Wraps off Montego

Press, 3 May 1984, Page 29

Wraps off Montego

The Austin Rover division of BL, Ltd, has just lifted the wraps off the longawaited LMII saloon, which comprises an eight-model range and is called the Montego. All but the highperformance MG version will carry the Austin badge. This newcomer is a generously booted four-door saloon, 60 per cent of its body panels being those used in the construction of the Austin/MG Maestro four-door hatchback launched in Britain a year ago.

Montego buyers will have the choice of three different transversely mounted engines driving the front wheels. At the bottom of the range there is the 1.3-litre 51.5 kW (69bhp) unit which is

shared with the standard Maestro. Next comes an entirely new 1.6-litre S series engine which has a five-bearing crankshaft and belt-driven camshaft. It develops 64kW (86bhp). A 2litre 77.6 kW (104bhp) O series engine completes the trio. It is this engine, in uprated form, that powers the MG Montego. It develops 82kW (117bhp). The 1.3 and 1.6 engines are mated with four and five-speed Volkswagen gearboxes, but the 2-litre models employ a new five-speed box of Honda origin. It is in close ratio form in the MG version.

Buyers seeking high performance and luxury should find it in the MG Montego

2.0 EFI, for it has a fuelinjected engine claimed to provide 0-96km/h acceleration in B.9sec and a top speed of 185km/h.

Austin Rover is looking for fleet sales with the Montego range and, to this end, much attention has been devoted to reducing operating costs. Service intervals are at 19,000 kilometres and other cost-sav-ing features include main-tenance-free programmed ignition, except on the 1.3litre model, which has breakerless ignition, self-ad-justing clutch cable, main-tenance-free steering pivots and ball-joints, seaJed-for-life battery and 39,000-kilo-metre spark plugs. The model pictured is the Montego I.6HL.