Rover 400
Encyclopedia
The second generation 400 Series, codenamed Theta or HH-R, was launched in the summer of 1995 as a hatchback and later a saloon. This time it was based on the Honda Domani
, which had been released in Japan in 1992, and was sold as part of the European Honda Civic
range in five-door hatchback form. It was no longer as closely related to the 200 Series, which was revised independently by Rover but still shared many components with the 400. Power came from 1.4 and 1.6 litre K-Series
, 1.6 litre Honda D series SOHC (Automatic gearbox only) and 2.0 L Rover T Series petrol engine
s, as well as a 2.0 litre L-Series
turbodiesel
from the more luxurious 600 Series
.
The Rover 400 might have been marketed as a small family car, it compares closely in size and engine range with contemporary models such as the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Astra
. Instead Rover priced the car to compete with vehicles like the Ford Mondeo
and Vauxhall Vectra. Rover's only offering in the large family car
segment at the time was the ageing Montego
and this gap in the company's line-up needed to be filled. A saloon version was later introduced for the 400. The related Honda Civic
was not sold as a saloon in the UK, although a four door version was available in other markets. This helped to expand the appeal of the Rover model up-market into the executive car segment, and to better differentiate the two cars.
The 400 was initially popular, being Britain's seventh best selling new car in 1996. Within three years it had fallen out of the top 10 completely and was being outsold by traditionally poorer selling cars like the Volkswagen Passat
and the Peugeot 406
.
version of the Rover 45 was sold as the MG ZS
.
The 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 litre petrol and 2.0 litre diesel engines were carried over from the 400 Series, but the 2.0 four-cylinder petrol unit was replaced by a 2.0 litre V6 from the larger Rover 75
— although this power unit was only available on saloon versions. The 45 came equipped with the better seating of the 75 and whilst the 400 models handled very well, the suspension was tuned to give much better controlled ride characteristics with quicker steering. This gave the 45, especially post-2003 models which shared suspension mods with the MG version, handling as good as most and better than some of its rivals.
The 45 was available with Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) supplied by the German manufacturer ZF Sachs AG which had previously been used in the MGF. This particular design of CVT consists of an oil-cooled laminated steel belt (with external oil cooler) running on variable pulleys. MG Rover had many CVT failures returned to the supplier. Rover's own manual gearbox factory had been retained by BMW during the sale which created MG Rover. After buying its own gearbox designs from BMW for a time MG Rover eventually sourced an alternative supplier and later Rover 25/45 models up to 1.6 litre were fitted with Ford gearboxes.
Initially, the Rover 45 sold reasonably well. The revised model boasted improved equipment levels, comfortable interior and reduced prices, compared with the preceding 400 badged models. While the asking price was now in line with other small family cars, the Rover 45 began to lose market share. Being based on the 1992 Honda Domani
, the 45 was by now an outdated car compared with contemporary offerings from other marques like the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra
as well as the Peugeot 307
, Fiat Stilo
and Volkswagen Golf Mk4
.
The Rover 45 was Britain's best selling new car for the month of April 2000,. As this coincides with the highly publicised sale of Rover to the Phoenix Consortium it is likely surge in sales resulted from buyers wanting to support the company. Sales soon settled back down to normal levels, and the 45 Saloon was never able to seriously compete with the Ford Mondeo
and Vauxhall Vectra in terms of popularity.
A facelift in the spring of 2004 was MG Rover's last effort to boost sales of the Rover 45, including a new front and rear end, a re-designed dash, revised suspension settings, improved equipment and lower prices, necessitated by the end of Domani production in Japan. Production of the car stopped in April 2005 due to MG Rover's bankruptcy.
The Rover 45 design is controlled by Honda, and the company is believed to have seized schematics and tooling relating to the 45 and ZS shortly before MG Rover was sold to Nanjing Automobile Group
.
Stocks of the Rover 45 lasted for approximately two years after the end of production.
engines were anticipated to be introduced by 2006. The R30 project was cancelled when BMW
divested its ownership of Rover Group in 2000.
platform. Collectively referred to as the RD/X60 project (sometimes also written RDX60), the range was intended to comprise the following variants:
A preview of how the RD62 "Tourer" might appear was given at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show in the form of the Rover TCV (Tourer Concept Vehicle) concept car
.
During the design process, MG Rover's design partner Tom Walkinshaw Racing
(TWR) went into administration. MG Rover lost access to most of the computer-aided design work for their new vehicle. Efforts were made to reclaim these from the administrators however the resulting uncertainty and delays made it impossible to progress with the project.
