2018 Ford Aspire Facelift Spied Inside Out

Published On May 09, 2018 06:14 PM By Dhruv Attri for Ford Aspire

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As expected, the sedan’s cabin bears similarities to the recently launched Ford Freestyle

The camouflaged versions of the Ford Figo and the Aspire were spotted at a dealer yard recently. These images not only give us a glimpse into the changes both cars are expected to receive but also indicate that they could be launched quite soon. The outgoing Aspire lagged behind its rivals in terms of features and Ford will be aiming to fix that with the updated model. While the exterior gets subtle changes, the interior has been overhauled along the lines of the recently-launched Freestyle. So, let’s take a closer look, shall we?

To start with, the Aspire facelift will get the same dashboard layout as the Freestyle. However, the Aspire will continue to be offered with the beige-black interior colour scheme as before. The Aspire will also get a floating infotainment system that looks similar to the 6.5-inch unit found on the cross-hatch. Speaking of which, the Freestyle’s infotainment system is equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity options along with Microsoft SYNC 3. Look closer, and you will also notice a push start-stop button and an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror (IRVM) in these shots. These features weren’t part of the outgoing version’s equipment list.

The model spotted here is equipped with an automatic transmission with ‘Sport’ mode. And since the outgoing version of the sub-4 metre sedan shared its petrol-auto powertrain with the pre-facelift EcoSport, we expect the 2018 Aspire to borrow the new 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine and the 6-speed torque converter from the EcoSport facelift. This engine makes a maximum power of 123PS, which is 13PS more than the older 1.5-litre unit. Like before, we expect this powertrain to be offered with the top-spec Titanium variant equipped with six airbags. Also Read: New Honda Amaze 2018 vs Ford Aspire vs Tata Tigor vs VW Ameo: Spec Comparison

The petrol-manual variants, on the other hand, is expected to be powered by the 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder motor seen on the Freestyle. This unit produces 96PS of power and 120Nm of torque. The diesel unit is expected to remain unchanged and both engines will be mated to a new 5-speed manual gearbox.

As for the changes on the outside, the Aspire facelift gets a new honeycomb mesh grille along with slightly larger headlamps from the Euro-spec Ka+ facelift. Apart from new alloy wheels that look a size larger, the side profile remains unchanged. While the outgoing version was offered with 14-inch wheels as standard, the facelift is likely to get 15-inch units since its rivals such as the Honda Amaze and the Maruti Suzuki Dzire are offered with the same. At the rear, the changes seem to be reserved for the bumper. The rest of the tail, including the tail lamps and the boot lid, seem to be the same as before.

The prices of the Ford Aspire facelift are likely to remain unchanged. The current version is priced between Rs 5.71 lakh and Rs 8.68 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Do you think the update will give Ford the ammo to take on other cars in the cut-throat sub-4 metre sedan segment? Does it stand a chance against the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the latest generation of the Honda Amaze? Let us know in the comments below.