This may be fate that has a big say here. Tata Motors was the first to have introduced the idea of compact sedan in India. The Tata Indigo CS was first of its kind. But with time passing along like a wave and the automobile market being stuffed in with newer and quality cars every now and then, the company started to lose the market space to its peers. But Tata Motors seems to be on a revival phase with the introduction of quality cars of late. The latest Tigor compact sedan is one example of it.
Ford Aspire, on the other hand, was prematurely showcased. By premature I mean that the company did not shy away from showcasing the car much before it was officially launched. And boy! The new Ford Aspire deserved it.
It is very unfortunate to see the good cars being compared to one another. It’s like those clash of the titans where you know you will have to lose one when you like both. But then, practically, it’s never possible to own everything that you like. Buying two cars of the same type, just because you like both of them, doesn’t quite make proper sense.
So, to make things easier for you when you are actually standing inside a showroom and contemplating which one you should buy, or to save you from the situation when the well polished and well trained salesman tries to manipulate you over the other, the article is for you to read. Choosing one between the two won’t be easy, but you will surely get an idea of which one actually more suits your requirements.
Exteriors
The Tata Tigor is no less than a revolution for the company. In fact, the one who haven’t quite checked out the tech specs yet will find the aesthetic design to be the eye grabbing feature.
The overall design of the Tata Tigor stands out. It comes with a unique coupe-like design with shallow roofline and short boot. In the front section, there are horizontally stretched headlamps cornering the sleek honeycomb grille. The front bumper looks big with front spoiler and fog lamps. There is a horizontal line running across the side profile of the car, which renders a curvy design along with the dented lower body beside the wheel arches.
The rear is highlighted by a chrome strip running across horizontally, joining the set of split rear tail lights cluster and the sleek rear lip spoiler on the bumper.
Similarly, the Ford Aspire too is made with a world of attractive features on the aesthetics. The design on the Aspire is very upmarket and cool. The front bonnet is large and muscular with horizontally slatted hexagonal grille and sweptback headlamps.
There are no such prominent lines on the side section, except the deep cut on the lower portion. However, we don’t see the same split tail lights and the attractive rear spoiler on the Aspire. The registration number plate is also lowered and is place on the rear bumper.
Interiors
Speaking about the inside of the Tata Tigor, the dashboard feels more or less same as the one that we have seen on in the Tiago. But yes, there are a plenty of new features as well. You get a touchscreen infotainment system with MirrorLink which will enable navigation and media connected straight with your smartphone. The bits and buttons are built with samely good quality materials. The cabin space is enough and rear seat has more than enough legroom.
The Tata Tigor too boasts on a large boot space, bigger than any that you would get in other sub-compact sedans. The 420-litre boot is quite bigger that the second in competition.
On the contrary, the interiors of the Ford Aspire might not amuse you as much as the Tigor. Even though the cabin space is enough even for taller drivers and passengers, there are not many cup and bottle holders around. However, the holders on the door are just enough for bottles as well. The driver seat is height adjustable, hence, you will not be disappointed even if you are a tall man.
The 359-litre boot space may not be the biggest in the segment, but is enough to fit in two medium sized bags.
Engine
Tata Tigor does feel a little underpowered. There is both petrol as well as diesel options. The 1.2-litre diesel engine makes a highest power of 84 bhp and a maximum torque of 114 Nm. With this power to work with, the Tigor might feel a little laggy and underpowered on the highways, especially with the supreme exterior design. After all, you don’t want to be creating an impression with the coupe-like outer and then lose it all with its low powered engine.
On the other hand, the 1.05-litre diesel engine too makes lesser power of 69 bhp but a lot of torque of 140 Nm. The diesel engine is the better one to drive, even in the thicker traffic conditions.
For the Aspire sedan, Ford has used the same 1.2-litre engine from the hatchback version and has tweaked it a little to make a maximum power of 87 bhp and a peak torque of 114 Nm. That said, the maximum torque is delivered on a highest revs per minute, which is 4,000. Hence, one could understand, the smoothness of driving in tense traffic is hampered a lot due to this.
On the contrary, the diesel engine is just the opposite to the petrol trim. The 1.5-litre engine makes a maximum power of 99 bhp and a peak torque of 15 Nm. Now this is some serious transition from the reluctant petrol engine and offers the kind of fun and comfort that we expect from a family car.
Verdict
Both of the cars are quite good and flashy on the eyes as far as the exterior design is concerned. The Tata Tigor brings around a new designing element while the Ford Aspire is more of a revision in the current body type itself.
Same goes with the interiors as well. Both of them are spacious to its core, with the Tata models more generous at that. However, it’s the engine that makes most difference. The Tigor is good with both of its petrol and diesel version. However, the Aspire packs a punch here with an engine which is marginally better than Tata. Fair enough!
But then, do you really expect Tata Motors to hang back and not give a fitting reply? If you do, then here is your answer. Tata Tigoris the most affordable and best value for your hard earned money in the market. Beat that!
This battle surely belongs to Tata for having ticked the most appropriate boxes in the most appropriate way possible.