The engine options along with the power output for the new Ford Figo Aspire have been revealed. It gets three engines and two transmissions options.
Ford has big plans for India and is eyeing a higher market share. To achieve this, they are planning to launch a slew of new cars. And spearheading this charge is the all new Ford Figo Aspire. The Aspire is a sub-compact sedan based on the next generation Figo. It is an important car for Ford as this segment is growing quickly and has good potential. They hope to take the fight to the Honda Amaze and the Maruti Swift DZire which are the segment best sellers. Along with the Figo Aspire, Ford also plans to launch the next generation Figo and the Endeavour soon. It also has plans to launch its flagship model, the Mustang.
Previewed as the Figo concept at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo, the Figo Aspire was unveiled during the inauguration of Ford’s new plant in Sanand. The current Ford products will be produced in the Chennai plant whereas the new cars will be produced in Sanand and the company has started trial production of the Aspire. Ford is considering exporting the Aspire to other countries as well. The product for other markets will be similar and they might not get a sub 4-metre car since it was designed specially for the Indian market to take advantage of the lower excise duty.
The petrol Figo Aspire will be powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol engine as the current Figo but will now come with an increased power output of 80 BHP. The diesel Aspire will have the 1.5-litre diesel engine found in the EcoSport. Sources claim that the power output will be 100 BHP. These two engines will be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Ford is also planning to offer a 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission but that will be mated to a larger 1.5-litre petrol engine, producing 109 BHP.
The more expensive dual-clutch transmission was chosen over the AMT option since it is smoother. This transmission along with the larger engine which will not have the duty cut, means that the automatic version will be more expensive than the competition. For the rest of the variants of the new Ford Figo Aspire, expect aggressive pricing. The Figo Aspire is expected to go on sale sometime in June this year.
Source – AutocarIndia.com