I have owned a ford Ikon 1.3 since 2004 August . The car has performed really well. The mileage in city with AC has been 13 while without AC it can go upto 14. On highway I have got 18 or higher mileage. The car is very sturdy and the roar of the ROCAM engine is the best part of driving this sporty and speedy car. I have done more than 1 lakh KM in this car and have had very little problems. It still give me city mileage of 13-14 and on good roads over 15 km/l.
The car is speedy, sporty and fast . Compared to the SWIFT which is my other car, the IKON has less power(70 Hp vs. 83 Hp for the SWIFT) but more Torque. 105 Nm @ 2500 rpm vs.113Nm @4500rpm for the swift.
This means that once you cross 30 km/hr the real grunt and power of the ROCAM engine kicks in and then the difference between the IKON and the SWIFT is obvious to any experienced driver. Maybe I am biased but IKON is indeed a sporty car for young men! Swift is more girly kind of car for teenagers and girls:)
There are a few cons with the Ikon which I will list below.
1) The ignition coil went faulty once causing the car to stutter. Replace ignition coil with original Bosch ignition coil not any chinese make.(Cost Rs 5000) If you use Chinese make your mileage will drop badly. I tried that once and realised that for electrical components always use original.
2) Heater Valve went faulty twice causing hot air to come inside cabin(Cost Rs 1200, I used chinese make in this)
3) Driving on bumpy roads day in an out has caused minor suspension tweaks but not anything serious. My local mechanic fixes shock absorber or shocker mounting very cheap.
4) Car AC requires some maintenance after 2-3 years.
I frequently use normal petrol and then use System G in tank to clean up the engine on alternate fill ups.
Still I get mileage of over 13 in city on regular basis with AC.
Piece of Advice: Most of the spare parts costs have come down in recent years with localized components so don’t always go to the dealership especially for mechanical fixes, dents etc. as they tend to charge you double or triple.
Overall an excellent low cost car with good looks power and speed.
Indeed it is a JOSH MACHINE!