As usual, did lot of review in team-bhp, mouthshut, car magazines and all that, wanted to buy a good car in 5L but extended to 6.22 and settled down to an old beauty this july.
At 5, I could go somewhere in WaganRs and Hyundai I10, or a basic swift, being all good petrol cars. I have a driving history of 40k kms on my old esteem so always wanted a long car.
coming straing to the Ikon,
Lathangi ford in bangalore behaved good and all the formalities went well except that I am still waiting for my electronic RC book. I changed my color to paprika red from earlier silver, it was done hassle free.
The car:
at 6.10L, swift vdi got ABS and Tilt steering, thats all, nothing much to talk about. since my budget was limited and required a long car, The Ford Ikon offered a basic frame with wheels and a great engine.
Looks:
no confusion of LXI ar any version, just 1.4 TDI. This was good. came with all illuminated power windows, beige interiors, fog lamps and same agressive look at the front. I dint get that art-leather lining on doors in swift. moreover I love the body cuts of ikon. The red is really a beauty.
Engine:
This is a first ride on diesel. I love the pickup, the torque. now I know the difference between BHP and TORQ. The turbo kick really helps in city level overtaking. Power is much better for a diesel, little bit of noise but its only few percent lesse than Laura or Verna. 68PS at 4000rpm makes everyday use hassle free. you can even raise the car in 3rd gear. in city, hardly any gear change required.
The gear shift is again harder compared to any hyundai car but better than maruti.
A/C:
I think hyundai A/c are much better but this car is a great leap from Esteem w.r.t. AC. its really fast and really cool. No complaints. there is hardly any power drop at normal speeds. But if you have 4 members and if you dont accelerate initially then you will feel a lot of power drop.
Steering:
The ratio os steering is little different compared to maruti cars. here if you urn first half, it turns little, next curve will swing the vehicle. its a fun taking a U turn in this car. I had no problems to use the car in city w.r.t parking. but I think it Hydraulic PS not EPS. So its a but harder. or same like esteem
Speed:
I have touched 170kmph in nice road with proper stability braking. But company shows only 130kmph max. it dint go faster as the Engine RPM was little beyond 4000rpm and the needle dint go further. just upgrade the tyre to some 185/60 with good alloys, you can improve in braking stability.
Brakes:
its amazing for the cost you are paying but sometimes a skid at dangerous speed or in wet conditions. since the tyre is also 13" 175/70. So please drive the baby carefully.
Mileage:
I get 16kmpl in city with AC. all glasses closed. never went long drives. I work in ITPL and commute from JP nagar. costs 160rupees per day where in esteem coster 280rupees. This is a great savings.
I go on long drives, 3 members make it cheaper than the basic KA red color service bus ticket.
Suspension:
4 person in the car? then its dam smooth I tell you. But single seat drive makes the rear wheel often do a hard jum as the vehicle is by default little higher. over all a great design as I have tested curving.
comfort:
no issues, the front left dashboad cut makes extra space for longer person by default. rear comfort is good too. need to maintain the seats better as it may get ugly soon if you open the glass and drive. boot space is a single bedroom house.
liked the chrome finish for gear knob and the handbrake. the console is old but definitely not bad.
cons or improvements:
For longer speed of long journey, head light is not sufficient. but anyway thanks to the head lamp leveller.
default tyres could have been better for this design
some basic stuffs could have been included like a tilt steering, electronic power steering, better looking console.
remote boot lid open bust come factory default
1st service:
it was all free. but the seats were not washed at all. the car did not behave different. it was almost same.
continuing the review - part 1
The second service mad the car very smooth. Recently took the car to Udupi via shimoga and Agumbe.
Here is my feeling:
The torque is so good, we were 5 people in car with fully loaded luggage, it gave a great mileage of 18kmpl with A/C, I am sure it would give 21+ if I was single. Overtaking in SH roads were hassle free, just shift from 5th to third and car just zoooms. There were many areas where we had bad roads, the suspension was very sooth and the ground clearance helped a lot by not touching the car anywhere.
In Agumbe ghats while coming back, all the steepy roads were so easy to climb and it just did with no effort, really an amazing power in this arena.
continuing the review - part 2
As of today on MAY 23rd 2011, it cloaked 41000KM and yet the service cost per service remained 4700/- including wheel balancing and alignment. Recently changed the 65W lamps to 110W.
There is no difference in performance what so ever, I hope it stays for another 5 years.
its is SAD to know that the production of the nw ikon has ended, ford should not stop its largest selling car which is also a flagship model for india. They can still remake it with new looks and more advanced features