The abortive 2004 SAIC deal was to have included bringing a replacement for the ageing 45 to market, and the RD/X60 was a likely candidate for this. Ultimately no such joint venture was entered into. After MG Rover's collapse SAIC bought some of the company's intellectual property
and released a concept called the Roewe W2. Like the RD/X60 this was partly based on the Rover 75 platform. It is reported the W2 derived from previous work on the RD/X60 project. The W2 entered production in 2008 as the Roewe 550
. A hatchback derivative of the 550 was announced in 2009 as the MG 6
.
Honda Domani
The is a car made by Honda and marketed in east Asia, including Japan. It was introduced in November 1992, replacing the Concerto in Honda's lineup, although that model lasted until 1995 in Europe...
, which had been released in Japan in 1992, and was sold as part of the European Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
range in five-door hatchback form. It was no longer as closely related to the 200 Series, which was revised independently by Rover but still shared many components with the 400. Power came from 1.4 and 1.6 litre K-Series
Rover K engine
The K-Series engine is a series of engines built by Powertrain Ltd, a sister company of MG Rover. The engine was built in two forms: a straight-four cylinder, available with SOHC and DOHC, ranging from 1.1 L to 1.8 L; and the KV6 V6 variation....
, 1.6 litre Honda D series SOHC (Automatic gearbox only) and 2.0 L Rover T Series petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
s, as well as a 2.0 litre L-Series
Rover L-Series engine
The L-Series engine is an automotive diesel engine built by Powertrain Ltd, a sister company of MG Rover.-History:The L-Series engine commenced production in January 1995 and was the first Rover designed and manufactured direct injection diesel for use in Rover Cars applications and derived from...
turbodiesel
Turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
from the more luxurious 600 Series
Rover 600
The Rover 600 Series is a compact executive car produced by the British car maker Rover from 1993 to 1999.The Rover 600 exterior was designed by Rover, a re-skin of the Tochigi-developed Honda Accord, also built in the UK by Honda in Swindon...
.
The Rover 400 might have been marketed as a small family car, it compares closely in size and engine range with contemporary models such as the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
. Instead Rover priced the car to compete with vehicles like the Ford Mondeo
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
and Vauxhall Vectra. Rover's only offering in the large family car
Large family car
A large family car, also known as a D-segment car, is a European automobile classification which is larger than a small family car and smaller than an executive car. Multi-purpose vehicles based on a large family car design are often called large MPVs, while similarly-priced models from luxury car...
segment at the time was the ageing Montego
Austin Montego
The Austin Montego is a British mid-size saloon car that was produced by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and its successors, from 1984 until 1994. The Montego was the replacement for the Morris Ital, to give British Leyland a modern competitor for the Ford Sierra and Vauxhall...
and this gap in the company's line-up needed to be filled. A saloon version was later introduced for the 400. The related Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
was not sold as a saloon in the UK, although a four door version was available in other markets. This helped to expand the appeal of the Rover model up-market into the executive car segment, and to better differentiate the two cars.
The 400 was initially popular, being Britain's seventh best selling new car in 1996. Within three years it had fallen out of the top 10 completely and was being outsold by traditionally poorer selling cars like the Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
and the Peugeot 406
Peugeot 406
The Peugeot 406 was a large family car made by the French automaker Peugeot from 1995 to 2004. Available in saloon, estate and coupé bodystyles with a choice of petrol or turbodiesel engines, the 406 replaced the Peugeot 405 in Peugeot's lineup, and was itself replaced by the Peugeot 407...
.
Rover 45 (1999–2005)
In the autumn of 1999, the 400 Series was facelifted (under the codename Oyster) and renamed Rover 45. Although instantly recognisable as the same car which had been marketed as an inexpensive alternative to other large family cars during the later part of the 1990s, Rover management now realised the error of their previous strategy and it was priced/marketed as a small family car. From the summer of 2001, a re-engineered hot hatchHot hatch
Hot hatch was originally an informal automotive industry term, shortened from hot hatchback, initially coined by the British motoring press in 1984, for a high-performance derivative of a car body style consisting of a three- or five-door hatchback automobile.Vehicles of this class are based on...
version of the Rover 45 was sold as the MG ZS
MG ZS
The MG ZS is a sports family car. The ZS is essentially a badge engineered Rover 45 . The 45 in turn is a facelifted version of the Rover 400 which was launched in hatchback form in 1995 and saloon form in 1996. The Rover 400 had much in common with the Honda Civic of 1995-1999...
.
The 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 litre petrol and 2.0 litre diesel engines were carried over from the 400 Series, but the 2.0 four-cylinder petrol unit was replaced by a 2.0 litre V6 from the larger Rover 75
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
— although this power unit was only available on saloon versions. The 45 came equipped with the better seating of the 75 and whilst the 400 models handled very well, the suspension was tuned to give much better controlled ride characteristics with quicker steering. This gave the 45, especially post-2003 models which shared suspension mods with the MG version, handling as good as most and better than some of its rivals.
