MG nearly launched an SUV
ARONLINE has come up with a real gem – a prototype of an MG off-roader!
Based on the SsangYong Rexton, it shows the genius of Peter Stevens; his restyled bit, the front end, really is properly smart, I reckon.
It was to be called MG due to licensing issues over the Rover name, and would most certainly have enraged MG die-hards.
I, for one, can maybe see the merits, though – despite the mediocrity of the base vehicle. What sort of benefits could a tie-up with SsangYong have brought, for example? Yes, the firm’s been in trouble recently, but it also has a very promising new contemporary Qashqai rival waiting in the wings.
Imagine if MG Rover had been able to get in early on a co-development, Honda-style, with this? Coupled with a Fiat Stilo-based mid-range hatch, and perhaps a Renault Espace-derived people carrier? Even a tie-in with Lotus-owning Proton? We can but dream…
Twist-beam rear suspension is fundamentally flawed
My obsession over rear suspension on front-drive cars continues. You’ll no doubt be delighted to hear.
Latest view? That of a chassis suspension contact. His view is that twist-beam rears can never be as good as the far superior multi-link alternative.
This is because of two fundamentals. They lack lateral stiffness. And they allow the wheels to far too readily camber-steer when cornering. In journo-speak, this is the difference between and floppy and stiff rear end.
Tuning is still a massive part of how a car will turn out, he says. But the base multi-link engineers have to work from is that much better to start with, so they stand a better chance…
Fuel is going up
FUEL has risen by 2p a litre. With VAT, that’s 2.3p a litre. For the average tankful, it’s £1 a shot up.
One fuel retailer is trimming the rise for another week. But surely, as fuel has been bought in advance, they all should, until current stocks run out? One to watch.
Even so, I’m filling up today.
Saloons are dead in the UK
RENAULT for years went against the grain and offered saloon versions of its mid-range Megane.
Not anymore. It’s just revealed the tidy-looking Fluence, which is built in Turkey and based on the excellent current Megane platform.
But there are no plans to bring it into the UK. Proving that family buyers want family hatchbacks, not fuddy-duddy saloons.
When one of the market stalwarts leaves the sector, you know it’s now of minimal importance. Which is what makes it such a tragedy that Chevrolet’s fantastic Cruze is saloon-only.
Give this baby a hatch (for which there are no plans, given its world car status – what, with the rest of the world preferring saloons), and it could be the bargain-buy family hatch of choice.
Alas, we’ll never know. But at least it ensures there will remain a future contender for the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car.
Why do people hate the Lotus Elan?
