Ford Ikon User Reviews

Dear All,

I take this opportunity to update you folks that this is my second review on CarWale. I find this as an excellent platform to communicate my own experiences and thoughts about my second vehicle Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI, so as to help you upto some extent in your decision making. My first review was for 118 NE which i had owned earlier. Please visit the link http://www.carwale.com/research/premier-cars/118ne/userreviews/24166.html

I purchased Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI Petrol Version in October 2009. Since then I have driven over 17000 KMS and my experience has been amazing for a second hand car. When I decided to sell my queen, I was exploring 3 vehicles as my pre requisite requirement was to buy a Sedan. The choice I was available within my budget of 1.75 Lacs was Hyundai Accent, Honda City(Older Version) and Ford Ikon.

My first preference was Honda City, next it was Hyundai Accent and finally it was Ford Ikon. The reason was I had been hearing so much negative reviews of Ford Ikon that I was a bit afraid to buy. I researched and viewed many cars but couldnt find the first 2 options but finally I found Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI and decided to take a risk. After almost 2 years of my use today, I am very happy and proud to make a decision to have my Josh machine. I love it so much that it has also accepted me and has loved me too. The best thing of this car is its amazing pick up (ROCAM) engine followed by excellent road control even at high speeds.

Exterior In the exterior, the car looks amazing and I think it is much ahead over likes of Hyundai Accent and Honda City (Older Version).

Interiors When it comes to Interior, the dashboard design is amazing keeping in mind the convenience of side passenger which is ahead of Accent and City. The visibility of the drivers view is excellent which is also in Accent as well as City. The AC works excellent during summer.

The space is ample for seating 5 members comfortably. The AC vents are placed differently in comparison to traditional layout. It provides cooling to the center passenger also. The car maintains its Josh with 4 passengers but an additional member has a slight effect on its performace. The car has been providing 12 KM to a liter in City and about 15.5 KM/Liter on Highways. The maintenance of the car has not been an issue till date as I have been doing my normal service and checkup with an outside mechanic. 

The only time I faced problem was during replacement of a Tensioner Pulley. The Ford service center quoted me approximately 25000 bucks for replacing the entire system. I finally got the replacement done outside for about 3500 bucks. The issue with Ford service has been they do not provide any child parts. Incase of any failure, they ask us to purchase the entire system and that is what bothers me to even visit them. Otherwise, i have not faced any problem for my investment of 1.1 Lacs.

Final Words To all folks out there, please do not under estimate this car, its a great car and value for money. The only suggestion is treat the car as an extension of your body and take care of it with timely service and repairs (if any) and I am sure you would reap benefits of this Josh machine. I am surprised why Ford has decided to stop production of Ikon varients? Its a strange decision for me.

Areas of improvement If any Ford folks are reading it, please help your customer in solving their issues with minimal pressure when it comes to charges. You have a great market and buyers but the true test would be after sales service. I hope when i decide to buy another car I will not have any hesitation to go for Ford suite of cars. I am based out of Hyderabad.

The new Ford Ikon is now a more 'complete package'. We talk about its European styling, superior fuel efficiency and proven durability. These qualities generate real desire from consumers for a car that is now a true icon on India's roads."

The Ford Ikon’s well crafted, stylish and comfortable interiors demonstrate Ford engineers’ thoughtfulness for Indian driving habits. The new dual-tone beige interiors harmonise beautifully with the new seats and door trim. Rear seat comfort continues to be class-leading in the entry B-car segment.

The new, modern instrument cluster on the diesel variant incorporates new graphics, tachometer, LED needles and LCD odometer display.


The state-of-the art diesel powertrain in the new Ikon provides a solid performance across a wide torque band to complement the excellent driving dynamics for which the Ikon is renowned. Ford engineers have retuned the steering and suspension to suit the new 1.4 DuraTorq TDCi, continuing Ford's passion for developing drivers' cars, yet delivering a plush and refined ride which will be the envy of its competitors.

The Ikon meets Ford's stringent crash requirements, which exceed India's local regulatory requirements. Ikon's safety strategy incorporates both front and rear energy-absorbing crumple zones which dissipate the forces generated during an impact away from the occupants.

