Vehicles Comparision Back to listing

Ford Figo Aspire vs. Maruti Dzire vs. Honda Amaze vs. Tata Zest vs. Hyundai Xcent

Come August, and Ford will launch a new car- Ford Figo Aspire in a very competitive sub-four meter sedan category. This segment already has super successful cars like the Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze, Tata Zest, and the Hyundai Xcent.
In the recent past, Ford has had an amazing response to its Ecosport SUV and the company is expecting similar response to the Figo Aspire. The Aspire, is a smaller version of the Fiesta. This is the first time Ford is making a headway into the compact sedan category.

Let’s take a detailed look at how the Ford Figo Aspire will fare against the competition.

Looks – Exterior and Interior

One of the biggest challenges faced by sub-four meter sedan designers is to maintain the proportions of the car so that it does not look as if the boot has just been tacked on behind the car. And here, the Ford designers have done a wonderful job. The car seems perfectly proportioned. The lines are neat and fluid. The front grille has with thin chrome bars gives a good frontal look to the car. The polygonal headlamps and wraparound taillights add to the overall impact of the car.




                                                       


In comparison, the Hyundai Xcent looks a bit disproportionate. Other cars such as the Honda Amaze, Tata Zest look good. Maruti’s Dzire is an old horse in this segment and sells in huge numbers for reasons other than its boxy looks.

Coming to the interiors, Ford has kept a dual tone color combo of beige and black which creates an illusion of more space. The beige also gives a more upmarket feel in comparison to an only black or black and dark grey interior scheme. Also the numerous cubbyholes provided has space for everything that you might want to chug along with you.

Dashboard and center console design are also inspired from the Ecosport and are upto the mark. All the other cars competing are known for their interior finish, except for the Maruti Dzire, which falls a bit short in comparison to other cars.



Ford has also introduced a new feature called MyKey with the Aspire. MyKey lets you program your key to a restricted driving mode before handing the car over to your chauffeur or any less experienced driver. The top speed and audio system volume can be restricted through MyKey. It also plays a chime until front-seat occupants fasten their seatbelts.

The lower trims are equipped with MyFord Dock, an interesting and very useful feature that allows you to mount and charge your mobile phone, MP3 player or satellite navigation system, and integrate these devices into the car’s entertainment system. It virtually makes your device part of the centre console in a perfect, easy-to-access position.

Engine and on road performance:

Ford is offering two petrol engine options – one is obviously a 1.2 litre and the second is a 1.5 litre. This is the only car in the segment which is offering a 1.5 litre engine and another segment first is the six speed double clutch automatic gearbox option offered other than the usual five speed manual gearbox.

All the other cars in this segment offer a 1.2 litre engine for the petrol variant, with the Zest being the only car offering a turbo charged petrol engine.

Ford has fitted a 1.5 litre diesel engine in the Figo Aspire which is already being used in the Ecosport. The engine comes with a five speed manual gearbox. The Amaze is also fitted with a 1.5 litre engine, whereas the Dzire and Zest come with a 1.3 litre engine. The Xcent has the lowest capacity diesel engine at 1.1 litres and 3 cylinders.



Coming to the ride quality, the suspension is good. Not great. Overall ride is balanced and the lightness of the car comes in handy here. Ford has struck gold in the safety department, with SIX airbags in the top variant and driver and passenger airbags as standard across all trims. Other features include Electronic Stability Program  and Hill Launch Assist.

Verdict :

Ford has ticked all the important boxes in the compact sedan category while launching this car and hence has a great chance of penetrating this already crowded market. Only drawbacks could be the limited dealer network in comparison to the extra ordinary footprint of the competing car companies and a high maintenance or spare parts cost.  

Technical Specifications :

  Ford Figo Aspire Maruti Dzire     Tata Zest Hyundai Xcent Honda Amaze
Engine Capacity(Petrol) 1.2 litre/1,5 litre 1.2 litre 1.2 litre 1.2 litre 1.2 litre
Engine Description (Petrol) Ti-VCT petrol engine 1.2-litre 83.14bhp 16V K Series VVT Engine 1.2-litre 88.8bhp 16V Revotron Engine  81.86bhp 16V Kappa VTVT Petrol Engine 16V i-VTEC Petrol Engine
Power 86.8 /110,5 bhp 83.1 hbp 88.7 bhp 81.8 bhp 86.8 bhp
Torque 11.4/13.9 kgm 11.6 kgm 14.2 kgm 11.6 kgm 11.1 kgm
Transmission 5 Speed (MT)(1.2 only)
6 Speed Double Clutch (AT) (1.5)
5 Speed (MT)
4 Speed (AT)
5 Speed (MT)
AT Not Available
5 Speed (MT)
4 Speed (AT)
5 Speed (MT)
5 Speed (AT)

Dimensions :

  Ford Figo Aspire Maruti Dzire     Tata Zest Hyundai Xcent Honda Amaze
Length (mm) 3995 3995 3995 3995 3990 (L)
Width (mm) 1695 1695 1706 (H) 1660 (L) 1680
Height(mm) 1525 1555 1570 (H) 1520 1505 (L)
Wheelbase(mm) 2491 (H) 2430 2470 2425 2405 (L)
Ground Clearance (mm) 174 (H) 170 165 165 165
Boot Space (litre) 359 (L) 316 360 407(H) 400
*H – Highest  and L - Lowest

Copyright © 2012 - 2015 Big Gaddi. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Sitemap