Ford Figo Aspire Long Term Review
Long Term Test No. 134
Car Tested: Ford Figo Aspire TDCI
Kms Done: 3520 kms
Test Started at: 14,079 kms
Test Concluded at: 17,599 kms
Mileage: 16 km/l, 18.7 km/l (best), 13.3 km/l (worst)
Fuel Consumed: 220-litres
Fuel Cost: Rs. 12,760/-
Rs. per km: Rs. 3.625/-
The Ford Figo Aspire TDCI is a total blast to drive and is efficient at the same time!
The Ford Figo Aspire entered our long term fleet few months back and since it was the diesel variant, we all had a fight on who’ll get to keep the car since we all love the engine and the way it pulls the car. Faisal got to keep the car initially but once my Maruti Vitara Brezza went, I called dibs on the Aspire and was more than happy to keep it.
The car just shoots ahead with its punchy power delivery
First things first, the engine is a total gem and I just just adore the strong power surge it has. Touching triple digit speeds is super easy and this engine begs you to redline it every time you drive the car. NVH levels aren’t the best in the segment though, but hey, things aren’t too bad either. Mated to the TDCI motor is a 5-speed manual gearbox. The clutch on our test car was a bit on the heavier side and the pedal throw was also long. The gear lever offers nice feedback but again feels a bit notchy. The clutch release action also feels snappy but you get used to it after a few gearshifts.
Gear shifts aren’t butter smooth but the engine is refined
The Aspire is the quickest diesel car that is manufactured in India
The engine has a slight amount of turbo lag but it isn’t very pronounced and thus driveability in the city is pretty decent. Keep the motor on the boil in its power band and it just won’t disappoint in terms of performance and taking this car out on drives is always exciting. Out on the highways, the Aspire feels relaxed while cruising and gains momentum with ease when you dab the throttle. Sometimes, if you’re driving in a very sedate manner at low revs and suddenly want to overtake someone, a downshift might be required but if the motor is at around 2000 RPM, it’ll cleanly pull all the way to the redline without feeling strained.
The clutch isn’t exactly light and the release action is a bit snappy
The steering feel is good but somehow I feel it misses out on the kind of feedback older Ford cars like the Fiesta used to provide. Still, it makes the Aspire feel pretty direct and chuckable to drive and the car has good body control and doesn’t lose its composure easily during sudden lane changes. The suspension set up feels soft but ride quality isn’t very plush. It is manageable in the city but sharp bumps tend to filter inside the cabin. I would have liked the suspension to be a tad bit stiffer than the current set up.
The tyres screech on to glory when you put pedal to the metal
Driving pleasure aside, there are certain areas where Ford can definitely improve. The braking performance on the Aspire is below satisfactory especially at high speeds where stopping power doesn’t feel very strong and doesn’t instil a lot of confidence either. ABS tends to kick in a lot more than usual and the overall stopping distance is also long. The tyres are nothing to write home about, they absolutely lack grip and you can hear them screeching all the time. The Aspire desperately needs a fatter set of tyres with more grip, especially when you consider the kind of performance it puts out. What is pleasantly surprising is that even after all the redlining and hard driving, I got an average fuel efficiency figure of 16 km/l which means the sedan remained very easy on the pocket for daily usage.
I really like the driving position of the Figo siblings
The dashboard gets a beige and black colour scheme while the seats get beige leather upholstery. This needs a bit more maintenance than a darker interior but otherwise looks very pleasant and adds to the airy feeling in the cabin. AC performance is brilliant and I used the MAX AC mode a lot of times when the car was parked out in the sun. The audio system is an old-school unit with tons of buttons but that is soon going to be replaced by a touchscreen unit which is already available on the EcoSport. Sound quality from the speakers is good at low and medium volumes but if you turn up the volume, quality goes for a toss and audiophiles might have a reason to upgrade the speakers. The Aspire misses out on a lot of features like keyless go, reverse camera, parking sensors, projectors, etc. but thankfully most of this will be addressed by Ford with the upcoming Figo Aspire facelift.
The lack of parking sensors is an issue but thankfully the Aspire is compact enough
The Aspire was rock solid in terms of reliability in its stint with us
The sub-4-metre length makes the car perfect for city driving and even though it doesn’t have parking sensors, the windows are large and parking isn’t a very difficult task. I liked the comfort of the rear seat even though I sat in the rear just once in all these months. The front seats could do with a bit more cushioning on the sides. While the lower back support is decent, under thigh support isn’t all that great either. The driving position, however, is spot on. I was a bit skeptical about the small ORVMs but thankfully they have a good field of view so that’s not a concern. Storage spaces in the cabin are okayish, a few more wouldn’t hurt.
The Aspire misses out on basic niceties like a sunvisor mirror
Ford Figo Aspire Diesel Service Costs
1. Service Schedule – 10,000 kms/12 months (whichever is earlier)
2. Cost of Service per 1,00,000 Km – Rs. 50,889/-
3. Labour cost per paid service – Rs. 2321/-
4. Cost of Spares –
* Engine Oil Per Service – Rs. 1175/- (3.8-litres)
* Air Filter – Rs. 211/-
* Brake Oil – Rs. 759/-
* Oil Filter – Rs. 371/-
* Fuel Filter – Rs. 1313/-
* Brake Pads (Front) – Rs. 1603/-
* Front Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 1757/-
* Rear Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 2600/- (est.)
* Headlamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 2824/-
* Tail Lamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 2500/- (est.)
Fuel efficiency remained respectable even with all the redlining
The Ford Figo Aspire rivals some really competitive cars like the Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze and Volkswagen Ameo and this is indeed a difficult segment to crack. Ford has priced the sedan very nicely and there is no doubt about its value-for-money nature. Driving experience is one of the best in this segment and fuel efficiency is excellent too. Space is also more than enough for the size of the car and the only area where it needs improvements is the quality of some materials on the inside and the equipment list. Once the Aspire facelift comes out, the overall package will start looking much better thanks to more features and that’s when the Aspire will become a strong contender in the segment.
Ford is going to launch the Aspire facelift soon
What’s Cool
* Smashing performance makes this so much fun to drive
* Fuel efficiency is good even after all the hard driving
* Space is quite good, boot has decent cargo capacity too
* Low service costs which is a huge draw for customers
What’s Not So Cool
* Misses out on so many features and niceties
* Build quality at certain places isn’t great
The styling continues to be a positive point for the Aspire
Testers’ Note:
Now that the Aspire is gone, I’m really missing it for its performance
Further Reading –
Ford Figo Aspire Long Term – First Report
Ford Figo Aspire Review
Ford Figo Diesel Long Term – First Report
Ford Figo Diesel Long Term – Second Report