It has been variously dubbed "an Indian takeaway" and MG Rover's "make or break" car. What are we talking about? Simply a new Rover-badged supermini that is supposedly the spiritual successor to the Metro, and Indian-built. In India it sells as the Tata Indica. Andrew Hamilton reports.
CityRover alias Indica could or should be great news for those of us - all of us surely - looking for more car for less money. When it goes on Irish sale in November, it will be in the €12,995 to €14,295 price bracket where other sellers include the Ford Ka, Hyundai Getz and Daihatsu Sirion. CityRover is a tall, five-door hatchback that is very spacious for its size and it is powered by Tata's own 1.4 litre 85 bhp petrol engine.
Although no one has yet driven CityRover, the car that was presented in static form to us looked thoroughly modern. The cabin wasn't flamboyant but neither was it frugal. MG Rover says its confidence in the new arrival is emphasised by a three year or 60,000 mile warranty similar to that offered by Far Eastern marques.
In Britain it will sell from £6,495 to £8,500 with four specification levels. Here there will be only two, Solo and Select. Solo means standard features like driver's airbag, power steering, front seat belt pre-tensioners, a CD player with four speakers and a rear wash and wipe. Select additionally gives front and rear electric windows and air conditioning.
The CityRover that will sell here has been "modernised" compared with the original Indica model. Mechanical changes include a suspension retuned for better handling and a better steering lock.
At the presentation, Chris Millard, MG Rover's engineering director pragmatically admitted that City Rover wasn't a class-leading supermini. MG Rover's chief executive Kevin Howe thought a lot more could flow from the partnership with Tata. One consequence is his company's takeover of the sales and distribution of Tata's 4x4 vehicles in Britain and Ireland.
MG Rover used the CityRover event to present its StreetWise, fanfared as an "urban on-roader". Based on the standard 25 body, the suspension has been raised and there are more rugged touches like body cladding, underbody protection, extended wheel arches and larger wheels and tyres. Streetwise comes with either a 1.4 petrol or 2.0 litre diesel engine with Irish prices starting at €18,345 for the petrol model when sales start in October.
What, then, of CityRover and Streetwise on the Irish market? David Smith, managing director of MG Rover Ireland expects sales of 250 CityRovers and 175 Streetwises next year.
CityRover isn't the first Indian-built car to be sold here. Suzuki's baby car, the Alto, is also built on the sub-continent. As a 1.1 litre five-door hatchback, it has an Irish retail price of €11,225.