When a carmaker decides to launch a car in the small car segment, where fuel consumption and purchase price are bywords, it's a tough ask. To this end Ford's Ikon 1.4 TDCi Trend aims to be an outstanding value-for-money purchase.

However in diesel-powered terms its main rivals are mostly hatchbacks without the ubiquitous boot it has been bequeathed with. That does, however, give the Ikon a unique advantage in the family car segment.

Design-wise its recent style upgrades of new headlamps, upgraded body, coloured front bumpers and door handles and 15-inch steel wheels have uplifted its aesthetic game — but it still tends to get lost in a parking lot.

On the inside, the Ebony and Jasper Blue fabrics and neat inserts in the door panels and seat covers offer a more dynamic appearance than previously. Added to this is a four-speaker single radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility. And when you add keyless remote central locking, remote boot release, rake adjustable steering column and front and rear windows, the 'value for money' tag is well proven.

Road manners are positive without losing much in ride comfort, while turn-in is direct and responsive. In fact, it is here that the Ford influence is most felt. What is perhaps a more surprising aspect of the 1.4 TDCi engine is its single-overhead-cam 8-valve layout. This should be not be seen as a negative, but rather as a positive feature when viewed in light of the fact that it's built in India for the tough and ready conditions there — and should, therefore, apply in many parts of Southern Africa too, for the same reason.

Rivals in the RSA have more sophisticated 16-valve twin-cam layouts that offer better all-round dynamic performance characteristics. Despite this, it doesn't fare all that well at our elevated altitudes — the 16.2 seconds it took from 0-100km does not compare well with, say, the 13.1 seconds for the Citroen C3 1.4HDI.

Ford has not posted combined cycle fuel consumption figures for the Ikon, so we estimated ours off the previous-generation Fiesta European Fiesta with the same engine and, consuming 4.5 litres per 100km, it's on par with the Renault Clio and Citroen C3.

In price terms, the Ikon fares well with its tag of R153 000, making it by far the most affordable diesel-powered four-door sedan on the market.

Furthermore, the Ikon is offered with a 4-year/60 000km service plan with service intervals at 15 000km and 4-year/120 000km warranty and backed by a company well versed in the art of producing well-engineered, competitively-priced small cars.

In overall terms the Ikon 1.4 TDCI offers a very sensible and economical package that's quite affordable by sedan standards, providing you're prepared to live with a so-so performance.

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