Ford Ikon 1.6 Zxi 60000km review

[BunnyPunia]

This is my second long term review (first being the Wagon R Lxi 8000km review)

I drive the Ikon mostly, and so i will be able to describe the vehicle better (as compared to the Wagon R...)

We got this car, the 1.6 Zxi model in Nov 2001, after selling the Esteem Mpi, which we kept for less than an year as dad wasnt happy with it!
It was good in a way as I still dont see anyother petrol car in this segment which excites as much as the ikon does!

The speedometer reads 55017 but the speedometer console was replaced at around the 5k mark and hence this is a 60000km review

Looks





Our car came shod with Ford's original alloy wheels as part of some offer. They look awesome and have taken a lot of toll without complaining. They have withstood high speed pot-hole instances many a times too but the best part is they enhance the look of the car a lot.
I also have 'Himalayan motorsport' and 'xbhp.com's sticker (im the cofounder of xbhp...) and i think in the last 5.5 yrs, many enthusiasts who know about these things must have noticed it on delhi's roads
The Ikon always looked smart, not beautiful : has a masculine feel in the way it has been designed..

Interiors




Quite roomy, although not best in the class. the facia does disappoint to some extent but makes up for it with the silver finish central console. the speedometer console looks awesome at night! the gear knob feels great in the hand and so does the steering wheel too. Comfort is above avg and i have no complaints about it either

Engine & gearbox
This is the best part about the Ikon 1.6 is no doubt its engine! The 1600cc develops less than a 100 horses but the short gearing provides it with too good an engine response. The pull the car generates at lower rpm makes one believe that the car has over a 100 horses easily under the hood. The engine sounds great and at sane speeds is quite too. The short gear lever is a joy to use, both due to the knob and the shift feel. Over the last 60,000kms , we have had no issues with the engine and the box, apart from one thing : when the engine is cold (the engine oil too..), shifting to reverse makes some irritating sound but once the engine is warm, there is no problem..

Performance and FE
Very happy with the performance. Had a drag with t-bhpian's City (the old honda city 1.5 with K&N) some time back in delhi, and my ikon was hardly a car length behind till 120 or so
We have done 160+ many times on the NH1 with 4 people on board + luggage the car always felt as if it had more to come.
FE in city varies around 9kmpl (with ac) although i managed around 11-11.5kmpl without the a/c with a light foot - but this is very rare
On the highway, at around 120-130km/h cruising, we get around 13 with a/c, while around 100-105 km/h cruising with a/c, we get around 16kmpl.
One thing i want to mention, the car doesnt love normal fuel, and runs best on 91octane diet.

Suspension and handling


Only lovely thing about the ikon : the way it handles. add to it, that we put in Michelins some months back, its a joy to flick it around, be it around roundabouts, or around turns
I love the way ford has tuned the suspension of the ikon. it may be a lil hard to some, but for me its the best compromise between comfort and fun.
One thing is that with some weight, around 4 adults or so, the rear really dips down.

Shortcomings..
With the seat belt on, the driver cannot access the glove box compartment and for short drivers, with the belt off, one still has to move around a lot to access it!
If you put stuff under the front seats, one can only take it out from the behind (not front side) : it can be a positive thing too while spirited driving as under heavy braking, the stuff wont silde out from the front side.
Short drivers cannot reverse properly as the rear parcel tray is set too high.

Verdict
We are happy with the Ikon. Yes, the low FE does hurt sometimes but then the fun this car provides compensates for it. The car came with a company fitted system, and it sound acceptable for what it is.

[Absar]

Nice review there. Hope your car keeps you smiling for long. Btw, your alloys are still good. Give it a good polish and it'll be shining. Also, nicely maintained car. Try to continue giving it good maintenance. Interiors look clean. Do you have a cd changer onboard to compensate for the lack of cd player? And also, even in my '05 Ikon, I get same mileage like you in the city, but so good mileage on the highway. But its so much fun to drive it on the highway.

-Absar

[benbsb29]

@Bunny : Nice review on the Ikon.
Looks like they are relaunching those famed Alloys once again.
Maybe you shud add some better pics. The ones u posted are taken in the dark.

[GTO]

To an enthusiast, the Ikon brings a smile. How come you havent mentioned the braking power (or lack of) in the short-comings?

Well-written review Bunny.

[Dippy]

A very comprehensive review of the Ikon. The 1.6 was worth it for the engine alone. It does have a lot of grunt. The brakes however were no match for the power delivery

Good one Bunny

[shazikon]

nice review and pics... my 60,000kms report of my ikon is comming soon with pics!!

[BunnyPunia]

thanks guys..
i took the evening pics with a reason : was experimenting with those celebration lights in the background..

yeah brakes : but i now rely heavily on the engine braking and love down-shifting when the brakes dont work
on a serious note, i had a crash, the only one this car has had a couple of yrs back.. was taking a sharp left hander, the brakes didnt work as usual and the car's front right side hit a wall : u can see the damage in the pic..the bonnet too is a lil raised now!

[gaurav_diavolo]

As far as my 1.6 Zxi is concerned....
CONS:
- the window buttons have been very inconviniently placed
- the 14" tubeless tyres make a woosh noise in the cabin at high speeds
- brakes are not that good.....disc pads wear out faster than usual...

PROS:
the car is so much fun to drive that the above CONS are highly passable!

[BunnyPunia]

gaurav : which tyres are u using. the sound the tyres make differ a lot from company to company

[1100D]

Brakes could be regarded as a shortcoming, but then as your relationship with the car grows one tends to do stuff differently and thus make the relationship flourish.

In this case, its better tyres and engine braking in correct gear. Infact it had become a second nature, to downshift while braking even on emergency situations (the gears are that convenient to use, only a bit too low but nothing that a height adjustable gear knob can't fix). My car too had some early braking incidents and I was then quite apprehensive about using the engine to its intended capacity. I still wont post the speeds that I regularly used to do.

Any work arounds for the Powerwindow switches being too far away?

[BunnyPunia]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Any work arounds for the Powerwindow switches being too far away?

we somehow never had issues with the placement of the switches.. has there been a change in their location in later ikons? mine is a 2001 model...

[MaserQ]

Has anyone tried after-market braking systems? Of course, downshifting is not a problem, the gearbox is a dream to use all day. Goodyear NCT5s have greatly improved the ride and braking on my josh machine.

Although, the factory alloys (the same ones in the above pics) are showing their age. The coating/finish seems to be coming off.

and yes, the engine/exhaust note is just right. anyone using K&Ns in their josh machines...? please do share your experience..

[Mpower]

Nice review Bunny. What model Micheins and what size are your tires.

[BunnyPunia]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Nice review Bunny. What model Micheins and what size are your tires.

Michelin Certis
175/70 R 13

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by BunnyPunia

we somehow never had issues with the placement of the switches.. has there been a change in their location in later ikons? mine is a 2001 model...

The position of the power window switches has been retained since the first set of Ikons. No changes made in position. Just that before you get used to their placement, you end up hunting for them.