Rover launches two new cars

[Peter Mallett]

Land Rover belongs to Ford and they aren't doing too well either.

[touringlegend]

Correct, Ford's doing far worse financially than what MG Rover is...

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

Although that doesnt illustraight the point the british car industry is going to fall on its ass. Most of Fords production is abroad and they are US Owned.

Vauxhall shut down their luton plant (which by the way has screwed the town up pretty badly since everything is vauxhall orientated in Luton) and we dont have many other car plants around britain anymore realy. The government seem to like to completely screw with these companys and make it more cost effective to go elsewhere, and then like only the government do, they moan about british industys going down!!

[rdjones]

Well the Streetwise goes on Sale tomorrow and we hav just been to our local Rover Dealership and I have to say I quite like it.

[touringlegend]

What the bumpers like when you're there in person? They aren't too big, thats the only niggly point I could find with that car.

Oh, and are the wheels in proportion to the car?

[rdjones]

No they look OK - now I just happen to be with someone who works on the Longbridge production line and he quite liked it too........

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

I've just realised i've found two relivant press releases in my inbox that may interest you all.

SALES START FOR NEW STREETWISE
ROVER'S URBAN ON-ROADER

Streetwise, the new 'urban on-roader' from Rover, has just arrived at MG Rover showrooms, which are holding special viewings for potential customers over the next few days.

Streetwise is 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. It has elements of an SUV, with good ground clearance and ruggedness but without the low economy and complexity of 4x4 transmission. At the same time, it offers good all-round performance and capability.

The Streetwise is a bold new extension to Rover's small car range offering a distinctive new driving experience. With an 'urban-tough' attitude, Streetwise has larger wheels and raised suspension for better ground clearance and a more commanding driving position. 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 complete a stylish-looking profile and offer versatile load carrying to complement the spacious interior and boot.

Inside, Streetwise has a unique rear-seat configuration, with individual sports seats. A central console with storage space runs the full length of the cabin, dividing the passenger space, to give a cosseted environment.

Ingeniously, the folding rear seat squab retains the useful 60/40 split to allow four different cargo/passenger-carrying arrangements. For customers needing five seats, there is the option of a normal bench rear seat, with 60/40 split folding squabs and three lap and diagonal seat belts.

'Monaco' seat fabric is used for the first two trim levels, 'Sebring' fabric and leather seat trim with optional red or blue is standard on trim level 3 and optional on the others. All models feature a 'Puma' interior environment with silver accents around the switchpack. There are distinctive blue instrument graphics, and the new circular front ashtray can be transferred, if required, to the cup holder section of the door pocket.

Available in either 3- or 5-door hatchback body styles, there are three trim specifications; Streetwise, Streetwise S and Streetwise SE. Petrol engines range from 1.4- to 1.8-litre capacity and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, with dual fuel (Band 4 LPG conversions) also being available on the 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol engines.

Initial sales will start with 1.4-litre petrol and the accomplished 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, with other engine variants following shortly. Streetwise prices start at £9,295 (1.4-litre (84Ps) model). Full model line-up and pricing is tabled below for 3-door (5-door models are an additional £500):

3 door models
Model Description CO2 Retail VED 1st Reg. Fee OTR
g/km £ £ £ £
1.4 16v (84Ps) Streetwise 174 £9,125 £145 £25 £9,295
1.4 16v (84Ps) Streetwise S 174 £9,625 £145 £25 £9,795
1.4 16v (103Ps) Streetwise S 174 £10,125 £145 £25 £10,295
1.4 16v (103Ps) Streetwise SE 174 £11,125 £145 £25 £11,295
2.0 Turbo Diesel Streetwise S 159 £11,135 £135 £25 £11,295
2.0 Turbo Diesel Streetwise SE 159 £12,135 £135 £25 £12,295
OTR is an abbreviation for On-the-Road Price



Streetwise - Key Standard Features
Split fold rear seat
Full length floor mounted centre console with single rear cup holder
Opti-kool green tinted glass all round
TrafficMaster Traffic Alert System (T.A.S.)
Power Assisted Steering (P.A.S.)
Rear wash / wipe (with automatic activation in reverse)
Driver's airbag and seat belt load limiter
Perimetric and volumetric anti-theft protection, with passive arming engine immobiliser
Remote central door locking
Front door super-locking
Command driving position and raised suspension
Neutral coloured front bumper with new Rover badge
Neutral coloured rear bumper with embossed new Rover logo
Silver look bumper inserts
Neutral coloured side rub strips with Streetwise branding
Neutral tailgate lift handle with Streetwise branding
Blue instrument graphics
Roof rails
Centre console with silver inserts
Unique two-person rear seat design incorporating central storage (three-seater design is an option)

Streetwise entry model includes:
15" Streetwise steel wheels
Internal adjustable door mirrors
Stereo radio cassette with two front speakers
Silver bumper inserts
Four speed heater fan and fresh air/recirculation mode
Streetwise steering wheel & gear knob
Black Monaco fabric sports shaped seats

Streetwise 'S' over and above entry model includes:
16" Blade alloy wheels
Body coloured internally adjustable door mirrors
Anti lock brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
Electric front windows
CD tuner including rear speakers & steering wheel mounted remote controls

Streetwise 'SE' over and above 'S' model include:
Body coloured bumper inserts
Air conditioning
Leather steering wheel & gear knob
Sebring sports seats with black leather side rolls
Front fog lights



STREETWISE TOURS UK

As well as being on display at MG Rover dealerships, the new Streetwise will also be seen in major shopping malls over the next few weeks:

Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes - Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd August
Meadow Hall, Sheffield - Friday 22nd to Saturday 23rd
Castle Court - Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th
White Rose, Leeds - Friday 29th to Saturday 30th
The Shires, Leicester - Wednesday 3rd to Saturday 6th September
County Mall, Crawley - Friday 5th to Saturday 6th
Braehead, Glasgow - Wednesday 10th to Saturday 13th
Galleries, Bristol - Friday 12th to Saturday 13th
The Bullring, Birmingham - Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th
Galleries, Washington - Friday 19th to Saturday 20th

The Streetwise and other Rover cars are also on display at the Welcome Break service stations on the M40 at Oxford and M25 at South Mimms.

RICHARD DUNWOODY TO RIDE NEW STREETWISE
IN WORLD CUP RALLY

Richard Dunwoody, Britain's best-known jump jockey, who has ridden nearly 2,000 winners including two wins in the Grand National, is to take up rally-driving next month. He is to take part in the World Cup Rally, from London to the Sahara Desert, in Rover's new Streetwise 'urban on-roader'.

Richard is looking forward to driving the Streetwise because it has a number of qualities ideal for long-distance rallying. Its K Series engine produces 103Ps, the best performing 1.4-litre car. The robust moulded bumpers, wheelarch protectors and rubbing strips protect the exterior, giving Streetwise its urban-tough attitude. Large wheels, high ground-clearing suspension geometry and long-travel springs give the Streetwise the ability to cover distance comfortably over a wide variety of terrain.

This is Richard's first ever rally drive. The World Cup Rally is limited to cars with standard production engines (up to 1400cc), gearboxes and brakes. In previous years, the similar powered MG ZR and Rover 25s have performed well on the event with several top-ten finishes, and last year's MG ZR finished second overall, the highest placed international-rally result ever in MG's history.