2018 Ford Aspire coming soon; India launch details out

American carmaker Ford is all set to give a major makeover to its compact sedan model, the Aspire in India. Ford India will revise the styling of the Aspire with an array of updated features and the launch has been scheduled for October 4, according to various reports.

Ford India launched the Aspire three years back and the compact sedan now looks dated against the refreshed rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent and Honda Amaze. Ford had taken the wraps off new Figo sedan for the South African market in June.

The Figo sedan for a South African market is manufactured at Sanand facility in India and Aspire is expected to feature similar design updates.

In that case, 2018 Ford Aspire's design will get inspiration from the Freestyle crossover which Ford India had launched recently. The cosmetic tweaks on the exterior will include larger headlights and a new chrome-bathed honey-comb front grille.

The reworked front bumper may feature C-shaped chrome lining and round fog lamps. The side profile of the Aspire is expected to carry over while the rear will get an edgy bumper with black inserts and restyled tail lamps. Since there is demand for chrome add-ons among Indian customers, thick strip of chrome across the boot lid will be retained.

Under the hood, the 2018 Ford Aspire facelift is expected to get the new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that also does duty in the Freestyle. The new mill develops 94bhp of power and 115Nm of torque.

The existing 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine will be carried over as well. Some reports also claim that a CNG model with older 1.2-litre petrol engine will be offered to eye fleet market. Transmission option will include a 5-speed manual gearbox and possibly the new 6-speed automatic torque converter.

A slight increase in price is expected along with the facelift. Having said that, Ford India is expected to price the 2018 Aspire in a range that will undercut the price of most of its rivals.