Check on Road Price
Looks
Even though the Ford Fiesta is supposed to be the replacement of the Ford Ikon, it isn’t the case in India. Here both the models co-exist. Infact the looks of the new Ford Ikon in India resemble, somewhat, those of the Ford Fiesta. It has been given a larger, wider lower air dam and at the same time the upper one has been shortened. The surprise is that there isn’t any grille on this car. I had heard somewhere that this actually improves the flow of air and thus effectively cools the engine. Sharpened clear lens head lamp now dominate the head lamp fascia. The old ones are out. The Blue Oval logo looks as if it was fitted as an after thought. The fog lamps on the top end variant are similar to the ones found on the Ford Fiesta.
The 14 inch alloy wheels on the top end variant give it a pronounced stance whereas 13 inch steel ones are also elegant enough. They are also puncture resistant. One thing in the Ford Ikon still hasn’t changed and it is the small wing mirrors. They are not even body colored. At the rear, nothing has changed and it is back to basics with only the Tdci badge adorning the rump. Ah yes, there are also clear lens tail lamps.
Interiors
The door pads of the Ford Ikon in India still feel solid enough to give lighter rivals like the Maruti Swift Dzire and the Logan a big complex. The dashboard shows new backlit instrument design along with new beige dual tone interiors. Sad that audio controls are still missing on the 3 spoke steering wheel. I remember driving the Ikon before and hope that its steering wheel still has the same amount of feedback to deliver when I actually start driving it. The air con controls look old school and 3 of them are stacked too close to each other near the central console. The AC controls also look very basic. There is a large scoop on the dash board for storing changes and newspapers. The stereo is also much improved with added Bluetooth facility. There is a glove box as well but then it isn’t too deep. The new fabric seats along with leather seat covers try to give the car a more up market look but then the rest of the package fails to comply with its demand. The build quality is almost Maruti like with much scope for improvement.
Front seats are comfortable but I personally felt that the back rest was angled in such a way that it made long distance journeys a pain. The driver as well as front passenger seats are adjustable for reach but not for height. The steering however is tilt adjustable. The door mirrors are internally adjustable but only manually. There are also many power goodies like the power windows and the usual parnaphelia. Rear seats are a bit cramped for 6 footers but then if you anything below 6 foot then it is comfortable. Flat flooring at the rear ensures seating three along isn’t a problem. The boot space with its low loading lip can take in about 400 liters of luggage. The rear seats unfortunately don’t split and this limits the loading capacity.
Handling and ride quality
The Ford Ikon in India was always the epitome of handling ever since the day it was launched in India. From the onset, it captured the essence of handling. Actually it was the benchmark as far as handling goes. Good to say that some things are better left untouched. For example the steering wheel dials in so much feedback that in an instant you feel as if you are one with the road. The power assist is perfect for the city as well as on the highways. At the very limit, the car under steers gently. It does let one know where is the limit. It is enjoyable even on congested roads as well as twisties. As far as ride quality goes, it does suffer a bit but then not extremely so. You sit fairly higher than what you would in its times, the Maruti Esteem. At low speeds, actually everything is transmitted into the cabin but then once the speeds rise, the ride quality also improves big time. NVH however is on the higher side and those vibrations can be felt via the pedals and sometimes even through the steering wheel. The petrol is surprisingly noisier than the diesel motor. The diesel, though not the benchmark for refinement, has sufficient damping(less than the Ford Fiesta which has a better noise insulation package under the hood).
Engine, performance and fuel efficiency
The Ford Ikon in India is offered with two engine options. One is the old 1.3 liter petrol which has sequential fuel injection and produces 70PS of maximum power at 5500rpm whereas the torque figure reads as 105Nm at 2500rpm. The diesel is the same unit which currently does duties under the Ford Fiesta. It is a 1.4 liter common rail unit which makes 68 PS of power at 4000rpm and torque of 160 Nm at 2000rpm. Both the engines are aligned with a 5 speed manual transmission. The transmission is also a slick shifting unit but then the Maruti Dzire betters it on that count now. The clutch feel is also on the heavier side now on both the petrol and diesel variants, noticeably on the diesel power plant.
The petrol engine once the standard for its segment races from 0-100 kmph in only 15.1 seconds and the top speed it attained was 155 kmph. The engine just loves to be revved and the gear box also plays along with it. It is a short throw unit and changes rapidly. The diesel on the other hand breaches the 0-100 kmph mark in 13.6 seconds on account of its huge torque. The engine runs out of breath at the 160 kmph mark. This engine is a bit of a laggard and as I had noticed in the Figo, reluctant to be revved. What it likes best is city speeds and the occasional highway runs. Rev it hard and the turbo will take its own sweet time to spool up and reward you.
Braking was a major issue with the old Ikons of yore. Over the times, this has improved however the Ford Ikon in India gets ventilated discs in the front and drums at the rear. There is no ABS or ESP thrown in. This I am sure many would feel is a serious issue which Ford Motors India Limited should take into heed and get rectified. The brake pedal feel also felt wooden on both the models. As far as safety goes, other than the proven body of the car, there are three point seat belts and the collapsible steering wheel. Yes, I haven’t missed the air bags. The only point is that there are no air bags on offer even as an option.
Fuel efficiency was a big time miss in the earlier variants however the 2008 onwards models have got that part rectified. The 1.3 petrol now returns 11 kmpl in the city and 15.6 kmpl on the highway. The 1.4 diesel motor returns 12.7 kmpl in the city and on the highway, this figure rises to 17.3 kmpl. Both the cars now make perfect sense for any one looking out for a no nonsense sedan in this category.
Verdict
Well, there is nothing to choose from. The Ford Ikon in India is strictly for those who are on a budget and want all the thrills of a superb handling car minus the price tag baggage. The interiors could have been a bit more pleasing to the eyes, build quality consistent and the rear seat space a bit more. Well, these are all the things that I do wish for but then it would have made more of a sense for this aging sedan. The Ford Ikon price in India starts from Rs 4,92,000 for the base petrol variant whereas the top end diesel variant goes for Rs 5,70,000. All these prices are ex-show room, Mumbai. At this price, it definitely is a steal over some of the costlier hatches masquerading as sedans. Ford’s sales and services have also improved very much and this can also add to the appeal of this diminishing “Icon”.
 |
Used Ford Car For Sale : |
| |
|
New Ford Car For Sale |
|
| |
| Exclusive Car Deals From Indian Drives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
