Rover 75 RANGE
The
Rover 75 Has Always Been A Car With That Feel Good Factor As Standard. Something With Continues With The Latest Revised Models. Jonathan Crouch Reports
Once upon a time, there was something special about owning a motorcar. A pride of ownership that placed it above the level of a domestic appliance. You polished it, you cared for it and, more often than not, you gave it a long, lingering look every time you got out and walked away.
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It isnt like that any more. Sure, we enjoy our cars, but thats where it ends. Which is fine if thats what you want. If you dont, then outside of a Rolls, a
Jaguar or some kind of exotic supercar, theres not much to get the pulse racing on your driveway.
Certainly nothing you could afford. Which brings us to the
Rover 75, a car still recognised as one of the worlds most beautiful designs. This is something which can often change as cars are revised throughout their lifetimes, but the good news is that the latest 75s are still cars likely to raise the tone in your street. All models now include extra equipment that includes head airbag protection (ITS), electric front and rear windows and a leather gear knob.
 SmartNav satellite navigation is also standard on all, except the entry Classic model. Connoisseur variants are now specified with a full leather interior, heated seats and electric power folding door mirrors. These improvements build on the exterior enhancements announced in 2004, changes which arent especially fundamental, the latest design embracing a sharper-edged front and rear exterior appearance, a larger integrated radiator grille and halogen projector headlamps. The idea of course, is to keep the 75s design fresh and current, a particularly important factor given its slightly awkward market positioning. In recent times, the sector in which this car sits has fragmented into three areas, all of which
MG Rover must cover.
Lower order 75s compete against standard medium range family models like Fords Mondeo and
Vauxhall Vectra. Slightly plusher versions tend to do battle with similarly sized but slightly more pretentious cars like Volvos S40, Hondas Accord and high-spec VW Passats. At the top of the range, the British company also hopes that flagship 2.5-litre V6 and 4.
6-litre V8 versions will take sales from some established Compact Executive saloons like Mercedes C-class and BMWs 3 Series though this is undeniably a tall order. Theres now even a 75 Limousine designed for mayors, ambassadors and other discerning dignitaries.
"The 75 has been a breath of fresh air in the executive sector"
The prices being asked do plenty to sweeten the deal and there are nearly always deals to be struck with cars like this. Theres a mainstream choice of saloon or (for a £1,000 increment) estate Tourer bodystyles at prices which start at £16,995 for the entry-level 1.8-litre 16v petrol-powered 4-door models. The turbocharged petrol 150bhp 1.
8T costs from £20,195, while the 2.5-litre petrol V6 is priced from £23,495 and the V8 comes in at over £31,995. Alternatively, you can opt for the CDT diesel, in either 116 or 131bhp guises or even a stretch limousine model. Most 75 buyers go for the Connoisseur trim level in standard or SE guises but there is also a more Spartan Classic trim option.
An additional option is the Contemporary trim level, which gives you a Black Oak and Black cloth-trimmed interior with sports-style seats and Ash insets. Fully automatic climate control, front fog lamps, a CD tuner and 16" multi-spoke alloy wheels complete the specification. On all but 1.8-litre 16v models, theres also the option of a Contemporary SE variant, which further adds 17" Starspoke alloy wheels, black leather electric seats (with drivers memory control), a windscreen rain sensor, a trip computer, parking sensors and a premium Harman/Kardon hi-fi speaker system with amplifier. All 75 models except the Classic get the innovative TrafficMaster Traffic Alert System provides real time traffic congestion warnings across the UKs busiest routes. On the road, performance figures are reasonable, though hardly startling. Rovers familiar 1.
8-litre K-Series engine is already used in 16v form in the 25, the 45, the MG TF and the
Land Rover Freelander. In this guise, its noticeably more refined, however, developing a useful 120bhp which means sixty in 10.9s on the way to 121mph. If you want more, go for the 150bhp 1.
8T. As for the two diesels, the more powerful unit is the one to go for if funds permit, as it is usefully quicker yet loses nothing in terms of economy. These engines have done much to convert diesel doubters, combining as they do respectable performance with an achievable consumption average not far off 50mpg. Most customers, however, will want to opt for the 177bhp 2.
5-litre V6. No, its not the fastest engine of its kind (though it makes sixty in 8.2s on the way to 137mph), but its certainly among the most refined. However, it produces a lovely six-cylinder burble that really will put Rover enthusiasts in mind of some of the classic models from the 40s and 50s.
Go for the even sportier 75-based MG ZT model and it sounds even better but for the ultimate in orchestral engines, it has to be the 260bhp V8. The retro feel continues inside, the interior complete with oval steam engine binnacle dials that look like theyve been lifted from one of HG Wells time machines. Other lovely detail touches also take you back: the chrome-plated door pulls and wing mirrors, the satisfying clunk as the doors shut even the wood fascia, designed into the cabin rather than added on as an afterthought. It isnt really wood of course, but who cares? Its the ambience that matters and ambience is something the 75 has in abundance. Accommodation is one area where those glorious junior
Bentley looks flatter to deceive. The 75 may be somewhere between a
BMW 3 and a 5 Series in exterior length but inside, theres no more room than youd find in the smaller Three.
This is surprising when you consider the natural packaging advantages that the front wheel drive Rover enjoys over its rear wheel drive German counterparts. In compensation, the boot is a reasonable size though you have to pay extra for a folding rear
seat. Still, if you want extra space, theres always the stylish Tourer version to consider. This should swallow a little more luggage, thanks to boxy dimensions that disguise a slightly smaller 1222-litre capacity with the seats folded down.
Dont go expecting to transport a grandfather clock mind you: theres only 45mm of extra rear overhang which means that the loadbay is restricted to 2060mm in length. On the road, that emphasis on luxury continues. The Rover sails over surfaces that would, quite frankly, be unpleasant in equivalent BMWs and Audis. Its quieter too in every area save that of wind noise.
True, a 3 Series or an Alfa 156 is more fun to drive on a twisting country road, but a well-driven 75 wouldnt be that far behind: on motorway journeys, its the car youd rather be in, capable yet undemanding. Theres the usual choice of five-speed manual or a smooth five-speed automatic transmission which curiously, given this Rovers Bavarian parentage, isnt available with the Stepspeed self-shifter that works so well on rival BMWs. Even so, this is the one to choose, the shift quality of the manual box, though adequate, not being one of the Rovers strongpoints. By and large, however, the 75 is still a breath of fresh air in a sector increasingly absorbed with performance and handling.
Many of the other alternatives seem to have been developed with a complete disregard for the reasons why executives actually buy cars like these. That pride of ownership, that feeling of accomplishment behind the wheel. Youll find it here.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Rover 75 range
PRICES: £16,995 - £33,095 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 8E-18A
CO2 EMISSIONS: 163-319g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.5 V6] 0-60mph 8.2s / Max Speed 137mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.5 V6] (urban) 20.2mpg / (extra urban) 39.4mpg / (combined) 29.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4745/1970/1427
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