The 45 was available with Continuously Variable Transmission
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
(CVT) supplied by the German manufacturer ZF Sachs AG which had previously been used in the MGF. This particular design of CVT consists of an oil-cooled laminated steel belt (with external oil cooler) running on variable pulleys. MG Rover had many CVT failures returned to the supplier. Rover's own manual gearbox factory had been retained by BMW during the sale which created MG Rover. After buying its own gearbox designs from BMW for a time MG Rover eventually sourced an alternative supplier and later Rover 25/45 models up to 1.6 litre were fitted with Ford gearboxes.
Initially, the Rover 45 sold reasonably well. The revised model boasted improved equipment levels, comfortable interior and reduced prices, compared with the preceding 400 badged models. While the asking price was now in line with other small family cars, the Rover 45 began to lose market share. Being based on the 1992 Honda Domani
Honda Domani
The is a car made by Honda and marketed in east Asia, including Japan. It was introduced in November 1992, replacing the Concerto in Honda's lineup, although that model lasted until 1995 in Europe...
, the 45 was by now an outdated car compared with contemporary offerings from other marques like the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
as well as the Peugeot 307
Peugeot 307
The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001. It was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2002, and continues to be offered in China and certain South American markets through 2009 despite the French launch of the 308 in September...
, Fiat Stilo
Fiat Stilo
The Fiat Stilo is a small family car available as a 3-door and a 5-door hatchback, as well as an estate , produced by the Italian automaker Fiat Automobiles. The Stilo 3-door and 5-door were launched in 2001 to replace the Fiat Bravo/Brava, with the Stilo MultiWagon following in 2002...
and Volkswagen Golf Mk4
Volkswagen Golf Mk4
Launched in 1999, the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 was the best selling car in Europe in 2001 . The Mk4 was a deliberate attempt to take the Volkswagen Golf series further upmarket, with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels...
.
The Rover 45 was Britain's best selling new car for the month of April 2000,. As this coincides with the highly publicised sale of Rover to the Phoenix Consortium it is likely surge in sales resulted from buyers wanting to support the company. Sales soon settled back down to normal levels, and the 45 Saloon was never able to seriously compete with the Ford Mondeo
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
and Vauxhall Vectra in terms of popularity.
A facelift in the spring of 2004 was MG Rover's last effort to boost sales of the Rover 45, including a new front and rear end, a re-designed dash, revised suspension settings, improved equipment and lower prices, necessitated by the end of Domani production in Japan. Production of the car stopped in April 2005 due to MG Rover's bankruptcy.
The Rover 45 design is controlled by Honda, and the company is believed to have seized schematics and tooling relating to the 45 and ZS shortly before MG Rover was sold to Nanjing Automobile Group
Nanjing Automobile Group
Nanjing Automobile is a state-owned enterprise with a history that dates from 1947, making it the oldest of the Chinese automobile manufacturers, although the comparatively younger First Automobile Works was the first to actually make cars.The group's products have included cars, trucks, and...
.
Stocks of the Rover 45 lasted for approximately two years after the end of production.
Security
Rover 45 models were tested on three separate occasions by Thatcham's New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) organisation and achieved the following ratings:| 01/00 - 12/02 | Rating |
|---|---|
| Theft of car: | |
| Theft from car: |
| 01/03 - 03/04 | Rating |
|---|---|
| Theft of car: | |
| Theft from car: |
| 04/04 - 05/05 | Rating |
|---|---|
| Theft of car: | |
| Theft from car: |
Powertrains
These were the engines available for the Rover 400 (1995–1999) and Rover 45 (2000–2005):| Years | Model & Transmission | Engine | Power | Torque | Top Speed | 0–100 km/h | Economy (MPG imp) |
Emissions (CO2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | ||||||||
| 1998–2000 | 1.4 8v Manual | 1.4 L, 4 in-L | 74 PS | 117 N·m (86 lb·ft) | 166 km/h (103 mph) | 13.4 secs | 39.0 mpg | 175 g/km |
