Ford Aspire

Introduction

Ford launched the latest iteration of the Aspire with prices starting at Rs 5.55 lakhs. The American compact sedan received a facelift after being around in the country unchanged since its introduction in 2015. The mid-life refreshment comes with a new petrol heart and comprehensively updated interiors. The compact sedan has been launched in 11 trim levels with three powertrain and two transmission options and is available at a handsome price tag.

Exterior

The updated Aspire gets a new fascia which is highlighted by the imposing honeycomb pattern chrome grille, C-shaped fog lamp pods and revised bumpers. It rides on a stylish set of multi-spoke alloy wheels. At the back, there are revised tail lamps and a new chrome slat at the back. The elements around the fog lamps and headlamps are the same as seen in the Freestyle, albeit in chrome. These visual updates make it look similar to the larger Figo sedan on sale in South Africa or the Freestyle sold here in India.

Interior

The most prominent changes in the facelift are on the inside. The Freestyle inspiration continues but instead of the brown finished dash, the Aspire gets a dual-tone dashboard with a beige-black finish. The most important update for the Aspire is the floating touchscreen with SYNC3 infotainment system in addition to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We have reviewed this system in our touchscreen system comparison and you can read all about it over here. The instrument cluster is scrounged unchanged from the CUV and the beige upholstery lends the Aspire a premium feel.

Powertrain

Under the hood, there is the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder Dragon Series petrol engine which is the same 95bhp mill that debuted on the Freestyle. It comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission. On the other hand, the 110bhp 1.5-litre petrol powerplant is being offered with a new six-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. Meanwhile, the diesel model continues to be powered by the tried-and-tested 100bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.