An influential contribution to modern motoring

[garethj]

I didn't realise they made a diesel version.

 

But as to the original post, the Rancho was decades earlier so I don't think Rover's contribution to modern motoring was all that.

[Bren]

Might as well keep going, for what it's worth..

"It was influential because it spawned a myriad of faux 4×4 SUV copies: regular two-wheel-drive hatchbacks with a purposeful off-road look and raised stance. It inspired the two-wheel-drive Citroen C3 XTR, Volkswagen Polo Dune, Skoda Fabia Scout and very popular Dacia Sandero Stepwise, for example, plus overseas-market-only non off-roaders like the Fiat Palio Adventure and the amusingly named Hyundai Getz Cross and VW CrossFox."

"It was influential because it helped hammer the final nail into MG Rover's coffin, along with the city rover, which, to be frank, was utter shit."

[Lacquer Peel]

Ford had a concept based on the Fiesta too many years ago, and rebooted the idea using an mk5 Scrote Estate, all long before the Street Daft

 

No one said it was a new idea, but it did inspire equally unsuccessful jacked-up superminis.

 

I would love a diesel one with steel wheels, don't think you could get that combination from the factory but bare steel wheels with centre hub caps look great.

[garethj]

It would be like an even more Autoshite version of a base-model Dacia!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

"It was influential because it helped hammer the final nail into MG Rover's coffin, along with the city rover, which, to be frank, was utter shit."

I don't agree with the entire article, but there's no denying where the current batch of 'soft-roaders' drew some of their design influence from. Rover was already buggered, regardless of the Streetwise and what it did or didn't achieve for them.

[MarvinsMom]

i believe that you could get bare steel wheels WITHOUT any hubcaps, dunno if that was available across the range, or only on the 84ps 1400 kettle.

[Lacquer Peel]

Base 84BHP model only I believe, quite rare.

 

[Lord Sterling]

I drove a 2004 Streetwise quite extensively for a few days last year, specifically this one:

 

 

It belonged to a friend of Steves and I tried to sell the car for them unsuccessfully. The car itself wasn't a bad driver, it handled quite well, shifted Ok. The only complaint I had was the half leather recaro seats which I hated.

 

I think the car industry realised that in the UK at least, small hatchbacks are very popular, so rather than just keep on creating normal hatchbacks with different specs, create different hatchbacks with an aspiring soft-roader appeal to them.

[Vin]

Might as well keep going, for what it's worth..

 

"It was influential because it spawned a myriad of faux 4×4 SUV copies: regular two-wheel-drive hatchbacks with a purposeful off-road look and raised stance. It inspired the two-wheel-drive Citroen C3 XTR, Volkswagen Polo Dune, Skoda Fabia Scout and very popular Dacia Sandero Stepwise, for example, plus overseas-market-only non off-roaders like the Fiat Palio Adventure and the amusingly named Hyundai Getz Cross and VW CrossFox."

 

I can't say I've ever heard of any of that lot, let alone seen one...Very influential indeed...

[Lacquer Peel]

The 'car anorak' who wrote the article doesn't know the Dacia is called a Stepway, not 'Stepwise', they seem to do good business but the Polo Dune and C3 XTR were flops.

[Alan_Green]

Earlier faux 4wd supermini? Baja bug? Golf country? Ok, that was 4wd.

[daveb47]

Still think Swan Vestas........

[twosmoke300]

I work on a c3 xtr . Can't say I've seen any others about though

[Skizzer]

So this is to blame for all these stupid jacked up cars with silly plastic bodykits?

 

If you're looking to dish out blame for such excretia then you'd do better to aim it at the cynical marketing wonks behind the Audi Allroad, which predates the Streetwise by three years or so.

[/pedant]

 

Carry on.

 

 

Edit: Yes it had 4wd, but it was no more an off-roader than the regular A6 Quattro.

[Lacquer Peel]

The Legacy and Impreza Outbacks predate the Allroad by some years, and Subaru's first 4x4 car pre-dates all the pretenders.

The A6 Allroad does at least have adjustable air suspension and decent ground clearance.

[HH-R]

What's not to like, the Streetwise is for life's winners.

 

Of course poor old MG Rover were just rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic at this point.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

The Legacy and Impreza Outbacks predate the Allroad by some years, and Subaru's first 4x4 car pre-dates all the pretenders.

The A6 Allroad does at least have adjustable air suspension and decent ground clearance.

If you're looking to dish out blame for such excretia then you'd do better to aim it at the cynical marketing wonks behind the Audi Allroad, which predates the Streetwise by three years or so.

[/pedant]

 

Carry on.

 

 

Edit: Yes it had 4wd, but it was no more an off-roader than the regular A6 Quattro.

The Streetwise is waaay betterer than any of them. It's like comparing Guy Martin to Ronaldo; everyone knows Guy knows his tea bags.