Ford Aspire facelift spotted for the first time

After the new and updated EcoSport, it was a known fact that Ford India would revamp its line-up this year. There will be a new Figo-based cross compact vehicle arriving later this month, after which, Ford will lend a mid-life update to the Figo and Aspire siblings. The latter was also spotted testing for the first time near the carmaker’s manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. 

Similar to the Figo-cross, the new and updated Aspire will carry a redesigned fascia. The grille will be inspired by the all-black treatment of the Figo S and get a mesh finish compared to the louvered one on the current one. The front bumper also seems to be restyled a fair bit with slight tweaks to the headlights. Whether it will get the essential LED day-time-running lights remains to be seen.

The side, sans all the cladding, reveals that there aren’t many changes there. The test mule was riding on new eight double-spoke alloy wheels which had a blacked-out finish. The tail lights might get some minor tweaks as well but we don’t expect any drastic changes there. The rear bumpers on the prototype remain unchanged compared to the current car.

However, the most prominent changes will be under the skin. The floating infotainment screen which debuted in the EcoSport will make its way inside the cabin of all the upcoming Fords. According to reports, the rest of the cabin will remain unchanged. Under the hood will be the new 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from the Dragon family. The petrol motor will debut first in the Figo cross. The oil-burner, on the other hand, will be the same 1.5-litre TDCi with 100bhp on tap and both the engines will come mated to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. The automatic transmission is only available with the petrol motor and will be offered with the new engine as well. 

The new and updated Aspire will be revealed in the coming months after the Figo-cross breaks cover. It will continue its fray against other compact sedans in India like the Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze and the segment-leader Maruti Dzire. Prices are expected to remain unchanged as well.