Ford India has finally updated the Aspire in the country after its launch in 2015. The mid-life refreshment comes with a new petrol heart and comprehensively updated interiors. The compact sedan has been launched in 11 trim levels with three powertrain and two transmission options and is available at a handsome price tag. The refreshed Aspire arrives just ahead of the festive season in the country. So here are all the cars that you can also consider if you are looking to buy the new Aspire.
The entry-level variant is called the Ambient and is priced between Rs 5.55 lakh and 6.45 lakh. At this price point, the Indian car market offers the Tiago in the XM (O) trim or the car buyer’s favourite Wagon R in its top-spec VXI+ AMT (O) guise. Even the top-spec Celerio will cost you the same and both the Marutis offer an AMT gearbox. Apart from that, the Tiago also comes as an alternative in this price point. But the Aspire triumphs in terms of boot space over the hatchbacks. However, the mid-level Tata Tigor can offer a boot as well and a bigger one that is. And Tata also provides a rugged cross hatch – the Tiago NRG – in the same price bracket
Moving to the Trend trim (Rs 5.99 lakh – 6.89 lakh) you can look at the top-spec variant of the Honda Brio in the VX AT trim. You can also consider the Fiat Punto Evo Dynamic Multijet 1.3 90 hp if you want a powerful and dynamic hatchback. But the Aspire makes more power than that. The mid-level variants of the Hyundai Grand i10/Maruti Suzuki Swift are also a sensible choice in this price range. The prices of the Trend+ trim extends from Rs 6.39 lakh to Rs 7.29 lakh. This is where the fully loaded Ignis makes a more viable buy as well as the Tigor XZ variant.
It is in the Titanium trim where the Aspire can eat up its sibling Freestyle’s market share since it is priced similarly across the range. For the same amount of money, the Mahindra KUV100 offers six-seat options in the top-spec K8 spec. Toyota Etios Liva gives you more space and peace of mind with its reliability, while the Volkswagen Polo in the Comfortline or Highline trims can give you slightly better driving dynamics. And if you want the B+ segment hatch, the Elite i20 can be the best bet. Nissan also has Micra hatchback which can be had either in the diesel manual or petrol CVT powertrain.
As we look at the price of the top-spec Titanium+ trim, we can notice how the Aspire now cuts its direct rivals in the compact sedan segment. Priced between Rs 7.24 – 8.14 lakh, the Aspire Titanium+ can be an alternative to the Ameo Highline/Comfortline, Amaze V/VX and Xcent X/SX trims. The segment leader Dzire ZDI Plus is also available at the same price as the Aspire Titanium+.
The Ford Aspire also has a petrol automatic variant which is powered by a 1.5-litre Dragon engine mated to a six-speed torque converter. It is priced at Rs 8.49 lakh. At this price point, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga in the ZX trim should also be considered. And for the same price of an Aspire petrol automatic, one could lay hands on a potent hot hatch like the Baleno. However, for a little more, the Nexon XT diesel from the compact crossover segment also appears in the purchase bucket. But if you want to jump on to the SUV bandwagon, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza in the VDI trim and Ford EcoSport in the Trend Ti-VCT trim are available at the same price as the Aspire Titanium Automatic.
