Sandeep Kolhatkar of Ford FIGO India Owners Group has spotted a fully uncamouflaged unit of the 2018 Ford Aspire (facelift) in Pune. The car wears the 'Smoke Grey' exterior paint job.
The 2018 Ford Aspire (facelift) can be booked by paying a token amount of Rs 11,000 at any authorised Ford India dealership. The new model will launch on October 4. In the words of Ford India, the refreshed model combines "power, style, and substance."
The refreshed model will be available with two new petrol engines and the earlier oil-burner. The 1.2-litre four-cylinder and 1.5-litre four-cylinder TiVCT engines of the existing Aspire will be replaced with three-cylinder units of similar cubic-capacity from the company's Dragon series of engines.
The new 1.5-litre motor, with a maximum power/torque of 123 PS/150, will have a power advantage of 10% and a torque advantage of 7% over the outgoing engine's 110 PS/140 Nm. The 6-speed dual-clutch transmission will be replaced with a more cost-effective 6-speed torque converter unit. The diesel variant will retain the 1.5-litre turbocharged unit with a five-speed manual transmission. The 1498cc motor outputs 100 PS and 215 Nm.
The current 1.2-litre four-cylinder TiVCT engine will make way for the 1.2-litre three-cylinder Dragon engine from the Freestyle CUV. With a maximum power/torque of 96 PS/120 Nm, the new motor holds a power advantage of 9% and a torque advantage of 7% over the older engine's 88 PS/112 Nm. The current IB5 five-speed manual transmission will be replaced with a lighter and more accurate Getrag (code: MX65) unit.
The 2018 Ford Aspire (facelift) features a sleeker grille with a chrome surround, C-shaped chrome appliques for the fog lamp housings, updated bumpers, and new 15-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. On the inside, the refreshed compact sedan receives the dashboard of the Freestyle CUV along with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display for the SYNC 3 infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The lower variants will be equipped with a FLY touchscreen infotainment unit with Bluetooth. The Figo-based compact sedan also gains a push start-stop button.
Speaking on the refreshed Ford Aspire, Rahul Gautam, Vice President, Marketing at Ford India has said:
The New Ford Aspire has been tailor-made for those who don’t follow the crowds, desire beyond the ordinary and want more out of their car experience. They are driven by a desire to lead and make their own mark.
We expect the 2018 Ford Aspire (facelift) to command a slight premium over the current model. Currently, the Figo-based compact sedan retails at a starting price of INR 5.82 lakhs* for the petrol model and INR 6.93 lakhs* for the diesel variants.
(*all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi)
[Image source - facebook.com]
