RE: Rover adds kit to boost sales
Thursday 17th March 2005
Rover adds kit to boost sales
Can built-in phones save the ageing 75 V8?
With sales plummeting and a life-saving deal with the Chinese SAIC group seemingly only weeks away, MG Rover is clearly aiming to boost sales by adding toys to the Rover 75 and MG ZT, to whit integrated wiring for hands-free telephones. To complement the move, a full range of compatible phone kits is now available from dealerships.
By making the ‘hands free’ wiring part of the standard line build specification, 
said Rover, installation of the cradle and microphone is reduced from two hours to 15 minutes. Also, fitting of the external equipment does not disturb any of the car's other systems.
The initiative, developed with telephone accessory supplier Pama, allows drivers to keep their current mobile phone and easily install it into their new car. The integrated wiring combined with the basic car kit is compatible with 95 per cent of all mobile phones, said Rover. The company reckoned that no other manufacturer currently offers this level of compatibility with integrated phone preparation.
"The mobile phone is a part of everyday life so I am delighted that we’re the first to integrate mobile phone wiring with such a wide choice," said marketing man Rod Ramsay. "The chances are that you change your phone more often than your car, so the low cost of repeat telephone installation is a key issue to encourage legal phone compliance."
Four optional packages are available with different levels of sophistication and range between £229.99 and £299.99 with installation included:
- MG Rover Basic Car Kit – £229.99. The harness operates with 95% of phones – includes a phone holder, Peiker microphone, electronic control unit and installation.
- MG Rover Standard Car Kit – £259.99. A range of bespoke telephone cradles operates with 70 per cent of all phone designs and kit includes a Peiker microphone, Panorama antenna, electronic control unit with integrated harness and installation.
- MG Rover Deluxe Car Kit, with user interchangeable cradle – £289.99. A range of bespoke telephone cradles with user interchangeable connections operates with 75 per cent of customer phone designs. The kit includes a Peiker microphone, Panorama antenna, electronic control unit with integrated harness and installation.
- MG Rover Bluetooth Car Kit – £299.99. Works with all voice enabled Bluetooth phones – includes a phone holder, Peiker microphone, electronic control unit with integrated harness, charging lead and installation.
Discussion
the front is part-Audi A4, part-Renault Clio. (Although the 612 has that stupid grin-like edge now.)agent006 said:
Oh dear, they really are desparate, making this a big selling point. Nearly every other car on the market has had builtin phone wiring for a good few years now.
Nearly every other car has it already? Really? My S60 volvo didn't and thats a newish design. In fact, from what I can tell very few cars have completely built in wiring for all types of phones. Jag do it, but only for select phone models, likewise Honda.
Still, why let the truth get in the way of some fairly predictable MGR bashing eh?
75V8 ageing? It came out last year FFS!
75 Chassis ageing? It's younger than many competitors.
Why don't you just reserve your comments until you drive the sodding thing eh?
Andy
(MG ZT T 190 owner, and proud of it (plus a TVR
) ) i believe the 75 is still one of the finest looking cars of its genre.
shame they keep tinkering with the grille, it looked just dandy on previous model, but this car has lots of scope, still.
i can't say i have ever seen one broken down - seem plenty of mercs, saab's, bmw's, etc ....
i'd love to have a go in the v8 75. congrats to rover for having the balls to develop this derivative.
shame they keep tinkering with the grille, it looked just dandy on previous model, but this car has lots of scope, still.
i can't say i have ever seen one broken down - seem plenty of mercs, saab's, bmw's, etc ....
i'd love to have a go in the v8 75. congrats to rover for having the balls to develop this derivative.
andymadmak said:
Nearly every other car has it already? Really? My S60 volvo didn't and thats a newish design. In fact, from what I can tell very few cars have completely built in wiring for all types of phones. Jag do it, but only for select phone models, likewise Honda.
Still, why let the truth get in the way of some fairly predictable MGR bashing eh?
What i mean is that the majority of modern cars have generic power and audio wiring provided so fitting a phone kit is easier. Vauxhall have done it for nearly 10 years now.
I'm not doing the usual predictable MGR bashing, i actually rather like the 75's design. Just because you own an MGR made car doesn't mean they're exempt from criticism. In relation to most makes the MGR fleet is ancient. The 25 and 45 are knocking ten years old, the MG(T)F is the same age. Most car manufacturers have realeased at least one major model update in that time, if not more.
And yes i have driven a 75.
[quote=agent006
What i mean is that the majority of modern cars have generic power and audio wiring provided so fitting a phone kit is easier. Vauxhall have done it for nearly 10 years now.
I'm not doing the usual predictable MGR bashing, i actually rather like the 75's design. Just because you own an MGR made car doesn't mean they're exempt from criticism. In relation to most makes the MGR fleet is ancient. The 25 and 45 are knocking ten years old, the MG(T)F is the same age. Most car manufacturers have realeased at least one major model update in that time, if not more.
