Mew life for Rover range
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
This week, Business Cars looks at the newly revised Rover range with its new addition of a two-litre model; Stuart Beadon also assesses the potential of the Talbot Tag ora as a business car, and takes a look at developments at Fiat
LT ONE TIME the performance ace was all that mattered. Cars ad to have better acceleration nd higher top speed as a first ssential; but not any more. Toay, the prime requirements are conomy, low maintenance and apair costs, and high retained alue.
If the manufacturer can also ontrive to offer space, comfort nd quality, as well as meeting iese prior needs, then he can ideed claim to be offering a car 3 interest the business buyer. his is the background against rhich the new Rover 2000 needs 3 be assessed.
However, we have not yet ?ached the point where slugishness is acceptable, and I onfess to wondering whether le weight and size of the Rover ody would not prove too much 3r a two-litre engine. A brief apraise! in South West France ras more encouraging than 1 ad expected, and the 0-Series ngine with twin SU carbs. opes surprisingly well.
Five-speed gearbox is stenard, and you have to use the ears fairly freely, often changIg direct from fifth to third, for xample, to find the extra punch 3 overtake the typical French am/on trundling along well out .1 the road at about 60mph. .uch is the installation of the ngine that it revs very easily nd without fuss, even to the, xtent that one needs to keep an ye on the rev counter to avoid oing beyond the beginning of le orange zone, which starts at ,000.
Often things were going quite icely when I found it necessary 3 change up — and it was alrays the rev counter that avealed I was "running out of avs" rather than the noise level. here's a healthy background rone from under the bonnet, ut it is not objectionable.
Power output is 100bhp, and le new 2000 proves easily capble of cruising at 80-85mph. top speed is well over 100mph fifth, but fourth gear runs out of revs soon after 90mph.
As well as introducing the smaller engine, Rover has made a number of improvements throughout the range, and many of them apply also to the 2000. In particular, Rover has at last surrendered to popular demand, and fitted a rear window wash/wipe system. The argument always used to be that with such an aerodynamic body shape, a rear wiper was not necessary because rain just blew off the glass. That was fine provided one was travelling fast enough for the wind to have strength to blow it off, which meant a speed of at least 50mph. At lower speeds in town, or turning in a car park, standing water on the back window was a nuisance.
The new wash/wipe system gives linked action — wash and five sweeps of the wiper arm at a touch of the button, or intermittent action if the button is pressed fully down. To accommodate the wiper arm, the rear window glass has been extended considerably lower, and the window heater element dives two wires down below the blade to ensure that it does not remain frozen to the glass in icy weather.
Business buyers should note the new shape of the back window, as it's the one external distinguishing feature common to the whole range.
Following the trend started already with the Metro and Ital, BL has moved the Rover into the 12,000-mile service routine which business users are bound to value. Less time off the road, less expenditure on garage labour — it's definitely right for the business car, even though one may have doubts about a low-mileage privately operated car going so long without an oil change; but if 12,000 miles are not covered in the year, then the oil and filter change become due on time basis.
The air cleaner element goes for 24,000-mile or two-year replacement, and there's a low maintenance battery. These are proving a really good investment, and on the basis that the average business car's battery is generally neglected, the low maintenance unit simply adds up to longer trouble-free life.
Because of the reduced frequency of service, all 1982 Rovers have brake pad wear sensors on the front pads, lighting a warning tell-tale if the pads become due for replacement between services. The 2000 also has an LED plug-in point for ignition setting, and it will be recalled that this engine requires no cylinder head re-tightening in service.
With its reduced service interval, the Rover is claimed to top the list of cars in the class for low maintenance costs, with a figure of £120 for labour, plus £116 for materials, in four years of ownership. Against this total of £236, the Ford Granada 2.0 is quoted as costing £287, the Peugeot 504GR £377, and the Volvo 244DL £511. Labour was costed at £11.50 per hour including VAT.
