Ikon Flair

The X Factor · 5th October 2004, 11:49

** Hey guys this is my first POST here **

I've decided to go in for a midsizer within this month, i like the petra but as much as i want to i just cant go for a FIAT atleast at this moment

. I saw the poll for midsizers where the next best after the petra was the ikon flair. Any of you guys could tell me more about it , also how does it compare with the Corsa 1.4Gsi , Accent GLE & the new esteem Vxi which i think are all in the same price range , i'll be keeping the car for atleast 4-5 yrs. The main prob that i've got with the ikon is that it only produces 70 odd hp. Has anyone of u driven the flair plz let me know ur impressions

Any of u know when can we expect the fabia to be launched and will it be worth waiting for it (or anythin else) ??

sid_lath · 5th October 2004, 12:20

XF,

Welcome to Team-BHP.

I own a Ford Ikon Flair for the past 7 months.
You are right about it being slightly underpowered at 70bhp. And it feels a little sluggish in lower RPMs with the A/C on.
But I would still say that it is more fun to drive than all the other cars in its segment. Handling is best in class. And I love its gear-shift. Also its by far the best looking of the lot.
It was also the winner for CNBC Auto Show's entry level midsizer shootout.

I will suggest you take a test-ride and decide for yourself.

GTO · 5th October 2004, 12:48

X Factor, Just dump the Petra and go for the Ikon flair. You cant go wrong with this car at the price. Its still a drivers car and the 1.3 Rocam is way improved over the earlier versions. The rear seat is extremely comfortable, the interiors are slightly upgraded and the driving experience is sweet.

Best of all, Ford Ikons are now really trouble free. The Corsa is a waste, and the Esteem too outdated. Petra? Great car but no backup.

Also check out NC's Ford Ikon writeup in the Team-BHP reviews section.

GTO

bobby · 5th October 2004, 13:46

Hi,
Its been a while since I posted at tbhp. I test drove the flair, esteem lxi and palio 1.2nv around a week back. Will be buying the Flair in about a weeks time. The esteem, on an absolute level, did feel a lot more zippy than the flair, given its 85 bhp. However, that car always gives me the feeling you get when you're traveling in an airplane and it goes through an air pocket. i.e. u know you're going fast - and it doesn't make you feel all that comfortable. The flair on the other hand .. felt like it had suction pads holding on to the ground, while giving you acceleration that is (well almost), lower than the esteem only on paper. Frankly, if I could be at 2 places at 1 time - and decided to race in a flair against myself in an esteem - i'd find the esteem pulling ever so slightly ahead in a flat out drag ... but a few twists and turns and the flair would eat up the esteem alive !!

so thats my 2 pennies .. incidentally .. am terribly disappointed that the flair doesn't come in black. will be getting tubeless rubber and the smaller steering wheel of the 1.6 - the only non-standard equipment on the flair. also .. for now am settled on the octane blue color ... however - i'm still debating whether i should pay 20k more and go for the finesse .. which is available in black ....

normally_crazy · 5th October 2004, 14:36

hey X,

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I saw the poll for midsizers where the next best after the petra was the ikon flair. the Corsa 1.4Gsi , Accent GLE & the new esteem Vxi which i think are all in the same price range The main prob that i've got with the ikon is that it only produces 70 odd hp

if BHP is the only consideration , the flair loses out....but then if u want a good looking car thats very safe , has decent interiors , decent engine and acceleration , great handling go for the Flair.

but then if u want pure driving pleasure the 100 bhp petra is nirvana but u know the kind of dealers and back up fiat has.

esteem as rightly pointed out by bobby is a car that can never make the driver and passenger feel safe , on top of that its an decade old design.

go for the flair , i feel but still u go for a test drive of all the cars u mentioned , meet the dealers , make up ur mind and then make ur purchase !!

bobby ,

[quote]however - i'm still debating whether i should pay 20k more and go for the finesse .. which is available in black [quote]

forget the flair and the finesse , go for the zxi nxt . hehe

cheers

sid_lath · 5th October 2004, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]forget the flair and the finesse , go for the zxi nxt

yeah if you could stretch your budget a bit(I guess the base ikon 1.6 is aprox. 5.5 ex-showroom), go for the josh machine. Its more than worth the extra dough you pay for it.

bobby · 5th October 2004, 17:39

the ZXi is definitely something I would have liked to go for .. Nothing like 90bhp growler to wake u up in the morning on the way to work ! unfortunately ... am stretching my budget too far with the flair itself ... and the fuel economy is not going to make things better with the 1.6 engine .... so i console myself thinking that bombay traffic is not going to let me test the 1.3 engine either .. so no point in paying for something i'll hardly use with the 1.6..

