There have been reports all over the internet for a long time now that Ford India will be launching a sedan based on the Ford Figo and Ford has now gone public with this new compact sedan and has started its pre-launch marketing campaign. The compact sedan has been named the Figo Aspire and it has made its public debut in Delhi as part of a campaign which will give customer the chance to feel the car first hand, even before its launch.
Ford Figo Aspire – FrontViewThe Figo Aspire is based on the ford KA concept and made its debut at the auto show in Delhi this year the Ford Figo aspire has followed the footsteps of the Ecosport and the Fiesta in terms of design language, and I even felt that the swept back headlamps reminded me of the Fiat Punto Grande a bit. But this is all good, as the design of the Ford Figo Aspire is all grown up, mature and attractive at the same time.
Ford has incorporated its kinetic design theme on the Figo aspire. The front of the car is characterized by the large swept back headlamps and the huge grille which reminds me of one particular British premium car maker! The side profile is very simple and the 14-inch alloy wheels make their presence felt. The boot at the rear is very well integrated into the side profile design and does not feel like an after-thought. The boot with the flat top and the faux diffuser at the rear together makes the rear end of the Figo Aspire look very nice indeed.
Ford Figo Aspire – InsideViewSince the Figo aspire has to be good value for money, a majority of the interior components have been taken from its siblings, the Ecosport and the Figo hatchback. The Figo Aspire is equipped with a SYNC2 infotainment system and is complete with steering mounted controls for audio and calling features. Ford has equipped the Figo aspire generously so as to attract more customers. Some of the features on the Figo aspire include sporty seats, leather upholstery, multiple airbags, dual tone interior etc.
Customers can choose between 3 engine options with the Figo aspire, ford has used a 1.2 liter petrol engine with a maximum power output of 90 PS and a maximum torque figure of 120 NM, and a 1.5 liter sigma petrol with a maximum power output of 109 PS to power the petrol cars. Floating the diesel boat is the 1.5 liter turbo diesel engine seen in the Ecosport as well as the fiesta, having a maximum power output of 100 PS and 200 NM of maximum torque.
We were expecting Ford to plonk in the 1 liter turbo-petrol ecoboost engine as well, but since it isn’t in the list of engines, ford might be saving it for the facelift of the Figo aspire. With these engines, customers can choose between a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 5-speed manual transmission.
We must say that the marketing team at Ford India is doing a commendable job of promoting the car. Ford India has started a pre-launch promotional campaign for the Figo Aspire in which they plan to showcase the production ready car to the public across the country at 40 different locations in 25 cities across India.
Alongside this campaign, Ford India has also released an advertisement of the Figo Aspire which features Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar, who has been signed as the brand ambassador for the compact sedan. Other than this, Ford has also started a competition to promote the Figo aspire, in which the public has been asked to send a small story of theirs, which points to ‘What drives them’, and the winner of the competition will win a brand new Ford Figo Aspire or Rs. 1 lakh. The tagline for the ford Figo aspire brand is, ‘What drives you’.
Ford Figo Aspire – ReartViewIt does look like ford India is taking this compact sedan very seriously indeed, and we might just see the results of all this in their sales numbers. The Figo Aspire will be sold between Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 8 lakhs.
The compact sedan is expected to be launched within a month’s time and will help ford compete against Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda and Tata by going directly against their respective compact sedans, which are the Swift Dzire, the Xcent, the Amaze and the Zest respectively.
To read more on Ford Figo Aspire, Click here
Also see: Ford Figo Aspire on TVC Shoot in Navi Mumbai, Farhan Akhtar in Ad
GALLERY: Ford Figo Aspire