And yes i have driven a 75.[/quote]
Then you should read the article again., What MGR has done is offer a kit that makes it easy to take ANY type or model of phone and plug it into the car properly. Hardly anyone does that. My volvo could onlyhave a couple of models of Nokia and Erikson as the phone options. Generic stereo wiring is not the same thing.
And, for the record, I am not some blind eyed MGR supporter nut that doesn't recognise the problems with large parts of their product offering. But for ther record, the 75/ZT range is not all that old in platform terms (the ZT came out at the same time as the Volvo S60, and no one thinks thats old) .The 75 came out at the same time as the S type jag, and that's still seen as a modern car.
The fact is that I endorse the ZT because it is a damn fine car by any benchmark or measure. It is not perfect, but then no car is.
Your negative comments about the 75/ZT and the "every other car has had this for years" are simply wrong and are typical of the "nudge nudge hey look at how clever and knowledgeable I must be about the motor industry cos I'm bashing MGR" simplistic ignorance that is everywhere.
Andy
What i mean is that the majority of modern cars have generic power and audio wiring provided so fitting a phone kit is easier. Vauxhall have done it for nearly 10 years now.
I'm not doing the usual predictable MGR bashing, i actually rather like the 75's design. Just because you own an MGR made car doesn't mean they're exempt from criticism. In relation to most makes the MGR fleet is ancient. The 25 and 45 are knocking ten years old, the MG(T)F is the same age. Most car manufacturers have realeased at least one major model update in that time, if not more.
And yes i have driven a 75.[/quote]
Then you should read the article again., What MGR has done is offer a kit that makes it easy to take ANY type or model of phone and plug it into the car properly. Hardly anyone does that. My volvo could onlyhave a couple of models of Nokia and Erikson as the phone options. Generic stereo wiring is not the same thing.
And, for the record, I am not some blind eyed MGR supporter nut that doesn't recognise the problems with large parts of their product offering. But for ther record, the 75/ZT range is not all that old in platform terms (the ZT came out at the same time as the Volvo S60, and no one thinks thats old) .The 75 came out at the same time as the S type jag, and that's still seen as a modern car.
The fact is that I endorse the ZT because it is a damn fine car by any benchmark or measure. It is not perfect, but then no car is.
Your negative comments about the 75/ZT and the "every other car has had this for years" are simply wrong and are typical of the "nudge nudge hey look at how clever and knowledgeable I must be about the motor industry cos I'm bashing MGR" simplistic ignorance that is everywhere.
Andy
agent006 said:
Oh dear. The MG/Rover bashers are out again.
Oh dear, the "MG/Rover are great no matter what they vomit out of longbridge and deserve nothing but praise and how dare you call yourself british and not buy a british car" brigade has arrived.
It's British with a CAPITAL,thanks.
Some of us judge cars on their merits, after at least driving them.
Others fall in line with the sheep.
Hi all,
Ive been fortunate enough to drive a large number of different cars..new and old and among them ive driven the entire MG range TF,R,S,T and a 'normal' 75 diesel estate too..
And ive driven a fair selection of the opposition including Audi A4's, Passats, Vectra's etc..
I cant really comment about the car kit as i try n keep my car as a haven as much as possible.. just me n me stereo!
Anyway, i think the 75 for the right money is comparable with the best of em.. I think the Passat is more dated..
Its not perfect but i enjoyed driving one for 1000 miles over 3 days.. and i am a fussy so n so.
I think it deserves as much criticism but also aclaim as the likes of VW and Ford..
I do feel though, the media is sensationalising MG/Rover and giving them unfair press in relation to other manufacturers and dare i say (further off subject!) i think we could do with being a touch patriotic and supporting our home brands..(not mentioning the Chinese investment)
Ive been fortunate enough to drive a large number of different cars..new and old and among them ive driven the entire MG range TF,R,S,T and a 'normal' 75 diesel estate too..
And ive driven a fair selection of the opposition including Audi A4's, Passats, Vectra's etc..
I cant really comment about the car kit as i try n keep my car as a haven as much as possible.. just me n me stereo!
Anyway, i think the 75 for the right money is comparable with the best of em.. I think the Passat is more dated..
Its not perfect but i enjoyed driving one for 1000 miles over 3 days.. and i am a fussy so n so.
I think it deserves as much criticism but also aclaim as the likes of VW and Ford..
I do feel though, the media is sensationalising MG/Rover and giving them unfair press in relation to other manufacturers and dare i say (further off subject!) i think we could do with being a touch patriotic and supporting our home brands..(not mentioning the Chinese investment)
andymadmak said:
[My volvo could onl yhave a couple of models of Nokia and Erikson as the phone options. Generic stereo wiring is not the same thing.
Even modern Volvos don't use the accepted standard for power connections behind the dash. I still maintain that the majority of cars in production today have provision for both power and audio for a handsfree kit, even my 1993 audi has the ability to mute the radio on an incoming call.
At no point have I said the 75 is a bad car, just that this is a very weak selling point.
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