Spectacular claims are being made for the 2000's fuel economy, but knowing how thirsty some cars with relatively small engines can prove to be, I have to reserve judgment until F have had the opportunity to test the Rover on its home ground. Body shape, gearing and engine efficiency are on its side, though, and BL is claiming an impressive 32.8mpg at constant 75mph in fifth. As throughout the range, of course, the 2000 is available with automatic transmission.
All models are also now fitted with an automatic cold-start enrichment device. Although these are rather despised, when done well they can be preferable to the misuse of a manual choke sometimes given by an inconsiderate driver. The unit used on the Rovers is a separate Solex starting device attached to one of the SU carbs.
As well as the additional 2000 model, the former line-up continues: 2300, 23005, 26005, 35005E and Vanden Plas, making a total of six models. Interiors are improved with a redesigned instrument panel and general tidying up of the trim to get rid of the excessively "plastic" look of the previous Rovers. The new instrument panel is much wider, locating the minor instruments more in the centre of the car, and the speedometer and rev counter are of arc type instead of circular — an arrangement favoured by Fiat.
Many other detail changes are made such as the fitting of a digital clock which acts also as a timer for journeys, with stopstart facility so that dead time is easily excluded. On the Vanden Plas, this is replaced with a full trip counter computer offering all the usual elaborate facilities such as instant or journey fuel I consumption, and this computer can be specified for any other Rover instead of the digital clock.
Power steering is standard on all except the 2000, and on the Vanden Plas the only item of optional equipment is air conditioning.Between the two extremes of the range there is a complex permutation of extras, which the business buyer may prefer not to know about or may be glad to use as ammunition, according to whether he is trying to keep his purchase down to a tight budget or trying to persuade a senior executive to have a Rover instead of some
thing much more expensive. Such items as leather upholstery, electric sunroof and central locking are available even for the 2000.
Distinguishing feature at the front is the addition of a substantial spoiler beneath the bumper on all models except the 2000. It is claimed to contribute to better economy and aerodynamic stability.
Prices all move up substan tially, the 2000 costing the sam as the former 2300, at 0,45( The 2300 now costs £7,970, an the 2300S is £9,359 (formerl £8,650). The increase on th 2600S is not quite so bad, Ix takes it over £10,000, to £10,177 and the 3 50 OSE become £12,546. The Vanden Plas cost £14,787.
Extra cost for automatic tram mission is £306.92 on all model except the Vanden Plas, where is standard and manual tram mission is a no-cost alternative.
Talbot Tagora 2.2
Is it the most under-rated of a business cars?
THERE'S nothing very novel o unusual about the design of th Talbot Tagora, yet it manages t achieve a remarkable combine tion of spaciousness, perform ance and economy. It seems very attractive purchase for bus ness use, especially where th requirement is for a car thE looks distinctive and implie good taste without seeming e all ostentatious.
Engine capacity is 2,155ci and the engine has four cylir ders and 9.5-to-1 compressior and delivers an impressiv 113bhp. It responds very wel giving lively acceleration, an there is a crisp exhaust not which enhances the somewN sporting feel of the car.
A five-speed gearbox is star dard, and motorway cruising i the Tagora is relaxed and quie with the advantages of ver good steering and exceller directional stability.
Suspension is independer front and rear, with long-travi coil springs, and gives an ou standingly comfortable rid( vith excellent damping and very mod absorption of bumps and indulations while at the same ime giving no suggestion of wer-softness. The brakes give jood progression, and pedal esponse is just right. In both itability and roadholding, the ragora scores with its long rvheelbase, which has allowed • he designers to provide gener)us legroom inside.
Seats are sumptuously corn'ortable, and there is a )Ieasantly uncrowded, spacious Ind airy impression about the nterior. Visibility is good, in ipite of the rather remote posiioning of the sloping windicreen and the thickness of the vindscreen pillars.
