The Rover 75 is the most acclaimed car in the company’s range — but that is not saying much except that Rover doesn’t have an extensive range.
The deliberately retro styling harks back to a time when Rovers were the automatic choice of the middle classes. They now choose BMWs, Mercedes and Audis for their sophistication, reliability and high-tech wizardry. In fact, the 75 is a pleasant, well-designed executive saloon that drives well and looks more expensive than its showroom tag, which starts at £17,000. The Rover 75 is MG Rover’s best selling model, selling 9,616 cars so far in 2004.
But the test is how well it stands up against the competition and, while the 75 has stood still, the Germans and Japanese have been roaring ahead with new models. Rover this autumn faces competition from revamped versions of Audi’s A6, the BMW 5-series and Mercedes C-class.
It is a classic dilemma for a business starved for so long of investment: the talent is there to produce a car that inspires but there is no money to progress. That is a shame for a talented bunch of people because the 75 proves they can get it right.
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Shanghai Automotive’s top-selling car is the Santana, which it makes jointly with the German carmaker Volkswagen.
It won’t set your pulse racing like a classic MG, but it has earned respect in China for its dull dependability.
British drivers will be more familiar with the Santana as the Passat model of the early 1980s, a solid if clunky saloon unlikely to win any beauty contests. But in the car-starved China of the mid-1980s, it was the only roadster available and people were more concerned with function than form.
The Santana was introduced to China in 1985 and its popularity quickly took its market share to 90 per cent and eventual sales of two million. It is still the taxi of choice in Shanghai and has retained its appeal with private drivers all over China, despite a more open market having increased the variety of cars available.
The Santana sells for around £9,500. Shanghai Automotive has recently relaunched the VW Santana to make it more attractive and comfortable by upgrading the front and rear bumpers, improving the seats and jazzing up the interior.