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Cheap thrills
Which is the better budget three-boxer, the new baby ROCAM or the Giugiaro-restyled Siena? sameer kumar
Text Sameer Kumar and photos Parameswaran

The one thing that’s common between these two cars is that they both went bust the first time around. The original Ikon 1.3 was the poor – really, really poor – cousin of the brilliant 1.6, and never did very well for itself. Saddled with a decrepit old pushrod engine, it could barely get out of its own way and was duller than the last Jurassic Park rehash. The original Siena wasn’t as bad, but it was dumpy looking and Fiat’s tardy parts-and-service routine added to its woes – another sales failure.

Perhaps tired of the drubbing these cars got in the market, their manufacturers finally saw it fit to give them a proper makeover, and hence here we have these new ‘budget-special’ family sedans. The Ikon 1.3 Nxt gets minor styling updates, some suspension tweaks and an all-new fuel-injected 1297 CC Rocam engine which puts out 70 horsepower – 12 more than the old pushrod unit. The ‘new’ Siena (which is actually a few months old now) got a major redesign, and with a Palio front-end and sharper, neater rear, and it now looks much better than it used to. Powered by the Palio’s fuel-injected 1242 CC mill, it lays claim to 72 horsepower which puts right in contention with the Ford. Almost similar dimensions, engine sizes and power outputs – so which is the one to have? Hmm...

A question of style
Let’s get the more mundane concerns out of the way first. And admittedly, mundane is what the Nxt 1.3 looks. Devoid of the 1.6 Nxt’s alloys and sporty front-end treatment, the baby Rocam looks rather poverty-spec.

The Siena, on the other hand, looks more stylish and complete – the Giugiaro style update has done it a world of good. The Ikon Nxt’s (no 1.3 badge anywhere on the car) interiors are much improved over the old car. I’m certainly no expert on fabric and plastics, but most surfaces inside do feel soft to the touch – the editor likened them to melted white chocolate! The soft shades of greys and browns used do make the interior look more cheerful than the Siena EX (base version), where the dark plastics and sombre fabrics give things a rather stern air.

Aircon and power-steering are standard on both cars, and the Nxt had an FM player as well. The Ford also had power windows – controls for which are rather badly positioned, and central locking, while the Fiat had neither. The Siena EX did not have a tachometer (the Nxt had one) and its insides had plenty of bare metal on display, while the Nxt’s interiors were completely clad in cloth. However, the one area where the Siena does score is boot space – it has the larger boot, and there is definitely more luggage stowage space compared with the Nxt. And finally, the Ikon did not have a proper tool kit, while the Siena did.

Pedal to the metal
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s get down to the driving. The Ikon’s new Rocam mill makes 70 bhp @ 5500 rpm, and produces some nice snarling noises when revved hard. The tacho is marked to 7000 revs and the speedo (probably shared with the Nxt 1.6) to a rather unlikely 220, so we knew some in-car entertainment was in store for us. And indeed, it was. Floor the Ford’s throttle, and the “josh”, which was sorely missing in the old 1.3, suddenly makes a welcome
appearance here.

Use the Nxt’s precise five-speed gearbox in anger, and the car sprints from 0 to 60 in 5.72 seconds, and from 0 to 100 in 13.49, which is good, but not class-leading. The Esteem 1.3 (85 bhp) and the City 1.3 (90 bhp) are considerably swifter. Still, the Nxt does go on to a top speed of an indicated 165 kph, which is not so bad. The Siena EX’s engine also makes the right noises when revved hard at rest, and sounds full of promise. However, when the pedal goes to the metal, that promise fades somewhat. The 1.2 EX makes two horses more than the 1.3 Nxt, but is slower – it goes from 0 to 60 in 6.02 seconds and from 0 to 100 in 15.23. We also did an indicated 140 kph in the Siena, and though dicey test conditions did not permit a maximum top speed run, I estimate the top whack would be around 150 kph or thereabouts. So in the acceleration and top speed stakes at least, the baby Rocam has the Italian stallion comprehensively whipped.
Handling is up next, and this is where the Ikon really shines. The 1.6 ‘josh’ was always something of a driver’s tool, and the new 1.3 Nxt continues that tradition. The steering affords a lot of feel, and is very communicative, and the 175/70 Bridgestone S322s are adequately grippy.

The car only uses 13-inch wheels (the 1.6’s 14-inchers would have been better), but its chassis/suspension combination feels tight and poised, and the car is more than happy being thrown around twisties. Start pushing things hard at high speed, and where other cars in this segment weave and wallow and dance all over the place, the Ikon simply stays planted.

Want to corner hard? Simply choose your line, keep your right foot planted and go – the Nxt’s neutral stance makes it an absolute joy to test the limits of the car’s performance envelope. But during our high-speed slalom runs, when we pushed the car really hard, the Nxt would repeatedly snap out sideways by the end of the run. So the bottomline seems to be, while it’s difficult to reach the extreme end of the Ikon’s handling limits (at least on the road), when you do get to the last five per cent, be ready with your reflexes! Thankfully, the brakes had sufficient bite, and with a 17.10 second 0-100-0, we had no cause for complaint.

Handle with care!
The Siena’s handling is rather predictable; the EX makes no bones about the fact that it’s been optimised for ride comfort. Riding on 13-inch hoops (here too, the 1.6 uses the more suitable 14-inchers), the Siena is set up relatively soft, and attempts at hard cornering result in lots of wallow and body roll. Then, I don’t know if it’s down to the soft-ish suspension, or the 165/80 Goodyear GPS2 rubber, but at high speeds the Siena doesn’t always want to stick to the chosen line and there is a disconcerting tendency to wander. Sweeping bends which can be taken at 160 without a care in the world in the Nxt, have you gritting your teeth in grim determination at 140 in the Siena, as you struggle to keep the car pointed in the right direction, hoping you make it through the corner!

The Siena makes it through all right, it’s just that it’s not as confidence-inspiring as the Ikon. Braking performance too, was not as good as the other car, with the Siena taking all of 19.10 seconds to do the 0-100-0. The brakes lock earlier than they do on the Nxt, and the car slides for much longer distances. And since we used exactly the same stretch of tarmac for testing both the cars, the Siena’s longer slides have got to be down to the tyres.

So there you are – each car has its own strengths. The taut revvy little Nxt is clearly for the enthusiastic driver who likes to drive with his right foot pressed down hard most of the time and who doesn’t believe in slowing down for corners. The more mature Siena, with its softer suspension, better ride comfort and larger boot, is perhaps more suitable for the family man. Fuel efficiency is about the same for both cars – you get 10 kpl in the city with the aircon switched on. On the highway, if you are careful with the throttle, and keep the car in fifth most of the time, you may get about 13 kpl but don’t expect much more than that. The cars’ prices is one crucial factor – the 1.3 Nxt costs Rs 5,83,000 (ex-showroom Mumbai) while the Siena EX is about Rs 90,000 cheaper. The EX doesn’t have some of the Nxt’s goodies (power windows, central locking and FM player etc) but you decide how important those are for you.

If you still hanker after a final verdict, then I’d say go for the Nxt, which seems to be a more capable package overall. The Siena certainly does have its merits and is by no means a bad car, but it’s the Ikon which puts a smile on your face more often.