One or two aspects are not so jood. In particular, the gear :hange is rather awkward, and he change into third is ;ometimes difficult to make :leanly. In cold weather, even vith the addition of a large juantity of meths, the screenvashers proved very susceptible o freezing; and although it is pod to have a handy twist knob in the steering column surround or headlamp adjustment, the .nob was adrift on the test.car; Ind the heated rear window was lot working.
These slight snags did not poil enjoyment of the Tagora as in ideal long-journey car, and its 'entilation system with pushiutton controls has an air blend'g temperature regulator and is .ery effective at keeping the inarior temperature just right for winter travel. There are also uch sensible features as a roofiounted spot lamp for map aading, in addition to the in tenor courtesy lamp, and a seven-systems check control panel of warning tell-tales for such items as radiator coolant level, screen washer fluid and oil levels.
Unfortunately these items and the luxurious velour upholstery come only with the GLS, which costs some £1,600 more than a Tagora 2.2 GL with five-speed gearbox. As a business car manager I could order a GL and think I was getting very good value, signing for less than £8,000 retail without discount even after the £249 extra cost for power steering had been added. The GLS comes with five-speed gearbox and power steering as standard, but does not seem quite such a spectacular bargain at £9,072.
Whichever is purchased, there is the promise of low running costs with the Tagor,a, particularly for its remarkable economy. As I drove on a rather hurried business trip through quite testing weather, I became more and more impressed at the way in which the Tagora seemed to go "for ever and a day" without refuelling.
The reason for this was that it achieves no less than 29mpg, and has a 15.6gal fuel tank. But I would like a more definite fuel gauge: it tended to wander vaguely between half and quarter full for about 150 miles, and there was an odd habit for the fuel warning tell-tale to come on after the car had been parked — even with plenty of fuel remained — and then go out again after a minute or two of running.
The end of my spell with the Tagora coincided with a heavy fall of snow, and in these conditions it again proved a very competent car, having plenty of traction to keep going through deep snow, although it has rear-wheel drive, and proving very stable and controllable on ice. I had come to like it very well indeed, and consider it much underrated as a business car that is different from the standard run and has a lot to offer.
From Fiat
A new model every ten minutes?
IT'S NOT QUITE as often as that, but it does seem that Fiat is going through a period of intense activity for new models and marketing developments. In Italy, the 127 has been introduced in Mark III form, and the Strada range (known as the Ritmo in its home country and elsewhere abroad) has been launched as a high-performance Abarth version, as the Super 85 with more powerful engine, and as the Twin Cam.
Other developments are the introduction of a warranty extension scheme to cover the second or third years of a car's life at moderate extra cost, and for two months last year Fiat was offering zero interest finance for some of the less popular models. Of these developments, the most significant for the business buyer is the introduction of the Strada 85. Engine capacity is the same as before, at 1,498cc, but new manifolding and the use of a compound twin-choke carb instead of the previous singlechoke carb has pushed the power output up from 75 to 85bhp.
In this new form the engine is certainly crisper and more responsive than before, yet economy is also slightly better. There's an improvement of 2mpg in the constant speed consumption figures for 50 and 75mph.
Five-speed gearbox is standard, but the change itself is rather sticky and notchy, and does not encourage the sent of free use of the gearbox that such relatively high gearing demands.
An interesting aspect of the new Strada is that it is one of the first production cars to make use of the new Pirelli P8 tyre, which is described as a "low rolling resistance" tyre. They give good grip as well as contributing to optimum fuel economy.
Neat features are the pull-outtorch with long wander lead to plug into the cigarette lighter, and the systems check panel on the facia which reveals at a glance any faults such as low fluid levels or imperfectly closed doors.
At £4,772 retail (total) the Strada Super 85 is worth bearing in mind as the sort of car to suggest to a business user who wants something slightly different from the usual hand-out Cortina and does not want a big car. It's not as good value as a Cortina 1600 four-door, but some would prefer it, and it's a lot more fun to drive.