MG ZT 190
If Tasked To Design A Credible Sports Saloon, Few Would Choose To Start With The Cultured
Rover 75.
MG Have. And Enright Runs The Rule Over The MG ZT 190
Whilst listening to Gardeners Question time and spying me flicking through a sheaf of press releases, my father volunteered the news that he was out to replace his ageing car. Picturing in my minds eye his tweedy demeanour, terror of velocities above 50mph and glacial reactions, there really was only one option. "Rover 75", I responded without glancing up. "Could have been built just for you."
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When a 30-year-old work colleague asked the same thing last week, I made a similar appraisal and recommended either a
Honda Accord Type-R or a
SEAT Leon Cupra. With the launch of the ZT 190,
MG Rover are trying to span that vast gulf in perception. Turning the car that was once famously described as a "wheeled Werthers Original" into something that will ring the bells of thrusting twenty and thirty somethings is going to take quite a piece of work. Chris Millard, director of MG Rovers large car projects wears the quietly confident expression of somebody who knows something we dont. Presiding over a range of sporting variants for the MG ZT, he knows that the series of hot MG ZT models have enough get up and go to knock the opposition for six. The 190bhp front-wheel drive model featured here features alongside the MG ZT 120, ZT 160, ZT 180 (Sports Auto) and ZTCDTi (sports diesel variants), with saloon and ZT-T Tourer estate bodystyles available with all the engines.
Its the rear-wheel-drive models, however, which will really grab the headlines. Necessitating a significant reworking of the Rover 75 platform, the ZT 260 is on sale now with power from a
Ford Mustang V8 directed through the rear tyres, whilst a 375bhp rear-wheel drive MG ZT 375 has been wheeled out for promotional purposes.
"The meatier suspension arms now look like the propshaft of HMS Ark Royal."
Headline grabbing flagship models may build the brand, but its the cars with broader appeal that put the money in the bank, and the ZT 190 has to earn its keep against some formidable and well-established opposition. It certainly looks aggressive enough. Serious overtaking presence is guaranteed on this recently facelifted model by virtue of the slatted grille, restyled headlamps and cleaner bumper lines. Instead of aping the techno-sheen of German sports saloons, the MG ZT has an almost transatlantic muscle car look to it, the bulky lines reminiscent of Chicano low riders.
It seethes with attitude and certainly looks more cohesive than the Rover 25 and 45-based ZR and ZS models. The ZT-T estate model, if anything, looks even better, the sweeping lines giving the car an elegance that the more truncated saloon model lacks. The 2.5-litre V6 is perhaps the only impediment between a good car and a great one.
Long in stroke and lazy in nature, this is an engine reluctant to rev, preferring to serve up fat dollops of low down power. MG Rover have worked hard to liven the feel of the engine up with lighter flywheels, a more extreme program for the Electronic Control Unit and a lowered final drive gear ratio to make the acceleration punchier. The cars all-up weight of 1550kg is still enough to blunt acceleration, although the ZT 190 cracks 60mph in 7.8 seconds before running out of gear ratios at 141mph.
Bigger brakes have been fitted to cope with the enhanced velocities and more aggressive driving styles the ZT will be exposed to, and the suspension has come in for a massive overhaul. A firm ride is provided courtesy of the low-profile 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, but when the full extent of the modifications become apparent, its a wonder that passengers dont emerge with shattered teeth, blurred vision and internal bleeding. The rubber mounts have been removed from the front and rear subframes and replaced with mounts made of a slightly less yielding material solid aluminium. The front and rear anti-roll bars have been hugely reinforced and the meatier suspension arms now look like the propshaft of HMS Ark Royal.
Whilst the MGF Trophy kept chiropractors up and down the country in clover, it comes as quite a surprise to find that MG Rover have indeed managed to endow the MG ZT with an amazing degree of ride suppleness, although MG Rover have been working on methods to reduce the amount of tyre noise transmitted to the cabin. The interiors have also come in for a sprucing in the latest round of revisions, with a Technical Grey finish offered alongside the more traditional Black Oak or Burnt Walnut. The instrument graphics are as special as ever but this time round theyre backlit in blue. MG ZT 190 models feature Summit fabric sports seats but if you opt for an SE derivative, youll get Cool Black leather-trimmed seating.
Rear passenger space has been worked on with re-profiled seat cushions and squabs answering the traditional ZT complaint that for such a big car, theres not a lot of rear kneeroom. It is perhaps in the interior that the MG scores most heavily over rivals. Even the bulletproof German offerings dont feel quite as special as the MG ZT, lacking the British cars sense of occasion when ensconced behind the wheel. Compared to the MG, the interiors of most rivals are token efforts, ruthlessly excised overheads from the big budgets that have been lavished on the drivetrains and suspension set-ups.
Does the MG ZT 190 have what it takes? IMG Rover have worked hard on this car and deserve to reap the rewards. Judging by the value for money it offers and the driving experience it serves up, they may have turned a significant corner.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: MG ZT 190 range
PRICES: £22,095 - £27,090 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 235g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 7.8s / Max Speed 141mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 19.8 (extra urban) 38.8 (combined) 28.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 3910/1780/1270
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