| 1995–99 | 1.4 16v Manual | 1.4 L, 4 in-L | 103 PS | 127 N·m (94 lb·ft) | 185 km/h (115 mph) | 11.0 secs | 41.0 mpg | 175 g/km |
| 1999–2005 | 1.4 16v Manual | 1.4 L, 4 in-L | 103 PS | 123 N·m (91 lb·ft) | 185 km/h (115 mph) | 11.2 secs | 40.0 mpg | 168 g/km |
| 1995–2004 | 1.6 16v Manual | 1.6 L, 4 in-L | 111 PS | 145 N·m (107 lb·ft) | 190 km/h (118 mph) | 10.0 secs | 39.0 mpg | 178 g/km |
| 1995–2000 | 1.6 16v Stepspeed | 1.6 L, 4 in-L | 115 PS | 143 N·m (107 lb·ft) | 190 km/h (118 mph) | 12.0 secs | 32.0 mpg | 212 g/km |
| 1997–2005 | 1.8 16v Manual | 1.8 L, 4 in-L | 117 PS | 160 N·m (118 lb·ft) | 195 km/h (121 mph) | 9.3 secs | 38.0 mpg | 174 g/km |
| 1999–2005 | 1.8 16v Stepspeed | 1.8 L, 4 in-L | 117 PS | 160 N·m (118 lb·ft) | 184 km/h (118 mph) | 10.3 secs | 33.0 mpg | 203 g/km |
| 1995–2000 | 2.0 16v Manual | 2.0 L, 4 in-L | 136 PS | 185 N·m (137 lb·ft) | 200 km/h (124 mph) | 9.0 secs | 32.0 mpg | 210 g/km |
| 2000–04 | 2.0 V6 Stepspeed | 2.0 L, 6 in-V | 149 PS | 185 N·m (137 lb·ft) | 200 km/h (124 mph) | 9.5 secs | 28.0 mpg | 234 g/km |
| Diesel | ||||||||
| 1995–99 | 2.0 TD 86 Manual | 2.0 L, 4 in-L | 86 PS | 170 N·m (125 lb·ft) | 169 km/h (105 mph) | 13.0 secs | 49.0 mpg | 168 g/km |
| 1995–99 | 2.0 TD 105 Manual | 2.0 L, 4 in-L | 105 PS | 210 N·m (155 lb·ft) | 185 km/h (115 mph) | 10.4 secs | 53.0 mpg | 166 g/km |
| 1999–2005 | 2.0 TD 101 Manual | 2.0 L, 4 in-L | 101 PS | 240 N·m (177 lb·ft) | 185 km/h (115 mph) | 10.6 secs | 52.0 mpg | 150 g/km |
| 2002–05 | 2.0 TD 113 Manual | 2.0 L, 4 in-L | 113 PS | 260 N·m (192 lb·ft) | 190 km/h (118 mph) | 9.8 secs | 50.0 mpg | 150 g/km |
R30
During the late 1990s, replacements for the Rover 25 and 45 models were developed by Rover Group under the codename R30. Intended for launch in 2003 as the Rover 35 and 55, these would have been based on an all-new platform. At launch these would have used K-series engines, but new ValvetronicValvetronic
The Valvetronic system is a variable valve timing system to offer continuous and precisely variable intake valve lift, from ~0 to 10 mm, and duration. It typically works in conjunction with the independent Double VANOS system that continuously varies the timing...
engines were anticipated to be introduced by 2006. The R30 project was cancelled when BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
divested its ownership of Rover Group in 2000.
RD/X60
Following the termination of the R30 project, from 2001, MG Rover planned to replace the 45 with a model range based on the Rover 75Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
platform. Collectively referred to as the RD/X60 project (sometimes also written RDX60), the range was intended to comprise the following variants:
- RD60: Rover hatchback
- X60: MG hatchback
- RD61: Rover saloon
- RD62: Rover "tourer" estate
A preview of how the RD62 "Tourer" might appear was given at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show in the form of the Rover TCV (Tourer Concept Vehicle) concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
.
During the design process, MG Rover's design partner Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win...
(TWR) went into administration. MG Rover lost access to most of the computer-aided design work for their new vehicle. Efforts were made to reclaim these from the administrators however the resulting uncertainty and delays made it impossible to progress with the project.
The abortive 2004 SAIC deal was to have included bringing a replacement for the ageing 45 to market, and the RD/X60 was a likely candidate for this. Ultimately no such joint venture was entered into. After MG Rover's collapse SAIC bought some of the company's intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
and released a concept called the Roewe W2. Like the RD/X60 this was partly based on the Rover 75 platform. It is reported the W2 derived from previous work on the RD/X60 project. The W2 entered production in 2008 as the Roewe 550
Roewe 550
The Roewe 550 is a car produced by Roewe in the People's Republic of China launched at the April 2008 Beijing Motor Show. The 550 is reported to be derived from the MG Rover RDX60 project which was under development when MG Rover failed.The car, codenamed W261 during development, is the work of a...
. A hatchback derivative of the 550 was announced in 2009 as the MG 6
MG 6
The MG6 is a mid-size car built by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, derived from the Roewe 550 and hence distantly related to the Rover 75, sharing its front subframe...
.