Rover 600
| Rover 600 Series | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Rover |
| Production | 1993—1999 |
| Assembly | United Kingdom: Cowley, Oxford, England |
| Designer | Richard Woolley (1989) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Large family car (D) |
| Body style | 4-door saloon |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Honda CB |
| Related |
Honda Accord Honda Ascot Innova |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.8 L Honda F18A I4 (petrol) 2.0 L Honda F20Z1 I4 (petrol) 2.0 L T-Series I4 (T/C petrol) 2.0 L L-Series I4 (turbodiesel) 2.3 L Honda H23A3 I4 (petrol) |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual 4-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,720 mm (107.1 in) |
| Length | 4,650 mm (183.1 in) |
| Width | 1,727 mm (68.0 in) |
| Height | 1,380 mm (54.3 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,280–1,365 kg (2,822–3,009 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Austin Montego |
| Successor | Rover 75 |
The Rover 600 Series is a large family car range that was produced by the British manufacturer Rover from 1993 to 1999.
The Rover 600 exterior was designed by Rover, a re-skin of the European Honda Accord, also built in the UK by Honda in Swindon. The core structure and vast majority of the engineering content was sourced from Honda but the vehicles were designed at the same time, with a small Rover team on-site in Japan. Colour and trim derivatives were also used to help separate the Rover from the Honda in the marketplace. The 1.8, 2.0 and 2.3-litre straight-4 petrol engines were all provided by Honda. However, the 2.0-litre turbodiesel Rover L-Series engine and turbocharged T-Series engines were developed by Rover itself, evolutions of units already available elsewhere in the Rover model range.
The 600's interior included wood and chrome trim, as well as relatively high equipment levels, although rear legroom was criticised as rather constrained. The interior was similar to the Japanese-built Honda Ascot Innova, except with a few cosmetic changes. Carpet was also not evident along the bottom trim of the dashboard, although it did feature there on the Innova.
The Honda-derived chassis was reported to give a comfortable but unsporting ride. Given the Rover's equipment, prices were reasonably competitive in the large family car segment and considerably lower than the price of such compact executive cars such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.
Launched on 19 April 1993, the 600 Series replaced the Montego saloon in the Rover range, but because the 600 was positioned considerably further upmarket in relation to its predecessor, the entry level Montego models were kept in production primarily for the fleet market. Unlike the Montego, there was never an estate version of the 600 Series, with no direct replacement being launched for the estate version of the Montego when it was discontinued at the end of 1994. Production ceased continued until early 1999, when it was replaced with the retro-styled Rover 75 developed under BMW's stewardship. The 75 also replaced the larger 800 Series.
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