New lease

Ford India’s forte has been special editions. It came up with two editions of its first Indian offering, Escort, in the form of Alpha petrol and Orion diesel. Ford also brought on the Freedom petrol and the Anniversary diesel, limited edition versions of the Escort. Similarly with the Fiesta; Ford launched a ‘limited edition’ Fiesta with racing stripes and sporty seats but then that was it. These limited editions comprised of no technical upgrades or advancements over the respective regular models but only new graphics and stickers. Only so much for the limited editions! All this has changed with Ford introducing the new Ikon with not just its front end thoroughly redone but also tagging on a few technical upgrades, most importantly, giving it the superb TDCi engine currently doing duty on the Fiesta.

The Ikon has been given an all-new Fiesta inspired front end featuring a short stout air dam between the headlights and a large lower air dam. The grille-less front lends it an aggressive air besides improving airflow to the engine. The previous rounded headlights are replaced by sharp clear lens ones, which enhance the aggressive look.

Dual-tone beige interiors with a new backlit instrument cluster are the only changes to the interiors. The dashboard and steering wheel are identical as in the predecessor. The quality and feel of plastics is nothing to write home about. The better quality upholstery along with a Bluetooth enabled stereo is welcome. The interiors are as cramped as previously however. The revamped Ikon’s profile appears very basic and boring without the black rub strips of the earlier high-end versions. The bare and clean look of the 1.3 RoCam has been retained. A TDCi badge for the diesel version is the only noticeable change at the rear.

The latest generation 1.4-litre DuraTorq TDCi engine is the highlight of the new version. The oil-burner along with the existing 1.3 RoCam petrol engine are well suited to take on their segment rivals. With diesel engines finding huge favour today, Ford’s installing a tried and tested diesel is a timely move. The DuraTorq TDCi powertrain delivers 68PS and a generous peak torque of 160Nm@2000rpm, improving the driveability of Ikon in-city and on the highway. However only a full road test will bring to light all its virtues.  The oil-burner seems to have what it takes to put behind lacklustre performance and fuel guzzling hoodoos. Expensive spares too have dogged the Ikon’s fortunes. Now Ford claims to have resorted to sub-components, to ensure cheaper spares and lower maintenance costs.

The new Ikon comes with fully independent MacPherson struts mounted on a sub-frame up front and twist beam strut type coil springs at the rear. There is loads of body roll during fast turn-ins and the car is prone to nosedive on sharp braking. It holds its line well though. Road undulations are taken in stride so the ride is comfortable. However the cabin is infiltrated by high NVH levels. The driver must be resigned to excessive vibrations through the pedals too. The small and sporty steering wheel offers good grip and improved feedback. Lack of ABS and airbag options is a big letdown.

Despite the efficient oil-burner and face-lift, the new Ikon has its work cut out with established C-segment rivals like the DZire and Logan. The new Ikon is however priced competitively at Rs 4.59 lakh for the 1.3 petrol version and Rs 5.19 lakh (both ex-showroom, Delhi).