but given a chance .. the 1.6 is definitely my choice any day ...

going to miss my free-flow zen though ..

normally_crazy · 5th October 2004, 17:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]going to miss my free-flow zen though ..

keep ur zen pal..no need for the mini josh machine ...u can enjoy ur zen to the best in bbay traffic

sid_lath · 5th October 2004, 18:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]i console myself thinking that bombay traffic is not going to let me test the 1.3 engine either

i dont think you need an empty stretch of road to experience the benefits of a bigger engine - its as much evident in heavy traffic - you have to change gears less frequently for example.

But if your budget doesnt allow you to buy the 1.6(as was the case with me), you can go for the flair. Its definitely the NXT best thing

The X Factor · 5th October 2004, 19:14

Hey guys thanks for you replies , guess it'll b the ikon flair 4 me .

@Bobby
Hey bob where r u gettin ur ikon from , also how much is the dealer charging you for the smaller steering & the 14" tubeless tyres, r u getting any good offers on it ?? plz let me know , it would be really nice of u .

& oh yes i'm disappointed about the unavailability of black color as well !

bobby · 5th October 2004, 19:38

sid_lath - totally agree that the 1.6 would be a much better driving experience overall .... but budget, unfortunately is still a bigger consideration ...

Am buying it from Shakti Ford in Malad. its costing me 524725 on-road, with a mumbai regn.. They're charging 3000 for the tyres and 3500 for the steering (above the quoted price) .. this is of course with 85% finance .. and includes a rs 9000/- discount since the co. i work for regularly buys cars from them ...

in terms of the payment scheme . works out to approx. 100,000 down payment, with an emi of 9024 ... my budget was 8500 .. so u can see i'm already STREEEETCHED !!

as for offers .. the dealer's promised me that once i'm 'on the table', they should be able to throw in some more offers ... but as far as i can see this is a fairly decent deal ... i went to popular cars .. and they quoted 30,000 more for ex-showroom itself ... so i ran with my tail between my legs !! incidentally .. popular cars is more like a vegetable market than a car dealership .. i wouldn't buy a car from them if it was the last dealership on earth ..

neverclever · 5th October 2004, 20:40

G'men,

What kind of mileage figures is the Ikon Flair known to return?

sid_lath · 6th October 2004, 11:09

I used to get 11 in city(Bangalore) and 16 on highways with regular unleaded petrol(+IFTEX) - A/C off 90% of the time.
Have shifted to Speed93 recently(thanks to the many posts in T-BHP on this matter) - *Am yet to measure the mileage with that.

lamborghini · 6th October 2004, 13:45

boby i think uve gone for the individual registration right..
u can register on a fake thane address and the change it...
it will be cheaper - i was offered to do that on my merc but we got company mumbai

bobby · 6th October 2004, 14:49

Am exploring the Thane option. It is definitely working out much cheaper .... Thanks for the info though !!

