, we didn’t hear him complain even once about the lack of places to put away his collar, chewies and fleas.

Why I’d Avoid It

…apart from the fact that it is a compact sedan? Well, for starters, it doesn’t match up to the likes of the Hyundai Xcent in terms of features. There’s no keyless start, no parking sensors or reversing camera and no rear AC vents either. The Xcent also gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob. Now, how does one live without that!

Okay, so the Figo Aspire is roomy, comfortable and quiet, and it gets leather seats, more vanity mirrors and even one-touch ‘up’ function for the driver side window. But, it’s still not characteristically a Ford. The gearshifts are soggy, as is the handling and unlike all the great Fords – the Focus RS, the Fiesta ST and even the SuperFastVan, the Aspire also isn’t a hatchback.

My Favourite Version

One thing is for certain, no matter how many kilometres I intend doing, if it is the Ford Figo Aspire I am buying, I’d buy the diesel. It’s just better sorted than the petrol. But, which diesel version? After a lot of thinking, I am going to avoid the top of the line Titanium Plus with six airbags and Sync, and settle instead for the Titanium trim. It seems like better value given the comparative pricing of the two trims.

Quick Facts

Price: Rs 7.7 lakh

Engine: 1.5L, inline, 4-Cyl, diesel

Gearbox: 5-speed manual

FE: 25.8kmpl (ARAI)

0-100kmph: 12.0s (est)