Ford India at a press conference today inaugurated their Sanand plant in Gujarat and officially announced and showcased the Figo Aspire, which is the confirmed name of the upcoming sub 4 meter compact sedan that will be launched in 3 odd months from now.
Figo Aspire will be the first car to be rolled out from the new plant and was unveiled as a concept last year before the Auto Expo. The Figo Aspire is the Ka+ in essence which is sold in Brazil.
Ford also revealed quite a few details about the car and we are listing them down for you in points…
- It will come with the 1.2 Liter TiVCT petrol engine and 1.5 litre TDCi diesel engine.
- Figo Aspire will be the first car in this segment to feature side and curtain airbags apart from the regular driver and passenger side ones…
- Aspire will also get first in class device dock which allows drivers to store and mount their mobile phones, MP3 players and navigation systems. They can also integrate these devices into car’s entertainment system.
- Figo Aspire will also come with Ford’s SYNC with AppLink
- Ford will also export Figo Aspire to international markets from Sanand
While the inclusion of the new 1.5 liter TDCi diesel engine is okay but the current 1.2 liter petrol motor (on Figo) is just awful and easily the only engine in its class which can be ignored without second thoughts. Yes, there will be betterments and power bumps but what stopped you from using that tiny little EcoBoost motor which would have given you a clear edge in the petrol C1 segment sedans?
Nonetheless, recent spyshots have suggested that Ford is testing an automatic version of the car as well. And hence, it is a possibility that there will be an additional 1.5 liter TiVCT petrol motor paired with the 6 speed Powershift automatic box from the EcoSport as well, and the one which may never be available for you to buy.. 😉
