Ford Ikon 1.6 Nxt ZXI - 6 years and 72,000 kms report. Purchase date 31st March 2004.
My sweetheart has recently celebrated her 6th birthday and I am so passionately attached to her that I want to talk about her. I thought T-BHP is the only forum to express my adulation, so here goes!
(Going through this post, I find I have not been objective in my approach. But I am leaving it as it is for two reasons: 1) this is from my heart and not my head, and 2), there’s no point in a highly objective report on a car that’s not in production).
In 2002, thanks to an increment, I could afford a new car and finally chose an Accent GLS. Honestly, it was a wonderful car, representing extraordinary value for money. But I always found the back seat too low, and the front seats too broad. Further, the steering was too light and not suiting me at all.
As a family we love driving, we drive to all our holiday destinations. The Accent performed flawlessly, never a single trouble.
But in 2004, driving back to Bangalore from Goa on a very good surface on the Karwar – Mangalore section, probably at around 110 kms per hour, I realised that the car was just floating on the road, silky smooth and silent. The steering was so light there was no feedback at all. It was suddenly unnerving. I realised that this kind of soft, smooth car was not suiting my instincts at all and decided then and there to change.
Popular drivers’ cars were then the Fiat Siena, Maruti Baleno, Honda City and Ford Ikon. All were first class drivers’ cars, but for various reasons, like cost, buy back of old car, and cost of maintenance, the first three were taken off my list. The Ikon 1.6 was left.
The first Ikons had negative reports on poor quality of fit and finish as a result of cost cutting. Moreover I still had a bad impression of Ford because of the Escort. (Hence Ford was never on my first list when I bought the Accent). But now it was on my radar because my Director had got one of the earliest 1.6 models and his driver incessantly praised the car, especially for its highway handling. My director too commended its rear seat comfort on long journeys.
A few months later, Autocar carried a test report on the new 1.6 Nxt. This upgrade, it appeared, was much better finished, especially the seats and upholstery.
Autocar promised a drivers’ delight at the cost of some cheapo parts and teeth-rattling suspension. I figured that the responsive engine, accurate steering and stiff suspension was what I was looking for. Now I started thinking seriously of the Ikon 1.6 ZXI Nxt.
Took a test drive and I was sold. I thought such engines only came in rally cars! Ford offered me a great exchange price for my Accent and a loan bundled into one, (anxious to meet sales target), so I signed up on the spot.
My sexy mistress, clad in shimmering oyster, came home two days later.
As Autocar had reviewed, this model’s interiors were very good. Well designed thick seats with a lovely velour finish that has neither faded nor worn after 6 years. (I spend a lot on the upholstery maintenance too). Some nice touches include a 3 way lamp design for the front roof light (a very useful feature) and two excellent rear reading lamps. It has very practical seat pockets. Lacking is a clock, but since the stereo has a clock this omission is not felt.
6 years and 72,000 kms later, she’s still here and sometimes I think I must be nuts to actually love something mechanical. I don’t think I’ll ever have the heart to part with her. Nowadays I’m so finicky that I don’t like even my wife or kids to drive her because I feel they don’t treat her with the same care!
So how’s she after all these years? How has she aged? - does she have wrinkles or blemishes? Does she suffer from arthritis or shortness of breath? Does she throw tantrums? A true, unbiased answer: none of the above.
This car is, IMHO, for its cost, perhaps the best driver’s package available here. Engine, gearbox, steering, chassis and suspension – all are in perfect sync. Steering is incredibly accurate. Once past 80 kph, the hitherto stiff suspension is now supple and keeps the car stable and level under any conditions of turn or brake. As it goes faster, it gets more into its realm.
Only the brakes are the odd man out. Not that I ever had a braking problem, but the feel is soft without “bite” and does not inspire the confidence that the rest of the package gives. This is certainly very surprising given that the car is otherwise so well put together. This psychological discomfort is even more so because this lady can, and often does, effortlessly go past 150 kph. Yet, as I say, I never actually had a braking problem – it’s apparently the lack of “feedback” that’s the problem.
Cost of ownership has been above average perhaps. But I have to add that I am very particular about maintenance and will spend a lot of money to maintain my car well. Also in every service at least Rs. 2000 goes for cosmetics – seat and carpet shampoo, 3M treatments, Waxoyl, etc. So maybe the cost is actually just a shade over average. In any case, I have never grudged a paisa – this car is simply worth every penny you can spend on it. She pays back all and more with the incredible driving experience. The more you spend on her, the more she’ll give to you.
