Its finally here!!
A value for money Josh machine!!!!!
At Rs. 5,23,000 (Ex-showroom Mumbai) the ikon 1.3 Flair is an absolute steal. I had test driven the 1.3 before and it was on my wish list from quite some years.
But I was afraid the Flair would not be good because of its engine being made by Hindustan Motors at its Pithampura plant.
OH!!! I WAS SO WRONG!!!!!!!
The Engine sends Smiles around your face when you Rev it for the First time and it will leave a very Nasty Grin on your face when you Ride it on the road. It is really beautiful to look at too.
It looks Muscular and very Sporty. It promises to make a statement wherever you go.
It is definitely a neighbours envy!!!
Believe me when I say this, some people in my building didn't talk to me or were trying to avoid me for atleast a week or two after I bought this Cat Eyed Beauty.
It has Amazing Pace and the ROCAM engine is Excellent. At traffic signals you wont even have time to wave to the people you left behind!!!
Some of you may say that am faking this but I have Clocked 160 on the speedo on the Western Express Highway of Mumbai. People living in Mumbai know how the traffic over here is! The 1.3 ROCAM is really very beautiful infact a Car Enthusiast like Me might just spend hours studying its beauty. You can call it a Combination of The Beauty (Looks) and The Beast (Engine)!!!
Ok now for the serious part....
I. Design And Engineering:
As I said before the car looks Extremely Beautiful. Beware of Jealous Neighbours!! It looks Muscular and Sporty and it promises to make a Statement wherever you go. The raised boot looks Beautiful and gives the car a Racy stance even when the car is standing still!!! Its Angular tail lamps look really good and they just add to the beauty of the car.
Engineering is solid and you can feel the solidness in every piece of metal you touch, especially if you have used a Japanese or Korean car for too long. Ford engineers have really laid emphasis on Chassis Strength. The 1.3 inspires confidence in your driving and feels utterly Safe.
II. Engine, Gearbox And Performance:
The Engine is Addictive!!! The ROCAM engine is Amazingly Strong And Powerful. You can always see the Tachometer Flying.
It is extremely Fast and Zippy. You can easily see the other cars trailing you through your rear view mirror after you start at traffic signals.
It can reach to speeds in excess of 125 km/hr without any strain of any sort. Infact it reached 170 km/hr effortlessly on my regular Speed Run. Acceleration is Brisk and you will be Propelled ahead of the Crowd in no time. The Josh has Amazing Pace and will make people outside scared as if they have seen a Monster.
You feel as if you are Colin Mcrae, without even trying!!!!!! The Gearbox is Very Sporty and you will Enjoy every little shift you make on this Beast.
III. Ride and Handling:
Handling is Excellent!!! You will love to drive this Beauty.
The Sharp and Responsive steering is a Delight and an Enthusiast's Dream. The steering will tell you everything what the tyres are doing.
For instant Motoring Nirvana you can just take the Josh machine on a highway and you will come to know what am talking about. It has a really very tight turning radius and you wont have to take Pains while taking U-Turns even on Heavily crowded streets.
Ride is Excellent too. Anyone and Everyone who sits in the car says IT'S SO DAMN SMOOTH!!!! You wont feel bumps, speed breakers, pot holes, etc. which are available aplenty on Indian roads. It feels very Comfortable and it also inspires Confidence in your driving. Definitely better than its Korean counterpart (Accent).
IV. Fuel Efficiency:
Fuel efficiency might not be on terms with its Japanese rival (Esteem) but is surely great for what performance this car gives.
In City I got a figure of around 10.6 kpl and on Highways of about 16 kpl on speeds in excess of 125 km/hr. Definitely better than any of its rivals except the Extremely Frugal Esteem.
V. Interiors and Comfort:
The seats are Marvellous and give a lot of back and under thigh support. It is really very Soothing for long drives and you will never feel tired. Legroom is good and slightly better than the Accent. The Josh Benefits by Having the Largest Wheelbase in it's Category....yes....even Larger than the Honda City or the Suzuki Baleno.
Rear seats are especially very Comfortable and you can have a very nice refreshing sleep in it. You can easily stretch your legs without troubling any of the other passengers.
The dash feels a bit Plasticky though. Although it is Very Beautiful too look at. The Aircon switches arent of great quality either. However the dash is very beautiful and you will Love the Instrument Cluster at night.
You wont feel any thing while the car is moving and when it stands still sometimes you are compelled to think that the engine's been turned off!! There are no noises from the car whatsoever no Bangs, Clutters, etc.
VI. Storage Space:
The Boot is very big and you get 400 litres of space to store your luggage more than ideal for your weekend getaway or to leave relatives or family to the Airport or Railway Station. Interior Storage space is lacking though.
The Glove Compartment is steep and low, hence cannot be used to store too many of your belongings like Cds, etc. The Rear Parcel Shelf is sloping and does not allow you to keep anything. The things just keep falling off.
VII. Visibility:
Visibility for the rear is a special weak point. The raised boot makes reversing a problem when you first use the car and it takes some getting used to. But once you get used to it you wont mind reversing by just looking at the rear view mirror. The car offers excellent visibility in the front.
You dont get a Left Hand Side Rear View mirror and you will have to get it fixed from the dealer.
The Clear Lens Head Lamps offer Brilliant Illumination at night.
VIII. Braking:
As I mentioned earlier the car inspires a lot of confidence.
It is very safe and the braking is excellent. It comes to a standstill even from extremely high speeds in no time at all. You wont have to panic during any kind of emergencies.
IX. Equipment Level:
With the 1.3 Flair you get Central locking, Power windows, Power steering, etc. for the Basic Comforts you need with your car.
The Electric Boot Release linked with the Central Locking System is a Ford Hallmark. However the equipment level is not much a Stereo is missing, but you get two 45 watt speakers in the front, Ford has provided wiring for the rear speakers. You dont get a LHS Rear View Mirror, Remote Boot Release and Fog Lamps. You will have to get it fixed from the dealer the LHS Mirror costs about Rs. 2200, The Remote Boot Release costs about Rs. 5000 and the Fog Lamps will cost you about Rs. 8500.
I got myself a Alpine MP3/CD/AM-FM unit and speakers for Rs. 30,000 after which you dont really need to fix amplifiers or woofers. But you can get them fixed for anything between Rs.7000-25000.
I Strongly Recommend you to buy this Beauty/Beast (Call It Whatever You Like).
The Sales and Service department of Ford India are Excellent. The Sales people in Showrooms are Very Good and are Genuinely Co-Operative. You will have to Bargain with them and the Good Bargainer will be extremely rewarded. You can get Discounts as well as Freebies.
Ford India has the Industry best delivery timing and you may get your car in not more than 4-5 days. I got mine on the 3rd day after booking!!! You will Love this car for sure and you will always be longing to hear its Sweet engine Revving!!
!!!!!!! AAO JOSH MEIN !!!!!!!
