Rover's return

By Donn Anderson

DESIGNERS have mixed old with new in the first all-new Rover in more than two decades, a car which shines in the showroom and on the road. There is substance and style in the Rover 75 four-door saloon but the car is also outstanding in its ride and handling.

Launched at a time when owner BMW is critical of Rover's financial performance, the lower medium executive car is vital to the future of the British make. This high-profile model has to succeed.

The car looks better in the metal than it does in photos and if the body shape is bold then the interior is truly spectacular. No one will accuse this car of being bland, it simply oozes flair.

Design cues from Rover's P5 model of the 1958-73 era will please older enthusiasts of the marque but this is also a car which will appeal to younger drivers.

The high waistline, careful use of chrome, aggressive front-end treatment and handsome Bentley shaping of the rear end are all likely to arouse passion.

Over uncluttered Spanish roads near Seville last week the Rover 75 quickly identified itself as a comfortable driver's car with sharp steering, a smooth five-speed automatic transmission and good seats.

The superbly compliant ride was happy coping with anything that the irregular-surface back roads could throw at it.

A $2100 million investment, Rover plans to sell about 100,000 75s in the first full year of sales but its Oxford plant capacity could produce even more.

New Zealand will be one of the first export markets to receive the Rover 75 in July, only weeks after the first examples go on sale in Britain.

Two versions will be sold in New Zealand, both with the 2.5-litre V6 engine. Rover New Zealand expects to introduce the Club variant at $65,000, a price which will include automatic transmission, alarm, electric sunroof, traction control, 15-inch alloy wheels, leather steering wheel, dual front airbags, side airbags, air-conditioning and electric windows.

The $75,000 Connoisseur adds larger diameter 16-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, reverse warning sensors, cruise control, compact disc player, folding rear seats, electric operation and memory driver seat and rain sensor wipers.

Competition includes the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Alfa 155 and 166, Volvo S70 and Peugeot 406 V6.

Even the latest BMW 3-Series is a rival, although Rover New Zealand sales and marketing director Mark Gilbert believes the two cars will attract different buyers.

There are some Jaguar S-Type qualities about the way the Rover 75 looks and drives, although the Jaguar will be at least $25,000 dearer when it arrives in New Zealand.

Martin Peach, Rover's design director, says the Rover 75 is more significant than anything Rover has done in 20 years. He talks of Rovers in recent years as being compromises, unlike the 75.

"We've tried to recapture Rovers of the past while applying modern aesthetics and technology," he said.

Rovers in recent years have incorporated a fair measure of Honda design but the 75 is the first wholly in-house design since the 70s. The last real Rover car was the SD1 3500, the European Car of the Year in 1976.

But dynamic as the poorly built SD1 might have been, the Rover 75 is light years ahead in quality - and its platform is 2.5 times stronger than the older Rover 600/Honda Accord platform.

The rear seats are designed to accommodate two people rather than three and interior measurements are cosy rather than commodious.

Traditional materials like chrome, soft leather and real wood are used as an integral part of the striking interior rather than as an afterthought.

Fine, spidery-like instrument graphics hark back to cars of the 20s and 30s and the whole interior seems to mould around its occupants.

Rover has provided a wealth of handy compartments with anti-slip mats to hold loose items in place.

MacPherson struts form the front suspension of the 4.75m-long car. They are mounted on a perimeter frame that isolates noise and vibration. At the rear, a BMW-designed, subframe-mounted ÒZÓ axle copes well with bumps and provides predictable handling.

The car is so neutral in the way it copes with corners that most drivers would be unaware that the Rover is front-wheel driven.

Four-wheel disc brakes include the latest generation four-sensor anti-lock mechanism while braking is also enhanced by an electronic brake force distribution system.

Rover says 85 per cent of the KV6 quad-cam 24-valve V6 engine has been redeveloped. It produces 130kW of power at 6500 rpm and 240Nm of torque at 4000 revs.

A new fuel-injection and engine-management system has been fitted and the variable induction system is also improved.

Electrical circuitry is highly multiplexed using BMW technology and the electrical systems have been integrated into a central network system.

"By working closely with BMW, we have produced by far the most advanced electrical and electronic system ever built into our cars," said Ray Gibbard, Rover's electrical expert.

Rover an old man's car? Not if the new 75 has anything to do with it.