Sometimes people tell me about the Ikon: it gives lousy mileage, it is expensive to maintain. To such people I reply: this car is for driving only, not for economy. If you want economy, think Maruti. If you need to ask, what mileage does it give?, then this is not the car for you. Only those who actually know what driving is, like T-BHPians, can understand this talk.
Fuel economy has been constant over 6 years. I always drive with AC. In Bangalore’s slow moving traffic I get a satisfactory 10 kmpl average. It used to be 10.5 kmpl, but as waits at traffic signals get longer, the FE has dropped. Long distance average is 13 kmpl (always with AC). I have gotten up to 15 kms per litre (Bangalore – Pondicherry: the road was bad and I never went above 80 kph. The result was this unusual FE!)
I’ve never had a single breakdown in 6 years and 72K kms. In January this year, for the first time, I had a part failure – the ignition coil. But even so the car didn’t stop – it just kept missing. I had the coil replaced and no further problem. Also this year I had to replace a few parts of the AC. These cost me a fair amount (about Rs. 3K I think) but that’s okay for 6 years I guess. Also I use the AC 24/7, winter and summer, so that’s quite okay I feel.
I have to point out here that I always “go by the book” for service and replacements. I never wait for something to fail. If the book says “replace”, I replace. That’s it.
Other than these, I’ve replaced only routine parts – brake pads, spark plugs, filters, etc. Once I’ve replaced front suspension bush kit. Bulbs: only one. I had to replace a rear brake lamp after 6 years! I did replace other bulbs but these were due to breakage in the usual bumps against other vehicles.
It cost me an arm and a leg to replace one headlamp and one fog lamp assembly. The fog lamp was cracked when on the highway a stone thrown up by a vehicle ahead hit the fog directly. Although the glass cracked the lamp continued to function. I ran it like this for some time but then it kept bugging me so I replaced it. I found that Fiesta parts are half the cost of Ikon!
Tail lamp incident - I had criticised my wife for always parking my car nose first whereas I park it rear first so I can drive out facing forward. Stung by this, one night my dear wife, who was driving, wanted to show me how well she could reverse park and reversed ‘smack’ into the pillar in our parking! I nearly wept when I saw the tail lamp which didn’t even have a scratch after nearly 6 years was broken at one corner. This was Valentine’s Day and I had just rashly promised not to quarrel with her so I just had to swallow my feelings! I told her that this was my Valentines’ Day gift to her – not yelling and screaming and tearing my hair out which I would have done otherwise!
It was not very visible, but I am so fussy about my car that I couldn’t bear to see the crack. So I changed both left and right assemblies with the new design (the old one was out of stock). Hint, if you own an older Ikon: the new design Ikon tail lamp assembly is half the cost of the old! But it doesn’t look as good as the old design.
Now in the last service, in March, the engineer told me the clutch would be needing attention in about 10K kms. Also he says the front shocks are due for replacement in the same period (about 10K kms).
Now, the indicator switch lever doesn’t return to neutral automatically. The cost of replacing is over Rs. 2000 so I have simply left it as it is. It’s no big hassle to manually operate.
An incident worth reporting: Last year the exhaust developed a leak and it made the usual horrible sound. At service time the engineer told me it couldn’t be welded and would cost Rs. 11K (or 15K, I don’t remember) to replace! I was stunned and said “no”. Next service, I went to another branch (Lingarajpuram) of the same company (Metro Ford Bangalore) and can you believe this: they welded the same for Rs. 70!
Lights are good if there’s no oncoming traffic at night. It can get tough with oncoming lights. Fog lamps are quite good.
Rear visibility is poor to say the least. Three rear view mirrors are a must. Even so, a large portion of the rear view is hidden by the high set rear and upward sloping rear shelf. ORVM’s cover only a small area, and care is advised at all times.
Reversing is particularly dangerous; virtually the whole area directly behind the car is hidden. Especially living in an apartment complex as I do, this can be very dicey as children could be playing behind and you can easily miss seeing them. Extra caution is always necessary while reversing.
AC is not the greatest and it’s noisy as well. This is my experience. Even in Bangalore’s relative cooler summers, the AC can just about cope in peak summer. I am comparing this with my Accent which had a superb AC. However, a friend recently bought an early model Ikon 1.6 and that has a quieter and better AC.
Hot air AC. This must be a first for any car. The AC first gives out hot air and then cold! Ford has never been able to solve this. They changed some valve, but it still does this at times. I simply accept it as one of its flaws – I’ve given up trying to convince the service guys about this.