New Ikon's occupant safety features include:
• Collapsible steering column (reduces intrusion distance)
• Front seatbelt web-grabbers (prevent uncontrolled movement)
• Anti-submarine seat base (prevents occupants slipping under the three-point seatbelt during an impact)
• Front and rear side impact door beams
• Laminated direct glazed windscreen

Security is ensured with a multi-faceted anti-theft protection strategy:
• Central locking (includes fuel filler cap)
• High security lock sets for doors and boot lid
• Steering column lock
• Child locks

"The new Ford Ikon has real appeal for those looking to complement their lifestyle with an energetic, stylish, affordable mid-size sedan.

Guys,

The above information provided by me is simply copied from another website however i personally felt very good when i had test drive of this car.

My feelings:

Front looks: Built strong and makes you feel proud.

Rear looks: Looks decent but looks great with a spoiler (9k extra)

Side looks: Same old Ikon, doesn't look that heavy as front.

Interior: Loks decent for an entry level Sedan.

A/C: Pretty good and no impact in pickup is felt when switching it on and off  which proves the power of engine.

Comfort: Not upto the mark but still ok when the car starts moving.

Pickup: Too good keeping it's milage in mind.

Engine Noise: Decent for a diesel car but not as good as Fiat Palio and Swift Diesel (both are same engines).

Vibration: Little bit when the car is in low speed good at higher speeds.

My expectations:

Speed: I expect the maximum speed of this car would be 170 KM/H.

Fuel Efficiency: I expect this car to give 18 km/l in the city with AC on (according to showroom it is 20 km/l) and 22 in Highway without AC if speed is maintained between 100 and 130.

My online research proves the engine is best in class and it will give a good life if maintained properly.

Thanks & Regards,

Vijay.

I was aproud owner of Santro since 2001 and was very happy. As the Kids grew, we found that that we needed a bigger car with more luggage space , good drive handling (Self Driven) and spacious inside. Looks was not of great importance as I had a Santro which definitely didn't score well in looks (atleast at the time when I bought it, lot of people criticised me for that decision.).

After weeks of reserch in carwale, Short listed few SUV/MUV( Xylo, Scorpio, Innova ) and few Sedan ( Dzire, SX4). Initial visits and test drives , family rejected the SUV/MUVs.  Also more or less we wanted to to go for diesel and hence had only Dzire. Initial discussions with maruthi for Zdi of dzire was discouraging due to 6 month waiting period if you want the color of your choice.

One fine day we decided to have a casual walk to Lathangi ford near our office and were very impressed by Ikon. After a test drive , I found the driveability very good. The dealer had consultant reports on cost of spares comparison and found ford spares reasonable (in comparison to Hyundai spare costs) . The price negotiation was easy as I was getting thorugh the company. Shorlisted set of accessories and got a reasonable discount too.

Delivered the car on Sep 2 .  Driven some short trips and long drives so far. I am very happy for making the right choice.

In Summary , it is a Value for Money and the best Entry level Sedan.

I bought an IKON TDCi in Dec '08 but actually started driving it in Jan '09. Its registration number is KA-03-MK-5389. I have covered 13000+ kms by now and I can tell you the following about my car:

1. I live in Bangalore and I travel 25kms (to-fro) daily in moderate traffic. I get a mileage of 16kmpl+ with AC on. On highways I get a mileage of 22-23kmpl depending on whether I switch on the AC or not.

2. This is my first car and I am less than an year old to driving. I would for sure say that the handling of this car is great. It always stays within control.. :)

3. This car has ample power to climb slopes and its responsive too.

4. With 5 people loaded, at times the chassis touches some humps where IKON Petrol variant cruises through.

5. AC is chilling at times, so we need to switch on/off the AC once in a while.

6. I have driven the car at 160kmph and for a car which can cruise at this speed, an ABS would have been a great safety feature.

7. A remote boot opener would have been a great add-on too.

8. Forgot to mention that the engine is not as noisy as the Tata cars.

I have simply fallen in love with Ford, they are good at what they do. It might be a bit expensive though. I would recommend a Ford IKON to anyone looking for a no-nonsense and a good value for money car in the range of 6 lacs (On-road price in Bangalore). If you have any specific queries, do write in to me.

