This month Ford India communicated to us that it plans to launch the 2018 Ford Aspire (facelift) on 4 October. The updated compact sedan has already been revealed through a video that surfaced last week. Today, we have a video by AutoTrend TV that shows the new car in 'White Gold' and 'Ruby Red' paint schemes.
The 2018 Ford Aspire essentially is the sedan version of the 2018 Ford Ka+ for Europe. It gets a similar new mesh grille flanked by a chrome surround, C-shaped chrome applique for the fog lamp housings and a restyled bumper. The change in the side is courtesy of the new multi-spoke alloy wheels on the Titanium trim. At the rear, the compact sedan gets an updated bumper.
The highlight of the cabin is the new SYNC 3 infotainment system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen interface. The advent of the new unit results in the removal of several controls and buttons, thereby de-cluttering the dashboard. The refreshed dashboard also sports a push start-stop button near its instrument cluster. The beige & black colour theme continues.
Changes on the 2018 Ford Aspire aren't merely cosmetic. The 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine of the pre-facelift version has made way for the 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit from the Dragon Series of motors. The engine comes mated to a new five-speed manual transmission from Getrag (code: MX65). The gearbox is lighter than the IB5 unit that it replaces. A 6-speed torque converter automatic will be optional. The new engine outputs a maximum power of 95 hp and a peak torque of 120 Nm.
Diesel variants will retain the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with a five-speed manual transmission. The oil-burner outputs 100 PS and 215 Nm.
With an average monthly sales figure of 1,083 units*, the Ford Aspire is nowhere as popular as the segment-leading Maruti Dzire (24,099 units*) and the Honda Amaze (9,679 units in the first 4 months of its sales). The various updates that the 2018 Ford Aspire carries should enable it to benefit from a higher demand during this year's festive season.
(*March 2018 - August 2018)