Engine noise is loud. It is like a wet grinder! Who cares?
Road noise is high. It gets worse as the tyre tread wears off. I changed my first set even though they still had 10K kms life as the noise was excessive.
On the highway I never put on the stereo, personally I find it distracting. With the high level of road noise, you don’t miss it anyway. IMHO, in an Ikon, it should be driver and car and nothing else for the fullest experience.
Tyre wear is average. I am at 72K kms and on my second set. I expect to change in a couple of months, due to increasing road noise.
Steering is hard. Good, that’s the way it should be at high speeds. In town though, it requires some muscle.
The steering wheel itself is exciting, small and meaty. I’ve wrapped it in Stanley leather. Now, this is a case of serendipidity – the one I bought was not for the Ikon and is slighter larger. Due to this it’s wrinkled up. But this actually adds enormously to its comfort and grip and on long hauls there’s no fatigue.
Gear lever is good, slightly longish throw and requires some effort, but precise. One gets used to the long throw. Not as slick or light as Maruti’s.
Wiper blades - I change them every two years.
Doors have a single beading which results in a slightly ‘tinny’ sound when closing. My Accent had a double beading and used to close with a very satisfying “thunk”. Also this single beading leads to dust in the door jamb, although it doesn’t enter the cabin.
Boot space is adequate. The narrow and tall space means some extra large US type suitcases are difficult to fit in.
Now the positives – these outweigh the negatives by a huge margin!
It’s really an exhilarating experience to drive an Ikon on any long stretch, whether a good surface or just reasonable. Above 80 kph, nothing can ruffle its composure. The tighter the road the better, this is when it’s at its best. It loves being thrown into corners and gunned out of them. Meeting with sudden imperfections in the road doesn’t upset it at all, even in mid-corner.
On the Bangalore Goa trip, we take the Shimoga route and the ghat section is where the Ikon makes you love her. In fact, drive her hard on any ghat section and you’ll swear never to part with this baby.
The Ikon is so precise in its steering that you can point her into a corner and drive it to the exact line you wish. If the chosen line is right, you won’t even know you’re cornering, the suspension just soaks it up. I used to drive a lot Coimbatore Bangalore when I was working there in 2005. In the Thoppur Ghats I have often found myself at 160 kph, and unintentionally. It is advisable to keep a conscious check on your speed, its suspension is so good that it’s very deceptive – you could be going much faster than you think.
Here the seats come up for praise. Excellently designed, they hold you firmly in place while cornering. There’s never a moment that you have to expend any energy or thought to hold your place. The seats hold the driver all right and tight. More so when buckled up.
Only lumbar support is lacking, but a rolled up towel or small cushion placed to the small of the back can give the required support.
The front wells are relatively cramped (compared to Accent). I like it this way. This is a performance car and I like to be “locked” in the driving position.
Rear seats are great. Longest trips we’ve done in a day are Bangalore Goa, 650 kms. No discomfort at all. My wife often curls up on the back seat for a snooze and she’s quite comfortable.
Long, smooth highways are a breeze, but you don’t get the same heady exhilaration that comes in fast, twisty roads. Also, on flat straight stretches, it’s a good idea to keep a check on your speed – unchecked, it simply goes past 160 kph, rock solid and smooth, not even a tremor to indicate its speed. The Ikon can handle these speeds easily, but I strongly believe that anything above 120 kph on an Indian road is asking for trouble. Even in the excellent Bangalore Chennai highway, there are these guys who come against you on your side of the road with their “wide body jumbos” – the ubiquitous TVS 50 carrying wide loads. Not to mention bullock carts and trucks. So I am very cautious especially on these new highways.
Town driving is superb too. This is the 10 kph to 60 kph band. Quick acceleration, ability to handle potholes and ripples, and precise steering all contribute to a sporty feeling even in town traffic. But the steering is quite heavy in town use. The quick acceleration means care is to be taken especially with bikes. Moronic bike riders who stick their front wheels in front
of the Ikon in signal lights are a pain because the Ikon is much quicker and you have to frequently ride the clutch to bleed off some acceleration to prevent hitting them as they crawl off the line.
To end this song, this is a car that will grow on you. Doesn't matter if it is dated, its performance is still outstanding even by 2010 standards. I don't feel like parting with it.
Photos attached: sorry, didn't know how to put in the captions.
1) Family loves this car. Here my wife has taken the wheel for the Shimoga ghats stretch.
2) The Ikon revels in this kind of road
3) Heading home
4) In Masinagudi
Haven't taken recent pics, will do so soon.