Ford has launched the Aspire CNG in India, with prices starting at INR 6.27 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The CNG option should significantly boost the car’s sales in the taxi segment. Rival automaker Maruti Suzuki is considering offering a CNG option in its sub-4 metre sedan - the Dzire.
Ford offers a CNG sequential kit supplied and installed by Lovato in the Aspire 1.2-litre with a 1 lakh km warranty on the car and the CNG kit. The Aspire CNG has a factory-programmed speed governor set at 80 km/h (applicable for only taxi segment). The company says that the car’s maintenance cost is just 46 paise/km, up to 1,00,000 km. Below is the breakdown of the maintenance cost, provided by Lovato.
| Model | Variant | Engine | 10K Kms | 20K Kms | 30K Kms | 40K Kms | 50K Kms | 60K Kms | 70K Kms | 80K Kms | 90K Kms | 100K Kms |
| Ford Aspire | CNG | 1.2L | 1811 | 5659 | 3779 | 5659 | 3779 | 7328 | 3779 | 5659 | 3779 | 4910 |
The 1.2-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine produces 96 PS at 6,500 rpm and 120 Nm of torque at 4,250 rpm. It is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. Out of the five grades, namely Ambiente, Trend, Trend+, Titanium and Titanium+, the CNG option is available in only the entry-level Ambiente grade and the mid-range Trend+ grade.
Key features of the Ford Aspire CNG include 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, automatic climate control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, rear-view camera, power adjustable and folding ORVMs, front fog lamps and rear defogger.
Also Read: Made-for-India Ford C-SUV to be substantially different from Mahindra W601
Like the Aspire, the Figo may gain a CNG option after the facelift. In fact, Ford was testing a Figo CNG last year. The facelifted hatchback should go on sale by next month.
Ford Aspire CNG - Prices
- Aspire Ambiente CNG - INR 6,27,414 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
- Aspire Trend+ CNG - INR 7,12,314 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
