Variants decoded

Ford has launched the Figo Aspire for the Indian market and has priced the base petrol variant at Rs 4.89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and the top-spec diesel version at Rs 8.24 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It is available in nine variants and with three engine options. This is an important vehicle for the American automaker and is expected to boost their volumes significantly. We dug around the brochures and manuals to give you an idea of what is the best value proposition.

Ford Figo Aspire Titanium+

1.2L Ti-VCT- Rs 7.24 lakh

1.5L TDCi- Rs 8.24 lakh

This is the top-spec variant of the Figo Aspire compact sedan and is available with the 1.2-litre petrol engine and the 1.5-litre diesel engine only. It gets all the bells and whistles including leather seats, climate control and most importantly the latest version of Ford’s SYNC information system which now features voice control, AppLink and a CD player. Also included in the interactive package is the emergency assist system which is present only for this variant. This is the only variant that offers six airbags as a part of the safety package.

Ford Figo Aspire Titanium

1.2L Ti-VCT- Rs 6.69 lakh

1.5L TDCi- Rs 7.69 lakh

1.5L Ti-VCT- Rs 7.79 lakh

This is the second highest variant for the Ford Figo Aspire compact sedan and is the only one in which the petrol automatic is offered. The variants are Rs 55,000 lesser than their ‘+’ counterparts. An obvious deletion from this list is the side and curtain airbags followed by the leather trim package. Also missing from this list is the SYNC system which has been replaced by the MYFord Dock.

Ford has also replaced the CD player with a more basic head unit which contains only a radio and AUX-in+USB. On the safety and convenience front, this does not get side and curtain airbags, Ford MyKey or emergency assist. The holy trio of ESP+traction control+hill hold function are only being offered with the petrol automatic variant.

While the reduction in the feature list is significant in terms of numbers, you actually do not lose much. For just Rs 55,000 lesser than the top-spec model, you still do get a lot of features on the car. However, it is the most expensive vehicle as compared to its rivals in the equivalent variants with very little to separate it from the rest in terms of features.

The six-speed dual clutch AT is a first-in-segment and even without test driving the car we can tell you that it will sit far ahead of all the other automatic units on offer in the segment today. This variant is likely to appeal to those looking for a bit of FWD fun along with whatever else the car has to offer.

Ford Figo Aspire Trend

1.2L Ti-VCT- Rs 5.76 lakh

1.5L TDCi- Rs 6.76 lakh

The trend variants for the Figo Aspire are the third level variants and are priced Rs 93,000 less than the equivalent Titanium variants. This is the most significant drop in terms of reduction in features. Exterior changes include a painted grille rather than a fully chrome one, no rear defogger, alloy wheels or electrically folding ORVMs. In the cabin Ford has done away with the height adjustment for the driver’s seat, climate control, seatbelt reminder and perimetre alarm. This is also one of the two variants that are offered without ABS+EBD.

This variant, especially, in the diesel powertrain option, is expected to bring in the numbers. The number of features offered is pretty much standard across most of its rivals in this price range.

Ford Figo Aspire Ambiente

1.2L Ti-VCT- Rs 4.89 lakh

1.5L TDCi - Rs 5.89 lakh

The Ambiente trim is the entry-level variant for the Figo Aspire. Both the petrol and diesel are priced Rs 87,000 lesser than the equivalent Trend variant. While this difference is marginally smaller than the difference between the Titanium and Trend, you do end up losing out on a significant amount of features. This includes the music system, rear power windows and arm rest, electrically controlled ORVMs and the RPM gauge.

This variant has been given the price of Rs 4.89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and Rs 5.89 lakh to undercut the rivals by a significant amount. It is expected to be popular in more rural markets where purpose takes precedence over styling.

We believe that most value for money variant is the Titanium trim line which offers a significant amount of features at what we consider a pretty decent price. Most importantly you still do get ABS+EBD in this variant.