ESTATE OF THE NATION (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY STEVE WALKER

Introductionword count: 226

When you look at where the MG ZT-T came from, it's amazing that it turned out the way it did. The Rover 75 Tourer is just about as 'pipe and slippers' as modern cars get and yet the taught, aggressive MG shares so much with it. A Rover 75 owner swapping his leisurely Sunday drive in the country for a brisk jaunt in an MG ZT-T would probably be left feeling stunned - as if he'd just smoked his slippers. This effect is tribute to the MG Rover engineers' skill in transforming the classy but lethargic Rover into a performance estate with real menace and an MG badge. With a ZT-T you are getting a car that's a good 80% Rover 75 Tourer but the 20% injection of MG makes all the difference to the package. The Rover is no bad car, well built and with a refined style of its own, but it's never going to be the keen driver's choice. The ZT-T has the sensible practicality of its stablemate but includes that untamed X-factor to make family outings, shopping trips or even visits to the dump that little bit more of an adventure. Used models are about in good numbers now, changing hands at attractive prices, so here's a rundown of what you need to know to get your hands on a good one.

Modelsword count: 22

Models Covered: Five-door estate ZT-T (1.8, 2.5 V6, 4.6 V8 petrol, 2.0 diesel [120, 160, 180 Sports Auto, 190, 260, CDTi, CDTi135])

Historyword count: 418

The Rover 75 ambled sedately onto the streets in 1999 but it took the manufacturer a good two years to establish that they wanted to turn it into raw-edged performance car, resurrecting the hallowed MG marque in the process. It was a job the MG Rover designers and engineers must have been dreading. The 75 hardly lends itself to the old alloys and spoiler treatment that's meted out to so many mainstream cars to produce a hot performance derivative but the end result looked very tidy indeed. Peter Stevens was the man in charge of sculpting the spoilers and the fruits of his labour went on sale in mid-2001 in the shape of the ZT. The ZT-T estate version followed hot on the heels of the saloon and, if anything, this was even easier on the eye. From Launch the ZT-T shared all of the ZT's engine options and that meant 160 and 190bhp versions of the smooth 2.5-litre V6, which was rendered more sensual by a sports exhaust emitting a low rumbling note under acceleration. As for trim levels, the standard and up-spec '+' designations were as far as it went. Further additions to the ZT-T line-up included the 180 Sports Auto automatic version in early 2002 along with the arrival of the 114 and 135bhp CDTI diesels a few months later. Around this time the V6 engine in the ZT-T160 model was swapped for a turbocharged 1.8 with the same output but improved performance, fuel consumption and emissions. From then the range remained unchanged until the summer of 2003 when an entry level ZT-T120 model was launched to help court economy-conscious fleet buyers. From day one the MG marketing strategy for the ZT and ZT-T range was a clever one. They repeatedly whetted the public's appetite with leaked news and occasional tantalising glimpses of V8 powered rear-wheel drive versions of the cars. Big horsepower ratings were banded about along with distinctly rapid 0-60mph times and, of course, the extra publicity generated reflected positively on less mind-boggling models that were actually on sale. Something had to give though and the tail end of 2003 saw the arrival of the rear-wheel drive ZT-T260 with its Ford Mustang V8. MG Rover were as good as their word. In early 2004 a facelift radically, and somewhat controversially, changed the look of the car. A new grille derived from the SV coupe and reshaped headlights were the most prominent. features. 2005 saw the end of the ZTT and of MG Rover.

What You Getword count: 406

In terms of image, the Rover 75 Tourer and the MG ZT-T are diametrically opposed. Where the former is all string-backed driving gloves, golf clubs and pension funds, the latter is a little more mid-life crisis. The 75 offers an interior that sports more wood than an episode of the Antiques Roadshow and on the outside it's designers missed no opportunity to coat any price of trim that wasn't stuck down with chrome. The MG ZT-T takes a different tack with leather and high quality plastics creating a more contemporary effect. The leather and alcantara mix seats are something to behold and to sit in, beautifully sculpted to provide the support you'd want in a car designed to go round corners quickly. The layout of instruments and switches is uncomplicated making the functions you want easy to find, while all the moving parts have a chunky robustness about them. Accommodation inside the ZT-T is a little snug compared to conventional estate cars but this could actually be one of its best features. The low ceiling and seating position create a very 'sportscar' effect, allowing driver and car to feel more connected than in any other medium range estate that springs to mind. There's a real performance car edge to the ZT-T even if some of the lesser engines offered in the range don't really have the performance to back it up. In the end, however, any estate must stand or fall by what you can get in the back and the ZT-T must be no exception. There's 1,222 litres of load capacity with the rear bench folded down which isn't enormous and the load length of 2,060mm might see some longer items left on the driveway. With the seats up, rear legroom is passable but nothing to write home about. Folding the rear seating provision up and down is no problem at all and the catches seem strong enough to stay the course. Nice touches include the warning triangle mounted on the tailgate for easy access and the illuminated spare wheel compartment accessed through a gas-strutted hatch in the load bay floor. The visual simplicity of the MG ZT-T facia belies the amount of equipment you actually get in the car. The standard entry level trim level includes all the basics you'd expect from a car in this class while the '+' derivatives go all out by adding air-conditioning, a CD autochanger and a rear spoiler.

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