Rover STREETWISE 2.0TD DIESEL
Rovers High Rise Streetwise Works Best When Fitted With Their Muscular 2.0-litre Turbodiesel Engine. Andy Enright Tries It
Despite the best efforts of
MG Rovers marketing department to scupper its chances before it turned a wheel, Rovers Streetwise is actually a very creditable proposition. The name is a little cringeworthy, reminiscent of William Hague wearing a baseball cap and attempting to "get jiggy with the kids" and dubbing it an "urban on-roader" was spectacularly ill-advised but beneath all the crass spin lurks a car that makes a lot of sense if you pause to consider the constituent ingredients.
A slightly elevated driving position and plenty of cladding to protect the bodywork from the worst a Sainsburys car park can muster make sound sense. MG
Rover claim this urban tough attitude is a key driver for many customers buying small 4x4s who nevertheless werent too enamoured of the mediocre fuel economy, flabby steering and roly-poly handling. These metropolitan buyers couldnt give a hoot if their ride had a locking central differential or a 30-inch wading capability as their cars never ventured off the often pockmarked blacktop. After all, theres not much point buying a heap of capability youre never likely to use.
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The marketing heads at
MG Rover reckon the Streetwise is just that product. The range kicks off with a 1.4-litre version at just £9,340 but the pick of the line up appear to be the 2.0-litre turbodiesel models, available in either S, GSi or SE trim at £11,495, £11,995 or £12,495 respectively for three-door versions with five door cars tacking another £500 onto those prices.
Those looking to pour scorn on this market niche were quickly smacked down when
Volkswagen helped legitimise the market sector with their Polo Fun project. Dont forget that original Fusion prototypes boasted 4x4 design cues before
Ford somewhat lost their bottle and toned the design down. At least MG Rover have had the courage of their convictions to follow the project through. The 2.
0-litre turbo diesel engine fitted to the Streetwise TD isnt the last word in diesel technology, boasting only a solitary pair of valves per cylinder and no trendy common rail, particulate filtering, exhaust gas recirculating niceties. Despite this, 260Nm of torque is still more than a
Honda S2000 can muster which, admittedly, isnt saying much, but when you consider that an
Audi TT 180 or a Mondeo 2.5 Zetec-S V6 manage about the same, you know that the Streetwise has the potential to deliver some fun. The top speed of 110mph isnt going to provoke much interest but fuel economy is a bit special.
With a light right foot, you should nudge 40mpg in the city and nearly 70mpg on an easy run. The combined figure of 47mpg suggests that excitement and expense can be mutually exclusive concepts.
"Its a sound choice for the urban motorist who likes to take the rough with the smooth"
The Streetwise features large wheels and raised suspension for greater ground clearance and a higher viewpoint. For extra toughness and durability, it has robust moulded bumpers, wheelarch protectors and rubbing strips all in a scratch-resistant dark grey-grained finish. Standard fit roof bars on all models offer a versatile carrying facility to complement the spacious interior and boot. Pay £1,000 over the price of the S for SE trim and youll get body-coloured bumper inserts, air conditioning, leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob, Sebring sports seats with part leather bolsters and front fog lights.
Although, the GSi features air-con and electric windows while taking the middle ground price-wise. The Streetwise is clearly a car of necessity. MG Rover has to make the most of what it has until all-new models arrive in 2005. A major part of that will be an imminent facelift programme but more ingenuity than this will be required if the company is to keep sales at break-even point.
At least the Streetwise is evidence that this exists at Longbridge. When styling chief Peter Stevens noticed that his junior designers werent driving Rovers, he asked them to design a car they would drive. The 25-based Streetwise is the result. All right, so you dont get four-wheel drive or indeed any kind of offroad ability but both would in any case be largely pointless given the urban target market.
Big wheels and raised suspension do at least deliver an offroader-style high driving position. And of course the aggressive front grille, mock skid plates, grey protective cladding and roof rails also give it an authentic 4X4 look. Inside, the Streetwise has its own specially-designed seating and trim treatment, with individual front and rear storage plus individual sports-style seating for four as standard, yet it retains a practical and versatile 60/40 split folding rear
seat squab. But is there really a market for a car like this? Well obviously, MG Rover thinks so.
The company points to an increasing trend for small car buyers to seek a more 'personalised' variation in style and configuration the so-called 'urban on-roader'. The Streetwise seems to meet this brief - robust, versatile and stylish, a small car that's fun to drive, handy in traffic, easy to park and able to shrug off hard use by active individuals and young families. It has elements of the SUV appeal, with good ground clearance and ruggedness, but without the costs and complexity of 4x4 transmission. At the same time, it offers decent all-round performance and capability out of town, from motorways to farm tracks. One of the first things youll notice in the showroom is the uncompromising
Volvo XC70/Audi Allroad-style front end.
The Streetwise has the front bumper and grille formed in a tough unpainted grained moulding. The same resilient material, resistant to chipping and scratches, is used for the wheelarch spats, sill mouldings, side rubbing strips, rear bumper and tailgate lift handle. Beefy roof bars, securely bolted to the roof on all Streetwise models, are similar to those fitted to the Rover 75 Tourer, and accept the same kind of cross bars and carrying systems for loads up to 65 kg. The MG Rover Streetwise may rank along the
Mitsubishi Carisma in terms of naming convention, but as a car its a sound choice for the urban motorist who likes to take the rough with the smooth.
The torquey diesel engine has the mumbo to get you off the mark quickly and the raised ride height is ideal for judging which line of traffics about to get stiffed at the next set of lights. There arent too many cars which would look good with a bunch of urban battle scars festooned about their bodywork, but the Streetwise would. Contrived it may be but it nevertheless makes a lot of sense.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Rover Streetwise 2.0TD range
PRICES: £11,495 - £12,995 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 6
CO2 EMISSIONS: 159 g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.9s / 0-60mph 110mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's Airbag
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 3990/1690/1420mm
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