Other than the EcoSport, no other Ford car has been fetching volume for its maker in India. One major reason behind Ford's low sales is the unavailability of new cars in its portfolio. Almost all important Ford products including Figo and Endeavour are now outdated, and need to be replaced with new models. Though the company launched the mid-life facelift models of the aforementioned products, buyers didn't find those alluring since the overall design and mechanism remained unchanged.
Therefore, in a bid to revive its sales in the competitive market, the American carmaker is now planning to launch a bunch of new cars this year. Of all the cars that the company will roll out, the new-generation Ford Figo and the a sub-compact sedan - the Figo Aspire - will be the first two. While the Figo could come in the first half of 2015, the sub-compact sedan might be rolled out during this year's festive season.
While the hatchback segment is already too crowded, I think Ford's sub-compact sedan has more chances to do well due to comparatively less competition. Also the Figo Aspire, unveiled recently, looks better than most cars available in its segment today. Now if the company, somehow, manages to price it well, I am sure Ford's sub-compact sedan can be a threat for cars like Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent and Tata Zest.
5 things that you should know about the Figo Aspire sub-compact sedan
1. Unlike many of its rivals, the Figo Aspire doesn't look like an extended hatchback with a sedan shaped boot. Ford has actually developed it from scratch rather than simply adding a sedan-like boot to an existing hatchback, which makes it look so attractive.
2. Since it will be sub-4 metres in length, Ford will be able to avail the excise duty benefit given to the cars below 4000mm mark in India. It will help the company price it well.
3. The Figo Aspire is likely to be made available with three engine options - a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. While the 1.2-litre petrol engine is the same that powers the existing Figo, the 1.5-litre diesel engine does duty on the EcoSport and the Fiesta. The 1.5-litre petrol engine could be offered the top-of-the-line variant coupled with a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
4. To achieve a higher fuel efficiency with the 1.5-litre diesel engine, the company might detune it. The engine in its current state of tune, with the EcoSport, returns 22.7Km/l. After detuning it, we expect it to deliver a mileage of around 25Km/l, thus making it one of the most fuel efficient cars in its league.
5. Ford cars are known for their impressive ride & handling attributes, the Figo sedan too will not be an exception in these departments. This too will give the Figo based sub-compact sedan a competitive edge over its rivals.
Also Read: Ford Figo Aspire Sub-Compact Sedan - Review
