CityRover
Encyclopedia
The Rover CityRover is a hatchback car
model offered by MG Rover Group in the UK market. Launched in the Autumn of 2003, the car was a rebadged
version of the India
n Tata Indica
. With a length of 3.6 metres (141.7 in), it was considered either a large city car
or a small supermini
. Its interior space was good for a small car.
.
MG Rover was reported to be paying Tata £3,000 for each car and, despite each model featuring a Rover corporate nose and revised suspension
settings, the buying public was not impressed by the £7,000 starting price.
In the summer of 2004, just one year after the CityRover's launch, MG Rover announced plans to replace it with an all-new model within two years. Rumours of a sporty MG
variant also appeared in the motoring press.
Sales were well short of MG Rover's targets, so the CityRover was given an upgrade for the 2005 model year
, with more standard equipment. Prices were slashed by £900, confirming that the car's previous prices had not been competitive.
The CityRover made the media again when Rover refused to lend one to Top Gear
to test. In order to answer the question of "just how bad could it be?" James May
went undercover and test drove one at a dealer while carrying a hidden camera. He subsequently declared it to be the worst car he had ever driven on the show.
Along with the rest of the MG Rover range, production of the CityRover ended in April 2005 when the company went into receivership, the last vehicles brought into the UK being purchased and sold on by a non-franchised discount dealer group.
Although MG Rover was bought by Nanjing Automobile of China
in July 2005, the company's new owners did not include the CityRover or indeed any direct successor in their plans for a new model range.
to Delhi
by University of Southampton
students Chris Cardwell and Nick Clarke without any major problems, including crossing significant distances of desert and a number of mountain ranges. The reasons given by the event organisers for the choice of vehicle were that it is "the cheapest brand new car you can drive in Britain", and to prove that the route could be driven in an ordinary small car, without the need for a large four wheel drive
vehicle. Following completion of the race, the car was shipped back to the UK and sold to a prospective competitor, with the intention of using it on the event in September 2007.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
model offered by MG Rover Group in the UK market. Launched in the Autumn of 2003, the car was a rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
version of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Tata Indica
Tata Indica
The Tata Indica is a hatchback automobile range manufactured by Tata Motors of India. It is the first passenger car from Tata Motors and is also considered India's first indigenously developed passenger car. , more than 910,000 Indicas were produced. The annual sales of Indica has been as high as ...
. With a length of 3.6 metres (141.7 in), it was considered either a large city car
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
or a small supermini
Supermini car
A supermini is a British term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America....
. Its interior space was good for a small car.
Criticism
The CityRover's running costs were rather high, and its asking price was high compared with newer, better built and better specified rivals such as the Fiat PandaFiat Panda
The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980, and was produced until 2003 with only a few changes. It is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "New Panda"...
.
MG Rover was reported to be paying Tata £3,000 for each car and, despite each model featuring a Rover corporate nose and revised suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
settings, the buying public was not impressed by the £7,000 starting price.
In the summer of 2004, just one year after the CityRover's launch, MG Rover announced plans to replace it with an all-new model within two years. Rumours of a sporty MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
variant also appeared in the motoring press.
Sales were well short of MG Rover's targets, so the CityRover was given an upgrade for the 2005 model year
Model year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
, with more standard equipment. Prices were slashed by £900, confirming that the car's previous prices had not been competitive.
The CityRover made the media again when Rover refused to lend one to Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
to test. In order to answer the question of "just how bad could it be?" James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
went undercover and test drove one at a dealer while carrying a hidden camera. He subsequently declared it to be the worst car he had ever driven on the show.
Along with the rest of the MG Rover range, production of the CityRover ended in April 2005 when the company went into receivership, the last vehicles brought into the UK being purchased and sold on by a non-franchised discount dealer group.
Although MG Rover was bought by Nanjing Automobile of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in July 2005, the company's new owners did not include the CityRover or indeed any direct successor in their plans for a new model range.
Achievements
Despite the media criticism of the CityRover, one (the upgraded 2005 version) was chosen in 2006 to be used as the reconnaissance vehicle for the 2007 Himalayan Challenge Endurance Rally. With only minor modifications, the car was driven over the 7000 miles (11,265.4 km) planned route from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
by University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
students Chris Cardwell and Nick Clarke without any major problems, including crossing significant distances of desert and a number of mountain ranges. The reasons given by the event organisers for the choice of vehicle were that it is "the cheapest brand new car you can drive in Britain", and to prove that the route could be driven in an ordinary small car, without the need for a large four wheel drive
Four Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...
vehicle. Following completion of the race, the car was shipped back to the UK and sold to a prospective competitor, with the intention of using it on the event in September 2007.