Under the bonnet of the Figo Aspire is Ford’s 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine. It’s quite a refined unit and quite powerful too. Unlike the other two, it doesn’t feel very peppy when you drive it but that’s deceptive, for with a 0-100 km/h time of 10.74 seconds, the Figo Aspire is the quickest of the trio, and by some margin. The car also posts the highest top speed of 174.45 km/h, compared to the Amaze’s 140.97 km/h. The DZire’s top speed sits between the two at about 160 km/h. Unfortunately, the Ford gets beaten hollow at the fuel economy stakes, managing to return an overall efficiency figure of 15.2 km/l.
What the Ford does hit back with is a combination of dynamics and ride quality. It feels the most stable of the three on straights and holds its line like a train on rails on bends. Even quick and repeated direction changes fail to upset the Figo Aspire. Driving over bad roads, the Figo Aspire also offers the plushest ride quality, isolating the passengers from the road irregularities quite well. The only chink in its armour on this aspect is the steering feel, where the Amaze returns the best feedback from the wheel. The DZire, meanwhile, tails both the Honda and the Ford in the steering feedback department.
