Rover-extended 75

MG ROVER Australia has announced the local release of Rover's first ever production wagon, the 75 Tourer.

Priced at $56,450 for the entry-level Club Tourer in five-speed manual form, the Rover 75 Tourer is $3000 more expensive than its corresponding Rover 75 sedan sibling. The automatic version commands another $2000, while the top-spec Rover 75 Connoisseur Tourer is priced at $66,450.

Like the sedan, the five-door, front-wheel drive Rover 75 Tourer is engineered by BMW and now built by Rover, and is powered by the same 130kW 2.5-litre V6.

As with the recently released Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor Estate, Rover says only a handful of sales are expected each month, with buyers tempted from owners of the Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon, Peugeot 406 SV wagon, Volvo V40 wagon, Saab 9-5 Estate and VW Passat Variant.

Standard fitment in Club models is traction control, ABS, EBD, cruise control, full leather trim, woodgrain trim, six airbags, dual-zone automatic climate control, alloy wheels, six-CD stacker and a six-speaker sound system.

The Connoisseur model adds to this electric and heated front seats with memory, sunroof, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, trip computer, rain sensing wipers and an auto-dipping interior mirror.

The Rover 75 Tourer offers 1222 litres of luggage space, with a useful 1.1-metre wide loading bay and a flip-up rear window to allow smaller items to be placed out back without lifting the tailgate.

A metallic/pearlescent paint option is offered across the range for $990, while the Rover 75 Tourer Connoisseur's options list also includes satellite navigation with TV ($6175) and Personal Line trim ($1995). Like the 75 sedan, the 75 Tourer's warranty is three years/100,000km with MG Rover Roadside Assist.