Enjoyable to Drive

Treated to a makeover, the Ford Aspire gets a new look, new engines, new transmissions and new features. The redesigned head lamp and grille make the front look interesting. The wide air dam with fog lamp surrounds below add a touch of sport. Except for a redesigned rear bumper, the sides and the rear see no substantial changes. The top-spec Aspire gets 15-inch alloys and 195/55 R15 tyres. The two add to the good proportions of the car. 

GOOD AMOUNT OF FEATURES
Inside, the two-tone (black and beige) dashboard looks familiar. A closer look reveals revised instrument dials with carbon fibre-like texture. The centre console of top-spec Titanium+ gets a new 6.5-inch touchscreen with Ford Sync 3 system, which is responsive, seamless and intuitive to operate. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Enhancing connectivity is an improved Bluetooth and an extra USB slot. While the rubberised screen control knobs and additional chrome have an uplifting effect, the piano black surfaces, carried over from the earlier car, add a premium touch. Feature-wise, the new car gets an auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror, auto head lamps and wipers, and a rear parking camera with sensors. 

LOW SPEED PULL IS NOT GREAT
Compared to other cars in its segment, the cabin of the Aspire seems to offer less space but is practical in the way it offers stowage space. The wide front seats provide good support overall. At the rear, the Aspire offers good leg room. It has the longest wheelbase in the segment. The rear seat offers good support. The shoulder room could get a bit tight with three people; the amount of head room available is good. The new 96bhp, 1.2-litre ‘Dragon’ petrol engine is mated to a new 5-speed manual transmission. It is smooth and silent considering that it is a three-cylinder engine; however, low speed pull is not that good. Past the 2500rpm mark, a good pull and a sporty snarl can be felt. In between 3000rpm and 6000rpm, the engine performs well and makes the Aspire enjoyable to drive. Showing good ability to cruise on the highway and even overtake with a strong mid-range thrust, in the city, the Aspire does call for an amount of gear work to keep the engine on the boil. The transmission has short and precise throws, which helps. 

HIGH SPEED STABILITY
The new 123hp, 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol unit comes with a 6-speed torque converter auto transmission, and has the car performing decisively better than the one with the 1.2-litre engine. The tractable and strong 100bhp, 1.5-litre diesel engine is carried over from the earlier model. It delivers strong acceleration from as low as 1500rpm. A turbo lag does show up at times, but a firm push of the pedal has it spooling up quickly. A strong and sustained surge of power is felt, and the car feels more enjoyable to drive than the petrol. The engine pulls hard all the way to redline. The clutch is well weighted, and the new gearbox is light, and supports precise shifts. The engine does get a bit noisy at higher engine revs, the taller gearing gets the car to cruise at good speeds on the highway. The diesel Aspire offers a good ability to cruise on the highway in a relaxed manner, and to drive in the city without much effort. Scoring well in the area of ride and handling, the Aspire displays good high speed stability. Riding over bad surfaces fairly silently, the Aspire does roll a bit in corners. The (electric power) steering feel when negotiating corners at fair speeds is not the best. However, it tackles long sweeping bends with finesse. The brakes exert a strong bite and the pedal has a progressive feel. On rough surfaces, it is likely that the ABS will kick in a little early. 

VERDICT
The changes bring the Aspire up to speed. It is back in the game, looking fresher, stronger and agile. Elevating the overall driving experience, the car makes a very competitive offering, especially since it undercuts most of its rivals on price. The smaller petrol version may not be the most desirable of the line-up, but the diesel certainly is. Practical as well as enjoyable to drive, it delivers a strong performance that is rare to come by in its segment. 

Pros: Fresh looks, performance of diesel and convenience of auto, ride and handling
Cons: 1.2 lt petrol could do with better low speed pull