Rover 25 1.6 SXi
Dont Fancy Ticking Boxes On An Options List? Heres A
Rover With Most Of The Options Thoughtfully Fitted For You. Andy Enright Tries The Well-Upholstered Rover 25SXi.
Heres a funny little game that car manufacturers like to play. In offering an upspec model theyll invariably quote how much the additional features would have cost you from the options list before comparing it favourably with the sum total of the car itself. Rovers 25SXi is no different, offering you around £2,500 of options for only £1,200 on top of the price of a 25SEi model.
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The problem with these offers is that when you scan the options list youll normally find some extortionately priced items of minimal benefit included, such as monogrammed special edition floor mats - £495. Alternatively, the car will come stuffed to the gunwales with extras youd never dream of specifying yourself, such as electrically heated headrests or trip computers that can tell you how many miles youve travelled since you last melted your toupee to said head restraint. The
Rover 25SXi thankfully breaks this particular mould. Given that the car was already based on a model fitted with alloy wheels and air-conditioning what would be the next most popular options? Metallic paint? Check.
Full leather trim? Present. Rear parking sensors? Just stick it in reverse, Mr President. Okay, so its not as luxurious as Air Force One inside, but Air Con 5 is a pretty chilled out way of beating the humidity. Factor in some additional gear such as front tweeters for the CD stereo, wood finish door pulls and electric rear windows and the package looks distinctly tempting for just £14,095.
"A classier alternative to the supermini mainstream."
The 25SXi is now offered only in five door form with 1.6-litre power and theres the option of either manual or Stepspeed CVT transmission on the 1.6-litre car. The 109bhp 1.
6-litre 16-valve engine offers willing performance. Rest to sixty takes 9.5 seconds on the way to 115mph in the manual version, with the Stepspeed car being slightly tardier. At the pumps, you'll notice a greater difference between the two transmissions, the manual car averaging 40.8mpg with the Stepspeed possessing a bit more of a thirst at 37.8mpg. No prizes for guessing which variant wed opt for.
More import than power or economy, the little 25 feels good to drive. True performance after all, doesn't really have very much to do with speed. Rather, it's about two things; handling and ability. To put it another way, the dynamic response of the car when you apply the throttle and the manner in which it transmits the power onto the tarmac. In this 25, you feel that every inch of the engine's cubic capability is being used to its ultimate. As importantly, unlike many more performance-orientated small cars, you never feel that the car is in danger of being swamped by the power of its engine. The
MG ZR model demonstrates what can be done with the 25 chassis. Now that the sporting burden has been removed from the 25 range by the MG ZR, Rover can concentrate on positioning the car as a classier alternative to the supermini mainstream.
This is how the car should always have been marketed, and there's now a real confidence about Rovers supermini, highlighted by a three-year/60,000 mile warranty and longer 15,000-mile service intervals on this model. The latest round of styling changes have done much to modernise the 25s appearance. The headlamps have been revised to offer a more integrated family look while the front bumper and grille have also been altered. Moving around the car youll pick out the body-coloured side rubbing strips and alloy wheel designs before getting to the back where the changes are rather more obvious.
The bumper has been revised to take a lower mounting for the number plate. This frees up the tailgate so that it now features bold ROVER lettering in chrome and a 25 badge. The interior has been spruced up a little as well. The fascia design now includes four circular air vents finished in chrome and the centre console now includes additional storage space under the stereo and theres even a pair of cup holders.
The locking and alarm system has been thoroughly overhauled so that the 25 now features a remotely operable boot release and a master-locking switch. A rolling code on the plipper means that thieves cant grab your code and the 25 also incorporates a panic alarm, drive away locking to prevent carjacking and auto relocking after 30 seconds should you accidentally leave your vehicle unlocked. Mechanically, things are much as they were but Rover have made tweaks to a few key areas. Brake feel has been revised to offer more responsive feedback.
A lower positioned clutch pedal helps ergonomics and the throttle pedal has been altered. The steering geometry has been revised for a more direct feel and new bushes for the rear suspension again offer better driver feedback. The Rover 25SXi makes sense in an in for a penny sort of fashion. If youre going to buy a car that campaigns on classiness and ambience, you might as well fork out for the classiest derivative of the lot, especially when its so affordably priced.
Yes, your neighbours new scoot might be based on 21st as opposed to 20th century underpinnings but you wont care when you switch the air on, sink into the leather-trimmed seats and dip right out of the supermini superhighway. The Rover 25SXi is that sort of car and they dont make too many of them anymore. Get one while the gettings good.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Rover 25 SXi
PRICES: £14,905 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7
CO2 EMISSIONS: 164g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.5s / 0-60mph 115mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 30.6/ (extra urban) 50.6 (combined) 40.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags. ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 156/66/56"
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