5th October 2004, 11:49	#1
The X Factor Newbie Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 16 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey guys this is my first POST here I've decided to go in for a midsizer within this month, i like the petra but as much as i want to i just cant go for a FIAT atleast at this moment . I saw the poll for midsizers where the next best after the petra was the ikon flair. Any of you guys could tell me more about it , also how does it compare with the Corsa 1.4Gsi , Accent GLE & the new esteem Vxi which i think are all in the same price range , i'll be keeping the car for atleast 4-5 yrs. The main prob that i've got with the ikon is that it only produces 70 odd hp. Has anyone of u driven the flair plz let me know ur impressions Any of u know when can we expect the fabia to be launched and will it be worth waiting for it (or anythin else) ??
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 12:20	#2
sid_lath BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 63 Thanked: Once	XF, Welcome to Team-BHP. I own a Ford Ikon Flair for the past 7 months. You are right about it being slightly underpowered at 70bhp. And it feels a little sluggish in lower RPMs with the A/C on. But I would still say that it is more fun to drive than all the other cars in its segment. Handling is best in class. And I love its gear-shift. Also its by far the best looking of the lot. It was also the winner for CNBC Auto Show's entry level midsizer shootout. I will suggest you take a test-ride and decide for yourself.
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 12:48	#3
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,517 Thanked: 300,587 Times View My Garage	X Factor, Just dump the Petra and go for the Ikon flair. You cant go wrong with this car at the price. Its still a drivers car and the 1.3 Rocam is way improved over the earlier versions. The rear seat is extremely comfortable, the interiors are slightly upgraded and the driving experience is sweet. Best of all, Ford Ikons are now really trouble free. The Corsa is a waste, and the Esteem too outdated. Petra? Great car but no backup. Also check out NC's Ford Ikon writeup in the Team-BHP reviews section. GTO
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 13:46	#4
bobby Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 22 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi, Its been a while since I posted at tbhp. I test drove the flair, esteem lxi and palio 1.2nv around a week back. Will be buying the Flair in about a weeks time. The esteem, on an absolute level, did feel a lot more zippy than the flair, given its 85 bhp. However, that car always gives me the feeling you get when you're traveling in an airplane and it goes through an air pocket. i.e. u know you're going fast - and it doesn't make you feel all that comfortable. The flair on the other hand .. felt like it had suction pads holding on to the ground, while giving you acceleration that is (well almost), lower than the esteem only on paper. Frankly, if I could be at 2 places at 1 time - and decided to race in a flair against myself in an esteem - i'd find the esteem pulling ever so slightly ahead in a flat out drag ... but a few twists and turns and the flair would eat up the esteem alive !! so thats my 2 pennies .. incidentally .. am terribly disappointed that the flair doesn't come in black. will be getting tubeless rubber and the smaller steering wheel of the 1.6 - the only non-standard equipment on the flair. also .. for now am settled on the octane blue color ... however - i'm still debating whether i should pay 20k more and go for the finesse .. which is available in black ....
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 17:39	#7
bobby Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 22 Thanked: 0 Times	the ZXi is definitely something I would have liked to go for .. Nothing like 90bhp growler to wake u up in the morning on the way to work ! unfortunately ... am stretching my budget too far with the flair itself ... and the fuel economy is not going to make things better with the 1.6 engine .... so i console myself thinking that bombay traffic is not going to let me test the 1.3 engine either .. so no point in paying for something i'll hardly use with the 1.6.. but given a chance .. the 1.6 is definitely my choice any day ... going to miss my free-flow zen though ..
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 19:14	#10
The X Factor Newbie Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 16 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey guys thanks for you replies , guess it'll b the ikon flair 4 me . @Bobby Hey bob where r u gettin ur ikon from , also how much is the dealer charging you for the smaller steering & the 14" tubeless tyres, r u getting any good offers on it ?? plz let me know , it would be really nice of u . & oh yes i'm disappointed about the unavailability of black color as well !
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 19:38	#11
bobby Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 22 Thanked: 0 Times	sid_lath - totally agree that the 1.6 would be a much better driving experience overall .... but budget, unfortunately is still a bigger consideration ... Am buying it from Shakti Ford in Malad. its costing me 524725 on-road, with a mumbai regn.. They're charging 3000 for the tyres and 3500 for the steering (above the quoted price) .. this is of course with 85% finance .. and includes a rs 9000/- discount since the co. i work for regularly buys cars from them ... in terms of the payment scheme . works out to approx. 100,000 down payment, with an emi of 9024 ... my budget was 8500 .. so u can see i'm already STREEEETCHED !! as for offers .. the dealer's promised me that once i'm 'on the table', they should be able to throw in some more offers ... but as far as i can see this is a fairly decent deal ... i went to popular cars .. and they quoted 30,000 more for ex-showroom itself ... so i ran with my tail between my legs !! incidentally .. popular cars is more like a vegetable market than a car dealership .. i wouldn't buy a car from them if it was the last dealership on earth ..
	() Thanks

5th October 2004, 20:40	#12
neverclever BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 69 Thanked: Once	G'men, What kind of mileage figures is the Ikon Flair known to return?
	() Thanks

6th October 2004, 11:09	#13
sid_lath BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 63 Thanked: Once	I used to get 11 in city(Bangalore) and 16 on highways with regular unleaded petrol(+IFTEX) - A/C off 90% of the time. Have shifted to Speed93 recently(thanks to the many posts in T-BHP on this matter) - *Am yet to measure the mileage with that.
	() Thanks

6th October 2004, 13:45	#14
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,112 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	boby i think uve gone for the individual registration right.. u can register on a fake thane address and the change it... it will be cheaper - i was offered to do that on my merc but we got company mumbai
	() Thanks

6th October 2004, 14:49	#15
bobby Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 22 Thanked: 0 Times	Am exploring the Thane option. It is definitely working out much cheaper .... Thanks for the info though !!
	() Thanks