I've got my TDCi just a week back and it's absolutely satisfying....driving it is a great charm...I've completed 1200 kilometers in just seven days. It's really a sheer josh machine, even after being around for a decade, the JOSH is still on. Whatever I had expected out of the car, I've got it all. It has got bold masculine looks, a good sized and shaped boot, Nice,cheering and well designed interiors and comfortable ride. It handles very well on all types of roads and speeds, the high ground clearance is a boon on our roads. The driveability of this diesel is great....there is no turbo lag at all...and the throttle response is just great...enthusiasts will like it.

The economy is one of the best in it's class...it returned me 15 in the city and 17.5 on the highway with ac on for 80% of the ride...being a new car these figures are great, even the first service is not yet done. Try to keep the engine rpm below 2000 in all gears and you'll easily achieve these figures.

The only one thing I miss is a rear defogger is not even an option. Even the remote boot opening button has started coming as standard now.

I'll advice buying this to everyone who has a VFM factor in his/her mind and wants a overall very good diesel sedan with score in all the fields(keeping our road situations in mind)...even the service cost and spare prices are drastically reduced by the company.You can't get better value than this as on date!! Trust you me!!

Ah ... so much so for writting my first review of any god damn product which I have bought in my life span. Its worth the wait though ..... What a Beauty !! My frist reaction when I sat behind this beast for a test drive was "Wow What A Machine" . I got a similar feeling when I purchased my first bike a "Yamaha RX 100" boy what a machine that too was. Similar handling for this one beautifully stable at turns and amazingly solid at speeds. I touched 160 on a national highway once. Sitting behind the wheel you feel complete control of it. Can bring the car to a halt in a ziffy with fantastic braking. A really zippy machine .... Difficult to drive another car after this one .... so much in love with it ....

So much for the power and performance lets talk about the frugual heart it posseses. Gives me a full 19km/pl with Full Blast AC on highways .... I know of some people getting much more but I guess I like to enjoy the car and therefore push it to extremes at times ...

The ground clearance can match the best in business. The shock absorbers though don't compare to an accent. The seating comfrot is quite alright for both the rear and the front.

So much for the positives of this car it looks like a Ford advertisement. Some things the company could have improved on ....

1. Standard fitting of boot lid opener ..... come on ford don't be so frugual .... even a 3L car has this as standard fittment.

2. Side impacts does help and could have been another standard fittement like the previous Ikon versions.

3.Side view mirrors don't solve their purpose efficiently. Ford : Think about a redesign there please.

4. Interiors need a rework. Not sure if Fords gonna do it though as their cost might just push up and therefore make this car a less attaractive package then what it is.

Overall my big thums up to any one and every one planning to buy a entry segment deisel sedan and likes to have fun while driving. Certain downsides like the interiors but I guess you get used to it and the pleasure of driving just keeps coming.A great Value For Money and An Amazing performer.

"A COMPLETE PACKAGE"

Date Of Purchase 02/12/08

KM done 7000+

A happy IKON owner (touchwood :))

Exterior   - Superb, well balanced car Can go miles together as i drive my car from delhi to candigarh at a speed of 100 Km per hr and it took only 3 hrs to reach my destination without any hassle.Just imagine 266 Km in 3 hrs.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Okay Space is comfortable and the comfort level of the car is just fine.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Excellent Engine, Poor fuel economy, Average Gear boxngine performance is very . While driving from delhi I found that engine performance is very effective and strong. No car can beat this.But only problem is with spare parts and maintenance. Specially if you have purchased second hand ford ikon flair just make sure that be prepare for a cost of 20000 per year for maintenance. So dont go for petrol car of ford.Its a rich people car who drive less and have ample amount of money to spend.

Ride Quality & Handling Superb ride quality, Nice handling.

Final Words Its a car for Richer who doesnot have to think for money.Middle class should not think of buying as spares parts cost is very high as compared to other company parts.

Areas of improvement Spare parts & maintenance to be made cheaper. Mileage can be improved.