The old Ikon disappeared from our market a while back. Not quite sure when, but it just vanished rather inconspicuously and to be honest, I don’t think many people noticed. Except fleet operators, maybe.

Now it’s back and like its predecessor, the new one takes the Fiesta (a fun and entertaining hatchback) and turns it into a saloon (the kind you’d have as a company or rental car). Of course, latest-Fiesta underpinnings mean it now has a ‘big car’ feel.

The main reason you’d buy this over a Fiesta is, of course, its practicality. Its interior is spacious for something in the Fiesta class and its boot space, with 430 litres at your disposal, rivals sedans in the Focus class — it’s really surprisingly big.

So if you’re looking for a family car and you can’t quite stretch the budget to a Focus or similar, the Ikon is a sensible buy, provided you’re not all a bunch of 6ft rugby props.

That’s if you can get past Ikon’s generic styling. There’s really nothing striking or exciting about this car’s appearance and in white, the only stylistic element that’s missing is the Avis sticker.

Though the Ikon shares its technical basis with the Fiesta, the extra weight robs it of performance, and even in 1.6-litre guise, it feels somewhat sluggish at reef altitudes.

The Hyundai Accent we tested recently was a lot quicker off the mark, although the Ikon’s flexible 16-valve motor at least matched the Korean in the 80–120km/h tractability run.

Its engine performance might not be up to scratch, but the Ikon’s chassis is from the top drawer. Thrown through tight bends, the Ikon is remarkably agile, turn-in is very neat and the steering feels nicely weighted and communicative.

Bump absorption is also top-notch and as comfortable as you’d expect in a modern family-oriented car. Ford has really found a magic balance between ride and handling here.

Inside the cabin, you’re greeted by a stock Fiesta dashboard, with classy soft-touch materials covering the top piece and simple but logical ergonomics. The lower part of the dash is in a much lighter shade of grey to match the seats — and whoever commissioned that fabric should be fired. Light-coloured velour is never a clever choice, especially in a car that appeals to drivers with young families, and it’s almost guaranteed start looking tatty in no time.

The steering wheel has a good degree of rake adjustment, but the seats will prevent you from getting too comfy behind the wheel. The front seats are positioned too high, making you feel like you’re riding a bus rather than driving a car. The seats are also rather flat, hard and while not necessarily uncomfortable, they’re certainly not cushiest in the business.

On the upside, build quality is hard to fault and the standard comfort and safety kit count is good. You also get a four-year/60 000km service plan as standard. If you must go the sedan route, the Ikon is among the more expensive options, so if you want to go cheaper, consider a Chev Aveo 1.5 LS for R26K less.

Overall, Ikon still offers a sensible package with solid dynamics, but better seats, more power and sharper styling would make it a lot more desirable.

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