Ford has introduced a new entry-level family sedan into the local market. Apart from the name, the new Ford Ikon shares little with its predecessor.
It’s been almost two years since Ford dropped the Ikon from its South African line-up. At the time it was discontinued, the car came in six derivatives, using locally produced Rocam petrol engines of 1,3- and 1,6-litre capacities. Prices ranged from R90Â 000 to R120Â 000, and my sole remaining memory of the Ikon is that it felt rather cheap and nasty, although it gained a reputation for being reliable enough.
The new Ford Ikon is, I’m glad to say, a rather different kettle of fish because it feels much better built, and it’s also more expensive. If I had the say at Ford, I’d probably have sold the car as the Fiesta sedan, because it’s built on the very popular Fiesta platform, using Duratech petrol engines displacing 1,4 and 1,6 litres, alongside a 1,4-litre Duratorque turbodiesel.
Output is 61kW and 125Nm for the 1,4 petrol, 74kW with 143Nm for the 1,6 petrol and 50kW/160Nm for the oil-burner. All three come with safety and luxury features that only a couple of years ago were reserved for much more expensive offerings. Air con, electric windows all round, dual front airbags, ABS brakes and power steering are all standard across the range.
The Ford is attractively styled and spacious. Trim quality is good for a budget sedan, and I found the dash layout appealing and uncluttered. There’s no onboard computer, but remaining fuel range is permanently displayed on the dash, which is always handy. One complaint I have is that none of the range comes with alloy wheels — steel rims with plastic covers bear 175/65 R14 rubber on all variants. I don’t think the addition of alloy wheels to the spec of the two more expensive versions would have pushed the price up too much.
At the launch we drove the cars about 300km, from Port Elizabeth to Cape St Francis, via Lourie and Hankey, and then back to the airport in Port Elizabeth. My first stint saw me behind the wheel of the 1,4-litre offering, which impressed with its performance. The 1,6-litre petrol-engined version followed, and proved to be quite sprightly while willing to rev freely in the first four gears — at 185km/h in top, the electronic nanny chips in to spoil the fun, even though the rev counter needle’s still far short of the red line.
The 1,4-litre diesel version was, I felt, rather uninspiring, especially considering it’s the most expensive of the trio, at R144Â 990. I’d rather have the 1,6-litre petrol model at R138Â 990, or, if the budget was tight, the 1,4 petrol at R125Â 990, because they both felt significantly more lively than the little diesel, and they don’t use that much more fuel.
The Ford’s suspension feels supple and does a good job of soaking up bumps, but could do with being a little firmer — there’s pronounced body roll when the car’s driven hard. Still, Ford paid some marketing-research gurus lots of money to tell it that the kind of person who will buy the Ikon will most probably be a male who “helps with the chores around the house, and is involved in his community”.
Why on earth that is supposed to be relevant beats me, unless they were trying to say that the car won’t appeal to some yobbo with a ring through his lip who thrives on taking risks and takes delight in running little old ladies off the road.
I liked the Ford Ikon very much. It’s a good, honest little car that looks attractive and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The petrol versions are reasonably peppy, and there are lots of comfort and safety features for the money. All three models come with a three-year/100Â 000km warranty, as well as a three-year/unlimited-distance roadside assistance plan. Service intervals are every 15Â 000 km, with a four-year/60Â 000km service plan covering all new Ikons.