ఫోర్డ్ ఆస్పైర్ 1.5 Ti-VCT Titanium

The Ford Aspire 1.5 Ti-VCT Titanium has a 1.5-litre petrol engine under the hood, coupled to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It is based on the Titanium Trim and is priced at Rs 8.29 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi, as of May 12, 2017). However, the 1.5-litre petrol engine is not available with a 5-speed manual transmission unlike the 1.2-petrol and buying it with an automatic transmission is the only option. The Aspire has a boot-space of 359 litres, it has a wheelbase of 2491mm and a ground clearance of 174mm.

The 1.5-litre petrol engine produces a maximum 111.8PS of power at 6300 rpm and a peak torque of 136Nm at 4250 rpm. This is around 20PS and 24Nm more than the standard 1.2-litre petrol engine.

As it is based on the Titanium trim, it is packed with features. However, the major highlight would be the safety features offered with it. Apart from the standard driver and passenger airbags and anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD) it has optional side and curtain airbags on offer. Moreover, the Aspire 1.5 Ti-VCT Titanium is the only Aspire to come with electronic stability programme (ESP), traction control system (TCS) and hill-launch assist (HLA).

It also comes with other comfort and convenience features like height adjustable driver's seat, automatic air conditioner, multi-information display in the instrument cluster and electronically adjustable and foldable outside rear view mirrors with turn indicators.

However, it does miss out on some features offered in the top-spec Titanium Trim like leather upholstery, MFD Screen, Ford MyKey and height adjustable front seat belts.

It also misses out on other sporty features offered with the Titanium 1.2 Petrol Manual like a stiffer suspension setup, sporty grille and interiors, 15-inch silver alloy wheels, black headlamp bezel and fog grey stitching in the seats.

The Aspire 1.5 Ti-VCT Titanium primarily competes with other compact petrol automatic compact sedans like the Honda Amaze, Maruti Dzire and the Hyundai Xcent.