2018 Ford Aspire facelift India launch in July: Existing version's production ends

The production of the current generation Aspire compact sedan seems to have come to an end at Ford India's Sanand plant in Gujarat to make way for the facelifted version of the model. A new set of images that hit the web suggest that the final unit -- the 3,01,394th -- of the Ford Aspire sedan has been rolled out of the plant March 15.

A sticker on the rear bumper of the Aspire in the leaked images also reads "Last Car Body B562". Although Ford has not revealed the launch date of the new Aspire facelift in India yet, the company has been testing the model in the country. A report of MotorOctane notes that the 2018 Aspire could be launched in July. There is no word yet on the production commencement of the new version. The word around the web is that the dealerships of the company continue to accept booking for the current version of the Aspire.

2018 Ford Aspire facelift

The facelifted version of the Aspire had been caught on camera countless times. From the spy images, the new Aspire facelift is likely to get redesigned hexagonal front grille with new headlamp units and restyled front and rear bumpers. The new Aspire could also get LED daytime running lamps and revised taillamp design.

The side profile of the Aspire facelift is likely to include the new multi-spoke alloy wheels. Although we are yet to see the cabin of the Aspire, rumors suggest updated interiors with new and advanced features like touchscreen display with Ford's SYNC3 in-car connectivity. The new facelifted model is also expected to get new upholstery and color schemes.

The new Aspire is also likely to see changes under the hood. It is speculated to get new 1.2-litre petrol mill from the Dragon family, which could churn out 94 bhp and 115 Nm of peak torque. The same engine might make it to the facelifted Figo and the upcoming Freestyle compact utility vehicle.

The current powertrains of Aspire include 1.2-litre Ti-VCT, 1.5-litre TDCi, and 1.5-litre Ti-VCT engines. While the former can churn out 87bhp at 6300rpm and 112Nm at 4000rpm of peak torque mated to a five-speed manual transmission, the 1.5-litre TDCi has the capacity to produce 99bhp of power and 215Nm of torque and will come with a five-speed manual gearbox. The third engine in the line-up, the 1.5-litre Ti-VCT, is tuned to produce 110bhp at 6,300rpm and 136Nm at 4250rpm of torque with a 6-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox.

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