Ford Aspire Facelift: Variants Explained

The 2018 Ford Aspire facelift is offered in a choice of five variants, starting at Rs 5.55 lakh and going up to Rs 8.49 lakh (ex-showroom India)

The mid-life update of the Ford Aspire is here and it is all set to renew its rivalry with the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Tata Tigor and Volkswagen Ameo. The updated Aspire is significantly more feature-rich than before in all its variants. However, which variant of the 2018 Aspire makes the most sense for you? We find out.

Dimensions

Colour options

• White Gold
• Deep Impact Blue
• Moondust Silver  
• Absolute Black  
• Smoke Grey
• Ruby Red
• Oxford White

Standard safety features

• Dual front airbags
• ABS with EBD
• Rear parking sensors
• Seatbelt reminder (driver and front passenger)  
• Rear fog lamps
• Adjustable front and rear headrests

Ford Aspire Ambiente  

• Light: Multi-reflector halogen headlamps and incandescent tail lamps
• Audio: No audio system on offer  
• Comfort: Tilt-adjustable steering wheel, front power windows, manual air conditioning, electric power steering  
• Tyres: 175/65 cross-section R14 steel wheels

Is it worth buying?

Prices of the updated Aspire have noticeably dropped throughout its variant lineup. The base Ambiente variant has also become cheaper, especially the diesel by over Rs 35,000. And like all newer cars nowadays, the Aspire too comes with a standard suite of safety features. The weak link of the pre-facelift Aspire was its lethargic petrol engine, which has now been replaced by a more powerful and efficient 1.2-litre from Ford’s latest Dragon series. The tried and tested diesel continues its duties in the updated sub-4m sedan. So if you’re you're on a strict budget, the Aspire Ambiente certainly makes sense. That said, we expect carmakers to offer features like an audio system, rear power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs, central locking, rear defogger and wheel cover as well in the entry-level models.

• Spec Comparison: Ford Aspire 2018 vs Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Honda Amaze vs Hyundai Xcent vs Volkswagen Ameo vs Tata Tigor

Ford Aspire Trend: Pricier for the features it adds

Over the base Ambiente, the Trend gets:

• Aesthetics: Body-coloured door handles and outside rearview mirrors, silver painted grille, front doors fabric insert and chrome handbrake lever tip

• Audio: Audio system with Bluetooth phone integration and 4-speaker setup  

• Comfort: Rear centre armrest, tachometer, rear power window and remote keyless entry

Is it worth buying?

The Trend variant of the Aspire does away with all the blanks that make the base Ambient variant appear stripped. However, the price hike that comes along with it is on the higher side given that it doesn’t add any substantial features to the table. The majority of the additional features that the Trend packs are easily available in the aftermarket at a lower cost. Ideally, the Aspire should have been available with this configuration (along with the features that we consider missing in the base variant) as the base variant at around Rs 5.8 lakh for us to recommend it with full confidence. We suggest you should skip this variant if you can spend more and check out the Trend+.

Ford Aspire Trend+: Significantly feature-rich than the Trend, value-for-money variant

Over the Trend, the Trend+ gets:

• Lights: Front fog lamps
• Audio: 7-inch infotainment system with a capacitive touchscreen and built-in navigation, rearview camera, steering-mounted controls  
• Comfort: Driver’s power window auto up/down, auto climate control and power adjustable and foldable outside rearview mirrors
• Safety: Rear defogger and perimeter alarm

Is it worth buying?

The premium that the Trend+ warrants is totally justified considering the value proportion of the added goodies over Trend variant. In fact, the Trend+ is certainly among the most value-packed mid-spec variants in the entire sub-4m sedan segment. It would’ve been icing on the cake if Ford could have added height-adjustable driver’s seat from the Trend+ onwards.

Ford Aspire Titanium: Adds premiumness to the package

Over the Trend+, the Titanium gets:

• Aesthetics: Chrome grille, chrome rear boot-lip applique
• Comfort: Adjustable driver’s seat, passive keyless entry with engine push button start-stop
• Tyres: Fatter and bigger 195/55 R15 with alloy wheels
• Safety: Petrol automatic additionally offers electronic stability program, traction control, hill launch assist  

Is it worth buying?

The Titanium adds much-needed features like an adjustable driver’s seat, which you cannot retrofit post-purchase. Features like ESP, TC & HLA are also significant add-ons from the safety perspective with the automatic variant. For manual Aspire, the Titanium variant still justifies the premium. That said, we would have liked if Ford could offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-equipped SYNC 3 infotainment system from Titanium variant onwards as it’s the only variant that’s also available with an automatic transmission. Cruise control feature with automatic transmission is another miss in our books.

Ford Aspire Titanium+: Makes the Aspire among the safest sub-10 lakh vehicles

Over the Titanium, the Titanium+ gets:

• Audio: 6.5-inch Ford SYNC 3 system with voice commands along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support  
• Comfort: Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlamps  
• Safety: Emergency Assistance with SYNC 3 (automatically calls emergency services through the connect phone in case of any mishap if airbags are deployed), side and curtain airbags making a total of six airbags

Is it worth buying?

The Titanium+ is the variant that gets all the bells and whistles, especially on the safety front. The highlight of the Titanium+ variant is its class-leading six airbags, including side and curtain ones. What also makes a big statement is Ford’s famous SYNC 3 unit, which is simply one of the best in the market, with Android Auto and CarPlay as well as Emergency Assistance. We would have welcomed a leather-wrapped steering wheel for the Titanium+. That said, the premium over the Titanium is pretty acceptable.

Also Read: Ford Figo Facelift Launch By March 2019

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